Louis Vuitton Guide
Louis Vuitton has become one of the most counterfeited brands in the fashion world even though they are one of the world leading international houses. They have produced a different kind of items such as bags, shoes, jewelry, watches, shirts, sunglasses and much more. With the lots of Louis Vuitton women and men collections, it is most times daunting to know if what you are purchasing is real or fake.
Do not be fooled, counterfeiters are getting more skilled, and they are always ready to cheat you of your money. The ability to tell the difference between real and fake Louis Vuitton is one thing you should possess so you won’t fall victim of the counterfeiters in offline and online stores. We have put together this guide to help you authenticate Louis Vuitton items before you buy them. Read on!
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The Louis Vuitton Authentication Guide
There are many Louis Vuitton products or items, and there are different techniques to tell if they are real or counterfeit. We are going to focus mainly on their bag while including other Louis Vuitton items.
Check the stitching
The construction and design of Louis Vuitton are simple, but their craftsmanship is flawless. So expect perfection when it comes to stitching. The stitches are perfectly even and perfectly straight. The stitches number will not reduce or increase. It will maintain the normal numbers they are known for. Let’s take Neverfull, Alma, and speedy bags as an example. The bags will always have five stitches evenly placed across each of the tabs where the handles are fixed.
So if you see the stitches less or more than five, you need to be careful. You might be holding a fake Louis Vuitton bag or item. Don’t buy if the stitches are loose and even if you are buying a pre-owned bag you need to watch out for the stitches. Another tip is that you shouldn’t trust a Louis Vuitton bag that has two types of leather stitched together.
Logo of Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton created their logo so users can easily contrast between original and counterfeit. The logo of the brand is not tilted, and it does not have blurred or smudging edges. Also, the monogram is never crossed with locks, folds or stitches. The LV monogram is symmetrical from one side to the other, and they are located on the leather canvas of all the Louis Vuitton bags except for some old ones.
In some cases, the LV monogram can be upside down. Example of this is the Louis Vuitton speedy bag. There is a single continues piece of leather wraps that run from the front side to the back. Also, watch out for the colors of the logo. Fake cannot get the color and saturation perfectly.
Check the Louis Vuitton stamping and font
The stamping on a Louis Vuitton bag most times makes it easy for you to determine if an item is fake or real. It is very important for authentication. Pay attention to the O’s. They look bigger than the L and are perfectly round. The tail of the L is shorter and not long. The T’s are closer to each other that it is almost touching and even looks like IT. Also, the letterings are very crisp, clear and thin. Any deviation from the ones mentioned is a red light and no go area.
Observe the Louis Vuitton Hardware
The hardware is one of the easiest ways to know if you own a fake or real Louis Vuitton. Counterfeiters most of the times use poor quality hardware. Some come as colored plastic. For example, the zipper of the authentic bag is always on the left, but the fake bags might be on the right. Pay attention to the imprint of the hardware. Is the lettering crisp, clean and precise? If yes, you are holding the real Louis Vuitton, but if your answer is no, you are about to buy a fake Louis Vuitton.
Check The Date Codes
Before early 1980’s, Louis Vuitton bags do not have date codes. But recent years Louis Vuitton bags have a date code which shows the place and date of manufacture of a bag. Since the date code signifies the country where the Louis Vuitton bag is manufactured, you can make use of the opportunity to detect a fake Louis Vuitton bag. If you see anything like “made in France or USA or Germany” you are definitely looking at the fake. You will see the date code inside of the bag written on a piece of leather. Remember, fake Louis Vuitton bags don’t usually have a date code.
Check the table below for the Louis Vuitton codes attributed to each location:
| Country/Location | Codes |
|---|---|
| France | SA, SD, SL, SF, SN, SP, SR, BA, DU, BU, DR, BJ, CO, ET, FL, CT, LW, TJ, TH, TR, TS, VI, VX, A0, AH, AN, AR, AS, A1, A2, AA, AAS (Special Order), MB, MI, NO, RA, RI |
| Italy | BC, BO, CE, FO, NZ, MA, OB, PL, RC, RE, SA, TD |
| USA | FC, FH, LA, FL OS, SD |
| Germany | LP, OL |
| Spain | BC, CA, LO, LB, LM, LW, GI, UB |
| Switzerland | DI, FA |
Piping and Handles of the bag
Vachetta leather is used in the construction of Louis Vuitton bag’s piping and handles. With age, the color deepens to a rich honey color. The leather trims of the real Louis Vuitton bags don’t come wrapped with soft paper, polythene or tissue. But the fake uses the coverings so that the stitches and colors don’t fade away before you buy them.
Some other things we will like you to pay attention to are:
– The price: no Louis Vuitton item comes cheap, but they are constant throughout the year.
– Tags and cards: Real Louis Vuitton items have tags that are available in a pair, and they always have a black barcode and letters written in dark brown and ivory white color. One tag will have the barcode, correct French name, and model number while the other will have Louis Vuitton and the material it is constructed of written on it.
Try and pay attention to the buying guide discussed above and we are sure you would not be fooled and fall victim of fake Louis Vuitton items. If you want to purchase an item, a bag, for example, ask for the pictures of the base, back and font then study them well. If the seller is using a borrowed picture, there is a high probability he is offering you fake Louis Vuitton. Remember, you need to be smart in your purchase process!
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