Louis Vuitton Malletier is a French luxury fashion house that designs leather items, clothing, jewelery and accessories. The Louis Vuitton brand, along with its LV monogram, was cataloged as the 29th best brand in the world. As it is a luxury brand, Louis Vuitton is one of the most counterfeited brands in the fashion industry. While counterfeit bags are widely available and can look authentic, knowing how to differentiate an authentic Louis Vuitton from a fake, can help you ensure the authenticity of the product.
Look at the placement of the monogram on the bag, commonly known as the LV logo. The "V" should be slightly above the "L" with the "L" passing through the bottom left of the "V". Louis Vuitton handbags are generally made with a single long piece of leather, which makes the monogram symmetrical on both sides.
Look at the stitches along the Louis Vuitton bag. The Speedy bag always has five stitches through the leather tab where it meets the handle. Compare, if possible, two Louis Vuitton bags side by side to identify the number of stitches on the bag, noting if the seam is the same for each bag.
Check if the monogram on the bag is in a single colour, or if the text is multi-colour. A Louis Vuitton bag with various colours in the Monogram can be a sign of falsehood, as only the Speedy 30 and Milla Pochette PM bags are multicoloured. The Speedy 30 can be identified as a Damier canvas bag with a rounded shape, especially on the sides, and the Pochette Milla PM is a small bag, identifiable by the refined metal signature on the top front centre point of the bag, and on the gold chain fastener on both sides.
Note the source in the authenticity patch of the bag. Louis Vuitton only uses a specific source for all of their bags, with uppercase letters, these small spaces between letters, and very round "O"s. The text on the inside patch should be perfectly cantered on the top front, with "Louis Vuitton" written at the top, followed by the place where it was made, usually listed as Paris, but can also be the USA, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Check the sales price. Authentic Louis Vuitton handbags, cost at least £285, according to the official Louis Vuitton website in April 2015. While prices may vary depending on whether you buy the stock at a mall or online, if the bag is real and worthy of good quality, you will pay at least £250. Any acquisition less than £200 is sure to be fake.
Backpacks, bags and vintage pieces should be a yellowy-green. The leather around the bag should also have yellow stitching with white authenticity cards. These are a part of the package that also includes LV tag, and which guarantee product authenticity. These must be provided at time of purchase by the seller, or the side of the bag if you buy online. Any seam that is not yellow, or any card of authenticity that is not white, shows that the bag is not authentic.
Check out if other designer items are fake or not at oneHOWTO:
- Ralph Lauren polo shirt
- Guess bag
If you want to read similar articles to How to Tell a Real Louis Vuitton bag from a Fake, we recommend you visit our Fashion & Style category.
- Keep up to date with the styles Louis Vuitton creates for their bags. Often, imitation brands create their own style and use of colour.
- The only way to ensure that you are buying an authentic Louis Vuitton is to purchase the item directly from their website or a Louis Vuitton Shop. If a bag is sold in more than one place, attempt to verify the authenticity of the product by comparing two.