FASHION: LV - (L)et's (V)isit the Real One

Admit it girls, don't deny it, LOUIS VUITTON is part of every woman's dreams.

According to wikipedia: 

Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton (/ˈluːiː vwiːˈtɒn/; French: [lwi vɥiˈtɔ̃]), or shortened to LV, is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses, and books. Louis Vuitton is one of the world's leading international fashion houses; it sells its products through standalone boutiques, lease departments in high-end department stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website.

For six consecutive years (2006–2012) Louis Vuitton has been named the world's most valuable luxury brand. Its 2012 valuation was 25.9 billion USD, and that is why Louis Vuitton is considered to be the most one of the most counterfeited brands in the fashion world due to its image as a status symbol.

These days, you will notice that luxury handbag retailers are everywhere - ebay, facebook, small boutiques, instagram, and even personal blogs. Not to mention some consignment shops by several celebrities and personalities as well as the rich folks who only wear and use their expensive bags once or twice.

And so, how to spot a FAKE Louis Vuitton??

Honestly, I am not an expert in spotting fake one until I bought my own Louis Vuitton Bags (see HERE), and that is the same reason why I always buy at Louis Vuitton Boutique in Villaggio Mall, for I won't have any doubts if they are real or not.

According to Louis Vuitton which contacted Wondermika, “Louis Vuitton pieces are only guaranteed to be authentic if they’re purchased directly from Louis Vuitton”. Click here to shop at Louis Vuitton directly.

But if you’re still browsing elsewhere, here’s how to spot a fake at a quick glance:

Special thanks to WONDERMIKA for this very valued information..

When you do buy Louis Vuitton from a boutique it will come with tags- but they are never attached to the bag. Real Louis Vuitton bags do not have “Authenticity Cards.”  Tags will usually come with the receipt, or tucked on the inside. (Image: Rachel’s Desk)

Look closely at the pattern. A company like Louis Vuitton, which values its logo, wouldn’t divide the letters in a seam or under a handle.

Fake Louis Vuitton bags emboss the trademark symbol while authentic ones use hot stamping. Authentic trademark symbols are evenly stamped while fake ones are uneven and use a different font. Observe how the counterfeit tag is roughly stitched on while the authentic tag has straight stitching with a slight angle. In any stamped branding, the “t”s will not touch. “O”‘s should be round and not like the number 0. Additionally, check the imprint on the inside of the bag. The “O” in a real Louis Vuitton will be an exact circle. The O on a fake Louis Vuitton may be closer to an oval.

Above is a comparison of the interior of the Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy bag.

You are looking at a fake Louis Vuitton if any of its camel-colored handles are not painted red at the seams. But even if it is painted, the paint should also be neat and not messy. Unlike this fake Louis Vuitton bag above, which uses some kind of brown glue/rubber.

 

 

Messy paint is a dead giveaway. The bag above is fake. Louis Vuitton would never sell something like this. (Image: Addictedtoallthingspretty.com)

If you really need to buy outside the boutique, visit the store and look at the actual bag model you intend to buy. Observe where there should be stitching and where the leather or fabric should continue. In this case, the bag above (in red marks) is fake. You can also spot the monogram clash. The Louis Vuitton logo should not break at any seam or cut.

Upside down Louis Vuitton monograms on the other side of the bag tells you that this bag was made from one solid piece of canvas. Louis Vuitton materials  do not get cut off except in vintage pieces. If you are purchasing a new piece then no Louis Vuitton material should be cut off but if it’s vintage then check other signs of authenticity.(Source)

Check if the zippers are not stamped with the Vuitton logo or insignia. Real Louis Vuitton zipper pulls are engraved lightly on the brass with rounder logo font (see above pic).

Even if zipper pull is engraved, doesn’t mean the bag is authentic. Letters on the zipper pull of this fake bag (above) are smaller and in the wrong font. The stamping is also too deep and not ‘clean’. The words Louis Vuitton also did not form a circle as it should. (Image: Lakediary.com)

 

As seen above, the double bubble seam, and the logo being all kinds of cut off flipped and introverted is a dead giveaway.  The Louis Vuitton monograms on a real bag will always line up horizontally and vertically, and they will never overlap with the zipper. The pattern will never repeat at an angle.

And there you have it. So if you are planning to buy an LV bag on some small establishment or a P2P (person to person), make sure to check the some of these things before you pay, for you might pay for the price of a real one but getting a fake Louis Vuitton. Or, if you don't have enough budget to purchase luxurious bags, don't try looking for an imitation. Remember, "Real things will always give you confidence, and will always make you feel confident."

Xoxo <3