There are features you have to take into cognizance to tell if a Louis Vuitton Bag is real, and they are Material, Quality, Hardware, Shape, Proportions, Posture, Shape, Stamping, Size of the Font, and Data code of the Louis Vuitton bag.
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Louis Vuitton is one of the oldest luxury fashion retailers globally. The French fashion house was established in 1854 and is still very much in good shape up to this present time. One of the signature features of the Louis Vuitton bag is its quality and durability, which makes it one of the most desirable and expensive bags in the world.
However, it is sad to know that there are many fake Louis Vuitton bags out there in the market, and if you don’t know how to tell a real Louis Vuitton from a fake one, you will be easily deceived. It’s a sad thing to buy a fake product in the process of getting the original one.
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So I will be showing you how to tell if a Louis Vuitton bag is real, to avoid purchasing the fake version.
For over 160 years, Louis Vuitton has been consistent in the quality of the materials, hardware, and flawless craftsmanship. So there are pointers you have to check to determine whether a Louis Vuitton bag is real.
Most times these pointers are the foundational qualities or features of the LV bag. So understanding them is the first step. you can’t be able to make a sound judgment on the authentication process if you can’t tell how the features ought to be.
Louis Vuitton has a wide array of handbags, and all of them have something in common – which is their materials, quality, and hardware. It is important you get familiar with the material LV handbags are made from, this helps you to decipher the fake one. The most recognizable LV aesthetic is the LV monogram canvas, which has been in use for over 100 years, and due to its treatment process, it has an unmatched durability feature. Please, don’t confuse it with leather. LV monogram canvas does not have any leather grains, and it is luxurious to touch, unlike faux leather.
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Whenever you touch a Louis Vuitton handbag, and it feels like leather, just know it is fake. Unlike leather which is soft and supple, monogram canvas is rigid and durable.
2. Examine the Shape, Proportions, and Posture
Louis Vuitton is a luxury bag that is characterized by its notch quality, and as such has a perfect appearance and an unwavering proportion. The handles are sturdy and symmetrical, and they don’t slouch. One unique feature of a Louis Vuitton is the ability to retain its rigid posture and shape after decades.
So when getting a brand new or a pre-owned Louis Vuitton bag, and you notice that it’sslouching, there are high chances that it isn’t a genuine bag.
3. Examine the Shape, Stamping, and Size of the Font
Another unique feature of the luxury Louis Vuitton which is consistent among all of its handbags is the stamping. Inside each LV bag, you will see a leather label with a “Louis Vuitton Paris” stamp. Ensure, you carefully observe the font style, font shape, spacing, and quality of the stamp, as most counterfeiters tend to get it wrong while imitating the real one.
In observing the stamping, one of the key things to observe is the style of the letters. In a Louis Vuitton stamp, the “L” has a short base, the “O’s” are big and round and the two “T’s” are closely written together – (they appear to touch each other). The font style is sharp and thin.
Also, the stamp has stitching, and in a real one, this stitching is consistent and clean. When you see stuff like uneven stitches, loose threads, as well as an asymmetrical stamp, there are chances that they are fake.
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Also, the irregularities in the font style of the letters on the stamp are a red flag.
4. Carefully Examine the Stitching Quality and Pattern
Real Louis Vuitton bags are hand-stitched. And there is a slight angle to each stitch. So when you noticed that the stitches are perfectly straight, be careful of them, for there are chances that it is fake.
Perfectly straight stitches on a Louis Vuitton bag depictthat they are machine-made, and as such fake.
Another important area to this is the color of the stitching. Louis Vuitton coats its threads in a special type of resin to achieve extra durability and weather resistance, and this resin gives the real LV stitching a unique mustard-yellow color.
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Most fake VN bags use a brighter, synthetic orange or yellow thread for the stitching to replicate the real VN stitch color. So when you see this, you should know that it is fake.
