Top tips for identifying counterfeit designer clothing.
Having dealt with thousands of second hand designer garments of varying ages we have been able to develop some of the best ways to identify counterfeit designer clothing.
We have been able to summarise some of our quality control policies into 7 key categories which apply across almost all designer garments.
Logos & embroidery
Logos should look symmetrical and will probably be embroidered. They should feel thick and heavy. They probably won’t have any overlay or backing underneath where they are sewn into the garment. Often counterfeit garment logo's are poorly stitched with unclear logo's using cheap thread.
Fabric
Designer items are made using high quality fabrics both on the outside and within any linings and labels. Fake items might feel more coarse and less comfortable. If an item is leather it should have an irregular texture and a slight leather scent. A fake leather item may look more uniform and smell chemically. The material composition of items within the care labels is useful to ensure only high quality materials are used within specific products.
Stitching
Genuine designer fashion will have straight & even stitching around the pockets and seams. Pay close attention to labels that have been sewn onto the product. Genuine items will normally have matching cotton rather than a different colour and you generally shouldn't be able to see obvious stitching at the back of the label when its stitched onto a garment. Any writing or logo on the labels should be clear and evenly
Fastening - Zips & Buttons
All zips should move freely and feel heavy. The bottom of the zip should also meet the zip itself neatly. Most designer labels will also use a branded zip such as YKK, Lampo, RIRI or IPI. Buttons should be attached securely and may feature details that fakes would lack like logos or branding. Look for high quality materials and stitching with buttons. Most designer garments use genuine mother of pearl buttons.
Fit & sizing
Look carefully at product sizing. Often with counterfeit clothing the sizing is out. Ensure the garment matches the label size and has a standard fit. Often counterfeit garments are labelled much larger than their fit.
Counterfeit garments will often have poor regard for sizing with many items being labelled differently to their fit.
Care Labels
Inside care labels can be inspected to ensure they are supplied with relevant information and are of a high quality material. You can normally check the country of origin on the product labels to ensure that the garments are actually made in that particular country. A key feature in modern garments is to also look for the RN & CA numbers which can be identified back to an individual business, producer, distributor or retailer to ensure these are correctly given. These numbers are easily searchable online for almost every designer label. Also take notice and check for spelling or grammatical errors on tags.
Counterfeit garment care tags with limited detail & no manufacturer information. Burberry, Lacoste & D&G.
Final words
Please remember that these tips are just guidelines. Designer clothing varies greatly from different brands. The age of a garment will also largely influence the quality of the product. Certain brands have introduced intelligent anti-counterfeiting measures to ensure authentic garments are easily identifiable. Certain types and brands of clothing are extremely well counterfeited even using holograms and security strips in order to trick consumers. These tips are for general use however we always recommend further research if you are unsure. If you have any queries about an item of clothing’s authenticity please don't hesitate to drop us an email and we would be happy to offer any advice we can.
