The Bag Lady

I LOVE bags, all kinds of bags...big small, short tall, wristlet, swingpack, hobo, you get the idea.  This has been a problem of mine for MANY years.  I really don't know where it started but I do know that my husband eventually had to put his foot down and establish a rule  for our household that for every new bag that comes in one has to go out.  So I've tamed the urge over the last 10 years and only buy the ones I REALLY love.  I hope that he wasn't trying to save money by making up that crazy rule (geesh!) because since then I may bring home less but they are definitely more.  As I started to get a taste for those spendy brand name bags, I knew I couldn't be one of those people that just goes out and buys them from the department store on a whim.  I'd have to research, shop around and find the best price (Make no mistake, I'm still cheap).  In the beginning, like many people I would find something in the department store, get home and head over to Ebay to see if I could find it cheaper.  The problem with buying a coach bag online is you really don't know what you're getting.  Authentic or Knock-off so I did my home work.  Here are some things to look for if you are searching for that 100% authentic bag that you can't live without but don't want to pay that outrageous price.

Let's start with Coach since it's one of the most replicated bags.  The trend is moving back to their original leather bag and not as much of the monogramed bags as in recent years.  Since the logo bags seem to be replicated more I'll just touch on that style for now.

This should go without saying but if it says GG and not CC on it, don't even bother looking at the seams because it's a fake.  

 

 Look at the front of the bag. The "CC" pattern will  match almost perfectly to the other side (if there is a seam) and they will line up on the opposite side of the seam (as if the pattern was not interrupted by the seam).  The sides will be tricky.  Keep in mind the style of the bag, it can only be so perfect.  Does that make sense?  When looking at the fabric on the side it will also start with the pattern straight down the middle giving a mirror effect  (Please see picture below) The CC logo will be almost perfectly lined straight down the middle. Also, the pattern will be straight all the way around.  The Optical can be difficult to see the tell tale signs because of it's irregular CC design.  If anyone has any tips for that one, please leave a comment, I'd love to know.

Here is an example of an authentic coach.

The Coach logo will NEVER I repeat, NEVER use the "C"  pattern logo on both the inside and the outside of the bag.  I've seen this SO many times! 

Look at the hardware for quality.  The coach tag should have only the finest stitching with no frays. It's been my understanding that ykk  is the  zipper brand used for all bags stamped on the pull.  However, the ykk stamp will not be as obvious as in some of the larger bags.  If the zipper is smaller look at the middle tip or the bottom tip of the zipper...it will be stamped ykk.  It's very hard to see. 

I would say look for the serial number but really don't bother because this has been replicated in some of the cheapest knock-offs.  We usually associate items from China as being cheap but yes, Coach does use factories in China but they still have the highest standards for quality craftsmanship so don't be alarmed if you see that tag Made in China.

Dooney and Burke ALWAYS uses British tan leather handles.

Dooney and Burke ALWAYS uses brass hardware.

The stitching on the logo tag will always be the same color as the stitching on the seams.

We can surmise this LV is the real deal.

 Louis Vuitton~ We could be here all day.  So I'm just going to list a couple things to look for. 

The seams will never go through the LV monogram. 

Louis Vuitton has also produced bags in not only France but the USA, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Because Louis Vuitton uses the same leather the backside on some bags may actually be upside down.

 If that guy on a New York City street tries to lure you into that private room for an "authentic Louis Vuitton" .......RUN!!!  It's a replica honey!!  As for all of those people selling them on the city streets...really?  Don't even ask.  Yes, it may be fun to have that brown bag with the LV monogram even though we know it's not authentic but let me just tell you from experience...it will fall apart sooner than any bag you could purchase at Walmart...save  your  money!

I am not an expert by any means, just trying to share tips that I've learned along the way.  Happy bag shopping!

Please note: Even with these tips you can still be fooled.  They are getting better every day at replicating all of these brands.  That being said, even if your bag may have slight imperfections it doesn't mean that it isn't authentic so the best way to know for sure, is to take it to the nearest Coach store and have them decide for you.  I've spoken to my local Coach store numerous times and they are always very helpful. That being said they are not there to share all of their secrets.