How To Tell If Your Louis Vuitton Is Authentic

Unfortunately, the counterfeit market is continuously growing. Louis Vuitton is among one of the most counterfeited brands in the world. Us bag lovers need to protect ourselves out there. 

Here are some tips to spot a fake:

Louis Vuitton Bags are made from one piece of canvas, meaning the logos on the front should be facing upright, while the logos on the back should be upside down. Meaning there is no separation at the base. If the logo is hidden or cut off anywhere, it's likely a knockoff - the LV logo will rarely be cut off on an authentic bag. The pattern should always be straight and never at an angle or crooked. .

 The “made in” stamp is a clear indication of authenticity. The stamp always says “Louis Vuitton” and “made in France” underneath it. Please note, it could state another country if it was made somewhere else. Features that are a giveaway: the bag is real is a short leg at the bottom of the Ls. O’s should be bigger than L and round. T’s that are close together that appear to be touching. The lettering should be  thin and crisp. 

Date codes I cannot stress enough are extremely important; they let us know what month and year the bag was made. Bags prior to 1980 do not have a date code. There are many letter codes that indicate the region that the bag was made in. Examples: “MI”, “SD”, “TH” and “VI” are all regions in France's letter codes. The date codes are 2 letters and 4 numbers located on the top edge of the bag's opening. 

The hardware should be real metal with a gold coating on it. There should be no discoloration or tarnish on the metal. Things to look out for are percising printing on the hardware. LV logos should be printed on snaps (if the bag has snaps). Look for a patina on the bag's handle if it is vintage. 

 As for the stitching, look for 5 mustard yellow stitches across the top of each handle. The stitching should also look neat and even. The interior lining of Louis Vuitton bags is a brown canvas material. Depending on the design, some interiors may be lined with other materials such as cross grain leather, polyester and microfiber suede. 

Technology is key in determining the authenticity of a bag. It has state of the art technology that inspects hardware, serial numbers, stamping, logo, and printing. Once deemed authentic, it gives us a financially guaranteed certificate. 

Bag Lovers, What is your tip to spot a fake?