Whether it’s Louis Vuitton, Coach, Burberry, or Prada, these high-fashion brands have been patronized by discriminating women all over. 

But with the growing number of fake bags and purses that abound around us, and most of them being too similar to the real ones, people have a hard time telling which is a fake and which is Fendi. Check out these tell-tale signs while buying for your new leather babies.

The lining and label should be stitched – Authentic branded bags should have stitched linings and labels. They should not be glued on.

The stitching should be near perfect – Some pirates take time to stitch the lining into place, but look if there is pulling in some spots. If you see some, it’s probably a fake.

Check the material – The quality of the materials and its craftsmanship are obvious signs in telling if the bag is a fake. For instance, if the signature plaid of a Burberry bag is even slightly off-centered, don’t buy it. Meanwhile, the leather should feel heavy yet soft, as fake bags tend to feel like plastic. Zippers will match the skin color well, and the designer run of bags may only come in a very small range of colors

Check the origin – Ask where the bag was made or you can look for a label. If you see “Made in China,” or “Made in the Mexico,” you can pretty much pass that purse. These countries, including India and Thailand, have been the haven for mass-manufactured counterfeit merchandise, since they don’t have enough police power to enforce trademark laws. Research first before shopping and make sure where the real thing is manufactured. 

Check for supporting documents – Most genuine handbags have either a control card number on the inside as well as a certificate of authenticity. The number on the tag or control card should match the number printed on the lining. If you can, register your bag.

Check the brand marker – Pay special care to the embossed brand or pattern of the printed monogram and look for spelling mistakes. Also, well-designed bags with logo on fabrics never run the lettering into the seam lines.

Check the nameplate – Fake handbags or purses may have bigger-than-average nameplates.

The real ones are not sold on the streets – Apply common sense in buying branded bags and purses. Buying them out of a car trunk or elsewhere on the street pretty much guarantees you a counterfeit.

Buy only at designer stores – In North America, fake bags and purses are commonly seen in Chinatown, in garment districts of bigger cities, kiosks in shopping malls, flea markets, and even at online auction sites like eBay. It is much recommended to take a visit to the stores themselves in buying the real thing rather than wandering about hoping to get the same. If there aren’t designer stores in your area, it is best to buy straight from the actual designer’s site or at a handful of authorized websites.

Beware of “purse parties” – This is somewhat the modern version of the Tupperware party. A seller brings a selection of fake handbags, wallets, and accessories to a private gathering to show and sell. They are more likely fake, but a good hostess would inform her friends ahead of time that the merchandise they’ll be looking at is not the real thing.