5. Ensure that the Date Code is Correct
Since the 1980s Louis Vuitton has been using a proprietary date code system to detail where and when its handbags were made. This date code system is made of a combination of letters and numbers to ascertain the location and the exact time the bag was made (it gives you the exact week of the year the bag was made). To ascertain that the VN bag is a real one, you have to verify the date code. The date code must match the “made in” stamp in the authentication checkbox.
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In the same light, Hermes uses letters within a shape as the date code, and Chanel uses a combination of numbers as the date code, and they serve as excellent serial numbers that can be used in the authentication process.
Coming to the date code system, you have to be very cautious as some fake VN bag producers can replicate convincing code such as the real VN bags. They can easily copy it from the original VN bags.
As such never rely on only the date code system to authenticate the real VN bag. So you should also examine the other factors, to get a credible and trustworthy authentication result.
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6. Examine the Country Codes
One of the ways to authenticate a real LV bag is to examine if the country codes correspond. Louis Vuitton bags made in the US and France uses “FL and SD” as their country code. While Louis Vuitton bags made in Italy and France uses “SA” as their country code.
However, most Louis Vuitton bags have two-letter codes either preceded or followed by four numbers. This is exempted if it is an order-made bag that mostly comes with the code, “AAS.”
Also, the four-county code numbers are very important – it helps to encode the date your handbag was made – straight down to the exact week of any given year (for the newer bags) and down to the month of the given year (for the older ones).
Do All LV Bags Have a Serial Number?
LV bags do not have serial numbers, instead, they have what is called “date codes” that are stamped directly on the interior tags located inside the bag.
Where Is The Louis Vuitton Date Code?
The Louis Vuitton date code is located on the interior tag which is located inside the LV bag. The date code is the combination of letters and numbers and serves as one proof of authentication. To decipher a real LV bag, the date code must match the “made in” stamp in the authentication checkbox
How Much Does It Cost to Authenticate a Louis Vuitton Bag?
To authenticate your Louis Vuitton bag, it may cost you about $10 to $20. You have to look for credible authenticators to run it for you. Authenticators are people who work with the brand for a long time and know the necessary features of what a real bag entails, and can easily decipher a real bag from a fake one.
Louis Vuitton bag is a treasure to behold, and you don’t want to spend a huge amount of money to buy an LV bag and discover it is fake. If you can’t authenticate the bag yourself, I advise you to consult a credible authenticator.
However, you can easily deduce if a Louis Vuitton bag is real or fake by checking the leather label attached inside. This label will contain a date code that can be authenticated online or from an LV worker. The fake ones have closely related stitches that aren’t smooth so beware.
What’s your experience with purchasing Louis Vuitton bags? Share with us in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I determine if my Louis Vuitton bag is authentic?
There are several key factors to look for to determine the authenticity of a Louis Vuitton bag. These include examining the materials, craftsmanship, hardware, stitching, and overall quality of the bag.
What are some common signs of a fake Louis Vuitton bag?
Some common signs of a fake Louis Vuitton bag include poor stitching, low-quality materials, mismatched patterns or logos, cheap hardware, and misspellings in the brand name or labels.
Where should I look for the date code or serial number on a Louis Vuitton bag?
Authentic Louis Vuitton bags have a date code or serial number that can be found on a leather tag inside the bag. The location of the tag may vary depending on the bag’s model and style, but it is usually located in an interior pocket or along a seam.
Are there any specific details I should examine on the bag to confirm its authenticity?
Yes, there are several important details to examine. Look for precise and even stitching, high-quality hardware with the Louis Vuitton logo engraved, genuine leather trim and handles, correctly aligned monogram patterns, and a well-defined and centered logo on the bag.
Can I rely on the price as an indicator of authenticity?
While extremely low prices can be a red flag for a counterfeit bag, high prices alone don’t guarantee authenticity. Some counterfeiters can still charge substantial amounts for fake Louis Vuitton bags. It’s essential to examine the bag’s details and purchase from authorized retailers or trusted sources.
