Phony Chanel bags and purses are available in a variety of styles. More often than not they are so well-made that only a trained eye can tell the difference between a genuine Chanel bag and a knockoff.
The world-famous high-end luxury purses and bags range in price from $2,100 to $260,000 — for that amount, you can really purchase a house in so many parts of the country! Imagine paying big bucks for a prestigious Chanel bag, particularly the timeless 2.55, to just obtain a knockoff. That’s just painful.
So, if you are indeed in search of this luxury designer bag but don’t want to buy a copycat, here is how to tell if the statement bag is an authentic Chanel bag or a remarkable knockoff! It is completely worth taking a closer look to ensure you are not throwing your money away on a counterfeit Chanel bag.
Check the Leather
The very first thing to notice is the leather. The genuine leather used in authentic Chanel bags is either caviar skin or lambskin. Generally speaking, lambskin leather has a creamy shine and is extremely smooth, soft, and silky. Even if you have never touched lambskin leather before, once you do, you will realize what super softness and premium quality mean.
It is apparent that Chanel bags are a premium product since only the best materials are used. So, if your bag is seamless or smooth but not notably soft, you have reason to be wary.
Caviar leather, on the flip side, is made of grainy calfskin. When especially in comparison to lambskin, the touch and feel tend to be far sturdier and textured.
The marbled finish of the genuine leather is the more common pick among Chanel bag fans. Once you run your hand across the elevated bulges on an original Chanel bag, you must be able to feel them.
Inspect the Lining
The lining, as well as the exterior, is made of first-rate leather as well. A genuine Chanel flap bag has a snug, or firmly fitted, lining. Just try to feel how the leather is smoothly tailored to fit, seamless, and incredibly costly when you touch it.
You have been tricked if the lining has wrinkles, sagging skin, plumes, or wobbles — in other words, if it is not flawlessly tight and smooth. If the lining just looks and feels really tight when you purchased it, but it tends to loosen away with time, you have most likely acquired a counterfeit Chanel bag.
When determining the authenticity of a channel bag, inspecting the lining is an important step. To ensure that your bag is legit, check out this guide on how to spot fake vs real Tory Burch bags, which focuses on the quality of the lining and other key factors.
Count the Stitch
A genuine Chanel bag has a greater stitch count, which prevents the quilting from puffing. The seams in the frames, as well as the outlines of every stitched diamond, are plainly noticeable.
Count the seams on every side separately. If it is less than eight, you have got a fake Chanel bag. On every side of the diamond, there are always 8 to 12 seams.
Genuine Chanel bags always include at least 9 stitches for every side in the most recent batches. The antique Chanel bag styles usually have a score of 8.
There is, nevertheless, no genuine Chanel bag on the planet with fewer than 8 stitches for each side. A reduced stitch count results in puffier diamond quilts, indicating that it is a forgery.
Check the Quilting
When the zipper is closed or the external pocket is checked, the quilting pattern must be flawlessly aligned. When the pattern is obstructed by the bag’s components, it should not become distorted. It has a recurring diamond pattern.
Because old leather stretches with time, the quilted pattern becomes mildly misaligned. Having said that, if you purchased a completely new Chanel bag or purse and the quilt is inconsistent, you have a knockoff.
Inspect the CC Lock
The CC lock is considered synonymous with the Chanel bag appearance. With just a glance of that interconnecting CC logo against stitched leather, you will absolutely know whether a bag is a genuine Chanel bag or not or is attempting to be. Fakers will try to use the interlocking CC lock to trick you, but if you know exactly what to look for, you will not be taken in. Here are the details to look for in the CC Lock of a genuine Chanel bag.
Design
At the top of the CC logo, the right C combines the left C in genuine Chanel bags. In the meantime, at the bottom, the left C intertwines the right C.
The CC interlocking lock must be placed in the middle, balanced, and flat on both ends. The corners of the CC logo must also be mildly softened. On the other hand, the counterfeit CC logo will have sharp corners, which are frequently squared off.
If the backplate says that the Chanel purse was manufactured in Paris and the inner layer says “Made in France,” there must be a comparatively tiny defining characteristic three small rows on the top of the left letter “C.” If the letter C has the three defining characteristic lines and your bag’s liner says “Made in Italy,” you have received a counterfeit Chanel bag.
When it comes to Channel bags, design is one of the factors to consider to identify a fake one. Check the stitching- it should be perfectly straight and clean, and the “CC” logo should be symmetrical. The design aesthetics should be consistent with the authentic one. For more fashion and design tips, visit Hood MWR’s Top 50 Designer Brands page.
