Is it real? How Can I Know l if a Louis Vuitton Bag is Real?

In the luxury handbag market, Louis Vuitton is an iconic and well-recognized brand. It’s an aspirational brand for many. It’s also very expensive. An authentic Louis Vuitton handbag can cost anywhere between $1,500 and $20,000 for a single bag.

For this reason, fake Louis Vuitton handbags abound. If you’re considering buying a pre-owned handbag, here’s what to look for.

How to spot a fake Louis Vuitton bag

Start by looking at the tag

Each tag will include the Louis Vuitton name, a registration mark and indicate where the bag is made. Tags will be trimmed to fit perfectly into the space available. For example, a tag sewn onto a strap might have its corners trimmed to perfectly align to the strap width.

On an authentic bag, the Louis Vuitton monogram will have a round letter O instead of an oval. And the two Ts in Vuitton will almost touch. All lettering will be perfectly spaced, both between each letter and each line of text. Any misalignment indicates a fake Louis Vuitton item.

Check the monogram

An authentic monogrammed Louis Vuitton bag uses leather that has been stamped to match the construction of the bag. The LV logos should not be cut off. Monograms should be perfectly spaced and perfectly straight.

Inspect the handles

Louis Vuitton uses premium untreated Italian leather called Vachetta for its leather handles. The edges of the handles will be a dark almost burgundy color. Knockoff Louis Vuitton bags often have handles with edges that are painted a bright red color. Handles will start out as a very pale beige color and darken over time with use and exposure to sunlight.

Examine the stitching

A genuine Louis Vuitton bag is mostly stitched by hand. The stitches are perfectly even and slightly angled. Uneven or straight stitching might mean the bag is counterfeit.

If there are features on both sides of the bag, such as handles, the number of stitches on each handle should match exactly. For example, if there are four stiches on one side of the bag, there should be four on the other side.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

It might be tempting to snatch up an inexpensive Louis Vuitton bag thinking you’ve found an amazing bargain. Unfortunately, if you’ve found an unbelievable deal, it’s probably a fake bag. Although Goodwill receives thousands of donations every year, it is incredibly rare for us to receive an authentic Louis Vuitton.

Goodwill does receive generous donations of many other high-end bags. Visit ShopGoodwill to see our selection of purses, which often includes brands such as Coach, Kate Spade and other popular designer handbags.