Is This Vintage Ralph Lauren Real or Fake?

Ralph Lauren since its conception in the 70s has been a sought-after brand and, unfortunately, with popularity, comes counterfeits. Identifying a genuine vintage Ralph Lauren can be tricky as the quality of fakes can vary from being obviously fake to pretty convincing. With plenty of fakes available on the market, it’s important to be able to identify if your purchase is a genuine investment or a fake. In this article, we'll show you ways to identify genuine Ralph Lauren clothing.

Remember that when you shop at Messina Hembry, all of the vintage clothing that we sell has been inspected for quality and authenticity. Enjoy peace of mind when you shop for preloved Ralph Lauren clothing with our authenticity guarantee!

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Inspect the logo

A genuine Ralph Lauren will have a clearly visible horsetail with a straight right back leg. The leg of the rider should also be clearly outlined. On counterfeits, the leg can often lack definition. Comparing to an image of a real Ralph Lauren logo will make it more obvious when looking at a fake.

Check the label

Labels can be a big give away when it comes to fakes. If you check the label of a genuine Ralph Lauren there should be distinct features. Every item of Ralph Lauren clothing, from a Ralph Lauren men’s trousers to Ralph Lauren tennis skirt, has a label under the collar with a separate small tag sticking out with the size written on it. If this is missing, that can be your first indication that the item is a fake. Fakes also can often have a font that is illegible and with misspellings. A genuine Ralph Lauren would also have stitching along the collar that is the same colour as the shirt. It also helps to visually compare labels. Here is a genuine one for example. Watch out for things like spacing, font etc. Small differences can indicate a fake. All of Messina Hembry’s collection of vintage Ralph Lauren includes a picture of the label.

Look at the care label

All genuine Ralph Lauren will have a care label with information on what material the shirt is made of and how to take care of the item. Each label will have a registered trademark symbol (®). The writing should be neat and legible - messiness would indicate the item is a fake. Again, you have to keep your eye out for the smallest differences.

How do the buttons look?

The buttons on a genuine Ralph Lauren has a thread that matches the colour of the shirt. They should be neat and in line with each other.

Check the stitching

Check for sloppy stitching. All stitching should be neat and not jagged. A tailors tip is to check the underside of an item, everything should be as neat and tidy as it appears on the outside.

Inspect the hem

The hem on genuine Ralph Lauren will have a slight high-low hem. With the back hem being lower than the front. Hemlines that are longer at the front or of equal length would indicate a fake.

Shop for authentic vintage Ralph Lauren at Messina Hembry

Everything that you see in stock at Messina Hembry has been quality controlled, this includes inspecting the quality of the item and making sure it is genuine. With our authenticity guarantee, you can rest assured that everything you buy from us is legit.

We have a wide variety of Ralph Lauren products including their iconic oxford shirts, cosy jumpers, dresses, tops and trousers. Check out our collection of second hand and vintage clothing from Ralph Lauren. Happy hunting!