Louis Vuitton is considered to be one of the most popular and well-known designer brands in the world.
Its iconic monogram and damier canvas patterns paired with its quality leather goods make Louis Vuitton a symbol of fashion, wealth, and luxury.
That being said, with the price and popularity, it’s no wonder Louis Vuitton is one of the most commonly counterfeited brands out there (I mean, just look how gorgeous these Louis Vuitton bags are). How do you tell if a Louis Vuitton bag is real?
Sometimes it’s easy to tell when a bag is fake, but other times the fake bags are so (eerily) similar to an authentic piece that it’s essential to know what to look for so that you don’t get scammed out of your well-earned money.
If you want to learn some tips and tricks on how to tell if a Louis Vuitton bag is real or not, keep reading.
How To Tell If A Louis Vuitton Bag Is Real
Look For The Inside Stamp
Unlike many other luxury designer brands (i.e. Celine or Chanel), Louis Vuitton pieces don’t come with authenticity cards.
Instead, the French brand decided to put date code stamps inside the bags to indicate when and where the bag was manufactured.
Back in the day, LV was only made in France, but the brand has expanded its manufacturing into Switzerland, the United States, Italy, Germany, and Spain.
An authentic tag will come with a six-character code that’ll translate to where the bag was produced in addition to the month and year it was made.
Pay Attention To The Font
Authenticating a bag means picking up on even the smallest details, including inspecting the font.
Louis Vuitton has a very specific font it uses, with the tell-tale signs being in the letters L and O, plus the spacing of the word, “Vuitton.”
First, the L in Louis Vuitton. The two lines that make the letter L will not be equal in length. The horizontal line will be shorter than the vertical line, which can be difficult to discern if you don’t have a reference picture.
Secondly, the Os in the brand’s name will form a perfect circle. Many counterfeiters will design replicas using the number 0 in place of an O, so be sure to pay close attention.
Lastly, ”Vuitton” is always printed very closely together—the letters are almost touching. Again, having an authentic reference photo on hand is always a helpful tool to easily compare and contrast.
Additionally, Louis Vuitton always prints its name perfectly centered on a square piece of leather.
Peep The Pattern Closely
Louis Vuitton is very proud of its iconic and classic monogram and damier canvas designs as it’s what makes the brand so recognizable.
That being said, Louis Vuitton designs its bags with precise and intentional attention to detail, including the pattern.
On a classic monogram, you can find the logo, LV, where the V is slightly above the L. This detail alone is something counterfeiters could trick you with when selling Louis Vuitton replicas.
When looking at the monogram pattern, make sure the V is above the L in the logo, and that the other three shapes are present:
- four-petal fleur-de-lys
- a fleur-de-lys inside a square
- four-petal flower inside a circle
These symbols should never be crooked, nor will there be other geometric figures, shapes, or flowers. Otherwise, it’s definitely a counterfeit bag.
Additionally, pay attention to the continuity of the pattern. Louis Vuitton takes great care to ensure continuity, so authentic bags will start with one shape from the stitch and end with the same shape.
On damier-patterned Louis Vuitton bags, a “Louis Vuitton Paris” logo in a square will match the placement on the other side of the bag.
These are all minor details, but they are essential to keep in mind when you want to differentiate between a replica and a genuine Louis Vuitton bag.
Check Out The Hardware
Louis Vuitton is a luxury brand for many reasons, and one of them is that the hardware it uses on its bags is high quality.
The hardware shouldn’t feel light like plastic, but should have some weight on it. Louis Vuitton hardware is made of metal brass, so it definitely shouldn’t feel cheap, which is one of the more obvious indicators of a counterfeit.
One detail that could easily be overlooked is the shape of the hardware. The rings used to connect, let’s say, a should strap, should be D-shaped rather than O-shaped. Some LV bags have square-shaped hardware pieces, so in that case, feel the surrounding edges and make sure it’s soft and buttery-feeling.
Further, ensure the zipper opens and closes smoothly if the bag has one. The zipper shouldn’t stop midway or feel difficult to maneuver!
In Conclusion
All in all, our biggest tip is to make sure you’re buying from a trusted seller. And most importantly, trust your gut! Most of the time, our intuition is correct. To avoid fakes, we never recommend buying a bag through a platform that doesn’t have an authentication system (aka, not Craigslist).
Luckily, there are plenty of online designer retailers (both secondhand and new) that have extensive authentication systems and guarantees to ensure you’re not scammed. For example, check out our guide to the best luxury resale websites.
Nowadays, counterfeit items can be so similar to the genuine product that the tiniest of details can make the biggest of differences. When you’re analyzing a bag, make sure to check all of the qualities listed above. For example, don’t just inspect the pattern and call it good – you’ll want to check all the factors because some fake bags look very close to the real thing (there’s a reason a professional authenticator is a line of work). And of course, make sure to inspect these things before you purchase the bag.
We hope you enjoyed this list of tips and tricks to ensure you’re getting an authentic Louis Vuitton bag. It’s what you deserve!
