10 Tricks That Can Help You Spot a Fake Item From a Mile Away

Branded items can be quite expensive, and there is a reason for this. Manufacturers are responsible for the item’s highest quality, using natural leather and on-trend colors, and making sure that the item will serve you for a long time. The price of a genuine item includes not just the cost of the materials that it’s made from, and human labor, but also the history of the fashion house, which always makes the item more valuable. But sometimes it’s really hard to distinguish an original from a replica, which will fall into pieces after a couple of months.

At Bright Side, we decided to find out the main distinctive features of popular brands which will help you easily figure out whether you have a replica or an original in front of you.

The North Face jacket

The products from the American brand The North Face are highly valued among winter sports aficionados. They are very popular all over the world and are often duplicated by unscrupulous manufacturers. There are a number of differences you can use to tell if it’s a replica before paying for it.

• All of the letters of the logo on the original items are embroidered separately and there should be no threads between them.
• All embellishments on genuine models are high quality. The zipper must have the letters YYK and puller rings should have The North Face logo in the shape of 3 curved stripes.
• Inside the jacket, there should be informational tags with a hologram confirming the authenticity of the model. If there is no hologram, then you can be sure that this is a replica in front of you.

Ralph Lauren polo shirt

Shirts with a rider playing polo are very popular all over the world. They are comfortable, come in a variety of colors, and go well with both jeans and shorts. The popularity of the Ralph Lauren brand became the reason why so many replicas appeared on store shelves. To figure out if it’s a replica, all you have to do is look closely at some details.

• Only mother-of-pearl buttons with 4 holes are used in original models. Clear plastic buttons are one of the most obvious signs of a replica. The way the buttons are sewn on also matters. Original polo shirts have crisscross stitches.
• The most important detail of Ralph Lauren products is the embroidered logo. The embroidery on the original items is done very carefully and you can easily distinguish even the smallest details: the mallet, the rider’s helmet, and the horse reins. Moreover, the rider is embroidered with a second layer on top of the horse. In replicas, the embroidery is messy and all the small details merge together.

Dior Lady D bag

This elegant bag has its name for a reason: the first Lady Dior leather model was made especially for Princess Diana, who later carried this accessory at almost all social events. Thus, the handbag became closely associated with Lady Di and after so many years, it is still very popular among fashionistas. But this popularity has a downside — too many replicas.

• The original bag was made by hand from 130 pieces of lambskin and it took about 8 hours to finish. The stitches of the iconic cannage pattern should be even and neat.
• In a fake bag, the handles always wobble from side to side, while in the genuine one they are rigid and structured.

Yves Saint Laurent bag

Yves Saint Laurent bags have long become the dream of thousands of women around the world. Each season, designers create new models which immediately build a fanbase. Genuine branded products are of the highest quality, what can’t be said about replicas.

• The genuine bag has single parallel stitching. It should be smooth and neat. If you see a double stitch or even notice a slight unevenness in the stitch line, then you have a fake bag.
• The strap is removable, which is different than that of a replica — the difference is clearly visible when the bags are compared side by side.

Jacquemus bag

The Le Chiquito bag gained popularity as soon as it entered the market. We all managed to notice how quickly micro bags became a new trend. You couldn’t put much in them, but they were a beautiful accessory. This cute little thing has become popular not only among fashionistas but also among manufacturers of cheap replicas. But knowing the characteristic details of a genuine handbag, you can easily distinguish it from a low-quality replica.

• When choosing a bag, look at its leather first. The genuine Le Chiquito bag is made of natural delicate leather. Its surface is smooth and has a fine grain. Whereas the fake leather is more textured and wrinkled.
• Metallic letters with the brand name should be neat and more raised. For replicas, they are usually flatter and inferior in quality.
• Another way to verify the authenticity of a bag is to check the stitching. The stitches should be the same length, and the seams should be strictly symmetrical. Thick thread holds all the pieces together, whereas the sewing on the fake bag is sloppy and asymmetrical.

Tommy Hilfiger T-shirt

This brand is loved by many for its high-quality clothing and relatively affordable prices. Tommy Hilfiger items can be found in many major online stores, but even this doesn’t guarantee that you won’t end up with a fake after having paid a lot for it.

• The first thing you need to look at is the seams. They should be smooth and neat. Protruding threads and crooked stitches are sure signs of a fake.
• Embroidered logo. The combination of colors plays an important role in this: it is blue above and below, and it is white and red in the middle. Sometimes the manufacturers of replicas confuse the arrangement of the colors. The edges of the embroidery should be neat and straight.
• Top tag. The tag of a genuine piece has a triangular shape in 90% of cases, except for certain collections. The triangle has an acute angle and clear boundaries, but in replicas, this detail often looks sloppy.
  

Guess wallet

Guess is loved by many women for its quality and balanced design. Each new collection provides a wide choice of bags and wallets, which, of course, allows unscrupulous manufacturers to produce replicas.

• All metal accessories must be of excellent quality without defects. This applies to the logo, sliders, and strap attachments.
• A dense and thick thread is used in genuine bags and wallets, which reliably holds the edges of the item and its small parts. The seams should be straight and neat, with no protruding threads or crooked stitches.
• There should be a label inside a genuine wallet with information about the product and how to care for it. The most important thing is the serial number of the product, which can be found on the back of the label. It can be used to verify the authenticity of the purchase. Replicas simply won’t have this code.

Nike Air shoes

They are comfortable, practical, and durable. These are 3 reasons why this model is so popular among people of all ages. The discreet design and neat workmanship make these shoes suitable for almost any everyday look. To make sure that you get a genuine pair that will bring you joy and not a disappointment, you need to learn to distinguish genuine Nike Air shoes from their replicas.

• Small metal tags on laces are the first thing you should pay attention to. They have to be matte and clearly labeled AF1. The plate and the inscription on a fake are usually made more roughly.
• Insoles. In fake shoes, they are made from cheap polyurethane, while in genuine sneakers the insoles are made from more expensive material.
• The tag must contain the factory number, country of origin, and size. In a genuine product, all this data matches the information on the label of the shoes.

Dr. Martens Jadon boots

These massive and rough-looking boots gained great popularity back in the 1940s. Remarkably, women over 40 were first to appreciate the comfort of these shoes. Nowadays you can see representatives of both sexes and of all ages wearing Dr. Martens. If you are thinking about buying these boots, we recommend you learn a few tips to avoid fakes.

• The leather quality on the original boots is much better, which is clearly visible to the naked eye. No ripples and wrinkles, all seams are double, firm thread, and neat stitches. Fake boots can’t boast of this impeccable performance.
• The heel stripe in the original boots has its own individual font, and on the fake pair, the fonts will be different.
• There is another tag inside the original pair of boots that is located on the tongue. It contains product information.

Hermès Kelly bag

The story of one of the most coveted handbags in the world is also associated with a princess, this time, it’s Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly. The simple, but at the same time, stylish design of the bag has won the hearts of more than one lady. If you decide to pamper yourself with this gift, pay attention to a couple of important details that only a genuine product has.

• Unique saddle stitch. The original bag has a secret stitch that has a natural slant to it that no other manufacturer can recreate.
• The Hermes stamp always matches the color of the hardware and has a neat font. Letters must be equally thick and have smooth edges.

Have you ever bought a replica? How could you tell that it wasn’t a genuine piece? Tell us in the comments below.