As a brand Gucci is on fire right now. They are the hottest brand of the moment, and everything from their bags to their shoes are selling like hotcakes. Consequently this means that there are a lot of fake Gucci products out there, some which dubious sellers are trying to pass off as the real deal. These are some tips to help you authenticate a Gucci bag and avoid getting ripped off (or on the other hand if you have a fake these tips will help you understand how good of a replica Gucci bag you have on your hands):
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR GUCCI BAG IS FAKE?
1) LOOK AT THE INTERIOR TAG!
First of all, take a peek at the interior tag of the bag. All Gucci bags except some vintage models feature an interior leather tag that have a stamp saying “Gucci Made in Italy” embossed on it and a registered trademarked circled “R” also embossed on the tag. If you know the font, depth, spacing, positioning of the logo and the circled “R” on an authentic tag this will help you spot a fake, as often replica bags don’t have the finest details down perfectly (unless of course it is a super fake). Pay attention to whether the font is correct and also make sure the letters are not touching one another. In the case of the letter “U” in Gucci, the left side of the “U” should be thicker than the right side. Any sign of weird lettering is off putting and may be a clue that the bag your judging is possibly fake! You will sometimes also find a circled “G” stamped on the tag as well depending on the model (as you can see in the second picture that follows the one below).
2) LOOK AT THE COLOR OF THE STITCHING ON THE INTERIOR TAG!
The color of the thread which is used to stitch the tag on should match the color of the interior lining of the bag (e.g. if it is beige the thread should be beige).
3) LOOK AT THE SERIAL NUMBER UNDERNEATH THE INTERIOR TAG!
The serial number of the bag should be visible on the opposite side of the interior tag. There should be two rows containing six digits each which identify the bag’s authenticity. On newer models you will find that the numbers are always centred (however this is not always the case for vintage bags or older models).
4) PAY ATTENTION TO THE MONOGRAM PATTERN!
Gucci has released a ton of bags lately, and popular ones include the Dionysus bag, the Sylvie bag, the GG Marmont bag, as well as the Gucci Padlock bag. These bags come in many different style variations, and since they are super popular that means they have been produced in the replica market in many variations as well.
It may seem hard to authenticate each and every model since there are a lot of variations, however the best starting point would be to visit the official Gucci site. Gucci’s website has a lot of photos that zoom in quite well of each model. These photos are very helpful if you want to get up, close, and personal with the details of a particular Gucci bag.
If you are interested in Monogram Gucci bags, then the first thing you need to check is the detailing on the Monogram GG canvas. Particularly you need to look at the GG’s. Even though the two Gs face each other and are really close, they should not be touching. Then you can notice that the horizontal line of each G forms a shape that looks like a triangle (this is reversed for the left G). This should hold true for authentic models in Guccissima leather as well.
5) JUST BECAUSE THE MONOGRAM MAY NOT LINE UP DOESN’T MEAN IT’S FAKE!
Some authentication guides mistakenly say that the Monograms should line up even where the sides are stitched together, however this is simply not true (just like in the case of the Louis Vuitton Monogram bags as well). Case in point – look at the bottom of the Gucci GG Supreme duffle bag. I took this photo from the official Gucci website and as you can see the Monograms on the bottom of the bag do not perfectly align:
What is important to pay attention to is that the GGs should be the same throughout the handbag in terms of the lettering’s font, shape, and size
6) AS ALWAYS – LOOK AT THE STITCHING & HARDWARE!
This is a recurring tip when it comes to checking the authenticity of any brand – look at the quality of the stitching and the hardware. The stitching of an authentic bag should be well done. If you find uneven or sloppy stitching, the bag might most likely be fake, unless you got simply lucked out with a defective model (which you should be able to take back to the boutique and have repaired).
When it comes to the hardware, pay attention to the engravings on it. This means you should look at the clasps, zippers, bottom stud, hooks or any other engraved portion of the hardware. The engraving should be clean, and clearly legible. Additionally the weight of the hardware should be on the heavy side as authentic Gucci hardware is made of solid metal. Additionally authentic Gucci hardware should not chip off easily or rust.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Gucci is one of those brands that do have super fake or counter quality replica versions of their bags out there so it is tricky to be 100% sure when verifying a bag, since the knockoffs can be so well done like this one I reviewed previously. This is why you need to be very careful in making sure you trust whom/where you shop. Overall regardless of whether you are shopping for an authentic Gucci bag or a knockoff, these characteristics are very important in order to help you recognize whether the bag is fake, and if it is fake how good or bad of a fake it is!
Comments on shopping for Gucci? Leave it below as I’d love to hear! <3
