How to Spot a Fake Designer Bag

The following content that you are about to read is based on a true story involving yours truly.

Did that get your attention? I think serious tones always work.

Anyway, here’s the story.

I was walking with the love of my life back to his place. We were laughing, talking, taking in the scenery when I looked to the left of him and saw something in the road. It was a Michael Kors handbag. Just lying there. No one around, no soul in sight. What?! 

I didn’t think twice; I grabbed it and continued walking. On the way, I was examining it. It was dirty as if it’s been laying there for a while. But other than the huge dirt spot on the fabric, it was in excellent condition! No tears, no loose threads, all the hardware was in great condition; no dents or scratches. I’m sorry, but you’re crazy to leave a Michael Kors bag on the road, whether they dropped it, forgot it or who knows what, NEVER let your eye off of it.

With my excitement, came doubt. What if it really wasn’t a Michael Kors bag but a rip off one? It was seriously like two different voices speaking to me because one side kept saying it’s real (mostly because I was so surprised of its near flawless condition), but the other kept nagging at me that it’s not.

I’m sure I’m not the only one in this boat, as we’ve all seen designer bags in thrift stores that say they’re real, but are they really? It’s something we’ve all wondered at one time or another.

So, how can you really tell if that new designer bag you just picked up is real? There are a few ways to tell.

Labels + Logos

Like any good designer, they stamp their name or company’s name somewhere on their work. When you see this, the label or logo should be clearly defined. Meaning, it’s not blurry, not out of focus. If it’s a metallic stamped logo, it will not flake nor can it be easily scratched off.

Shape + Size

This one may be a little hard to see, but the size will be the same if you were to put two identical bags from the same designer next to each other. Common sense comes into play when you don’t have another bag by the same designer, but you can always tell when something looks funky, size wise. If you hold it up in front of your face and the “shoulder” on the right side of the bag looks different from the left side, it’s normally a dupe.

Hardware

Those gold buttons, big, chunky clasps can be a dead giveaway whether or not it’s a true designer bag. The only thing that matters to me is that the hardware works and will keep everything in my bag secure. Well, if the hardware doesn’t have any weight to it or feels like plastic when you tap on it with your nail, sad to say but it’s not a designer. The hardware won’t fall apart and will most likely be made out of metal. Why would they stitch together a gorgeous bag only to falter and be cheap with the finishing touches? They wouldn’t.

Extras

That little piece of paper attached to your bag or is on the inside of it (called a “care card”), can sometimes be an overlooked thing. It’s kind of like when you get a sketchy email that’s too good to be true. They’re offering you a hundred dollars but they completely misspell “dollars” and pretty much every other word in the email… Yeah, knock-offs with care cards can have poor grammar and spelling too.

 

Hopefully, all this information is useful and will make you think twice next time you pick up a designer bag somewhere other than a department store.

As for my situation and my glorious find, I was able to examine the handbag and am still on the fence about it. Everything is in great condition, the hardware is weighty and nothing is falling off but I’ve never had a real designer bag before so I’m kind of guessing its authenticity. I’m honestly thinking of bringing it to either an appraiser or a Michael Kors store. So, if/when I do, I’ll let you guys know!