The Lock’s Rear Side
The rear end of the CC lock is a gold rectangle backplate that is held in place by 2 different gold screws on both sides. The House of Chanel employs either star-shaped screws or flathead screws. Both of them belong to the house and can only be removable with the House of Chanel’s specially-designed screwdriver. If the gold detail on your bag has Phillips-head screws, this can be a clear sign of a fake Chanel bag.
Furthermore, look for the words “Paris” and “Chanel” on the backplate. These two words must be equally spaced, extremely clear and distinguishable, and use the same font size and style throughout.
The word “Chanel” must be placed front to back, which also means that if you flip the bag, the text “Paris” must be at the bottom and the phrase “Chanel” must be on top. The forgery will lack these attributes, and they will frequently write “Chanel” and “Paris” backwards.
Check Chain Straps
If you find the chain strap kind of heavy and bulky, the silver is seamless, and there are no scratches or scuffs, it is genuine. Inspect the leather strap interlinked with the chain as well. In particular, it must look hand-stitched instead of machine-stitched, unless you are looking at Chanel’s special jumbo flap bag in which the leather has been rolled up four times.
Lightweight chain straps are clearly a mistake. Smashed or faded silver or gold chains are a no-no. Lastly, machine-stitched leather straps are also considered a sign of a counterfeit Chanel bag.
To identify the authenticity of your Chanel bag, take a close look at the chain strap. An authentic Chanel bag should have a weighty and comfortable chain strap that is made of high-quality metal. Check out are Birkenstocks good for your feet? article to learn more about comfortable footwear.
Check the Brand Badge
The brand is imprinted on the lining of every genuine Chanel bag. In addition, the brand name Chanel is often imprinted on a connected pouch made of the same leather. Besides, the color of the brand badge must match the color of the details or hardware on the bag as well.
If the hardware on the Chanel bag is gold and the badge is silver or a lighter or darker color of gold, you have a knockoff rather than an authentic Chanel bag.
Examine the Dust Bag
The original dust bag on the real Chanel bag must be black if it was made after the year 2000. On the other hand, the dust bag on genuine Chanel bags is white in the 1980s and 1990s.
A genuine Chanel dust bag is made of hard cotton and features a white “Chanel” in the center point. Be incredibly suspicious if the trademark is off-white, or in a bigger or thinner font. In addition, the strings of the counterfeit dust bag are often made of laces for shoes or boots.
Check the Authenticity Card
The engraved numbers on the authenticity card must be limited to 6 to 8 digits and it needs to match both the font style and the numbers on the label inside the bag as well.
Besides, the serial number is usually printed on a horseshoe-shaped badge inside the bag. In addition, the original Chanel bag has a round hologram label in the top right corner.
The card’s height and length must be 4.5 cm and 8.5 cm, respectively. There should be no unequal components, blotches, misprints, or anything unreadable on the card. Those are signs of forged authenticity cards.
The gold border ought not be effortlessly scratched away. Through much of it, it must be spotless, clear, and neat.
The overall weight of the authenticity card is also another obvious sign that it is a forgery. The genuine one is bulky, like a credit card. In the meantime, the counterfeit one is lightweight and has a cheap, cardboard-like feel to it.
Check If the Chanel Bag Can Stand On Its Own
Lastly, your empty Chanel bag must be able to stand on its own two feet. If it continues to fall over, your concerns are justified.
If you want to be sure if your Chanel bag is authentic, check if it can stand on its own. Counterfeit bags often have a weak base that causes them to collapse or flop over. For similar tips on spotting fake MCM backpacks, read this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chanel Bags
Do all authentic Chanel bags come with a serial number?
Starting in 1984, the House of Chanel began using serial numbers. So, any Chanel bags made after this year must include a serial number.
How can I tell a Chanel bag’s age?
Check the number of digits on the serial badge to determine the age of your Chanel purse. Chanel was born between 1986 and 2005, as indicated by the seven digits. So, if your bag has 8 digits, it was manufactured from late 2005 to the present.
To identify the precise year, try looking up the first few numbers of your Chanel bag’s serial number online.
Finally, Recognize the Difference
There are a lot of great counterfeit Chanel bags on the market, and a lot of them look like original ones. A class-A forgery, on the other hand, is bound to make one or even more errors. For example, the leather might be real caviar or lambskin, but the flaw will be obvious on the authenticity card and details or hardware.
The mistakes can be slight, but it is a dead giveaway that it is not the authentic, classy, insanely expensive, and lavish Chanel bag that is held in high regard all over the world.