How to Spot Fake Louis Vuitton Bag Like a Pro (Ultimate Guide)

Louis Vuitton, as the top-selling luxury brand in the world, has always made handbags that are highly coveted.

But lately, there are so many super fakes out there that it’s getting really hard to spot the real LV bags from the high-quality LV fake. The usual checks like looking at the stitching and materials aren’t cutting it anymore. 

 

Dmarge reported that a Louis Vuitton store in China got caught selling a fake bag. A customer bought a Vaugirard handbag for 3,500 Australian dollars, and later found out it was a fake.

Some people think the store staff might have been tricked by a “super fake” which looks almost exactly like the real thing.

Others suspect that maybe another customer bought an Replica Knockoff bag, and returned a fake one instead, and the store didn’t notice, so they ended up selling it to someone else who had no idea.

In a situation like this, it’s super important for customers to know how to spot the real from the fake LV bags.

As someone who has a big collection of both genuine and replica LV bags, I’m going to share some expert-level experience and detailed photo comparisons to help you quickly identify super fake Louis Vuitton in a world flooded with fakes.

 

How to Spot a Fake Louis Vuitton Bag

Look Shape Color Material Glazing Stamping

Material Quality Stitching Lining

Packaging Box Dust Bag Extras

Date Codes Chips Hardware Engraving Heat Stamp Front

With the emergence of super fakes, these old-school methods aren’t as reliable as they used to be.

I’ll talk about why some of the common methods for spotting Louis Vuitton knockoffs aren’t as reliable anymore (when it comes to super fakes), and I’ll give you some of the latest and most effective tips.

Even better, these techniques can be applied to almost all LV bags, not just specific models.

While each style has its own details, mastering these advanced universal tips will equip you to handle any situation, no matter the model you’re dealing with.

Next, I’ll go into these techniques in detail to help you confidently identify real from fake when you’re faced with a variety of LV bag styles.

 

Look Shape:

First off, check out the overall look and shape.
These knockoffs usually use cheaper, lower-quality materials, so they often look and feel stiff, kind of plastic-like, or flimsy. You can even smell a plastic scent coming off them.

 

Color Material:

When you start looking at the details, you’ll notice things like for example, the Damier Azur color of the bag is off.
The replica has a yellowish or beige tint, while the genuine ones typically have a slight pinkish hue. 

The texture of the leather or canvas is also really different from the real deal.
Fake LV bags are usually thicker and feel kinda stiff, while the real deals are thinner and softer to the touch.

Left-Replica, Right-Authentic

Left-Authentic, Right-Replica

 

Glazing Stamping:

For LV bags, glazing is a big deal. If the glazing is too bright red, that’s a huge red flag.

🔶RELATED: One of my readers bought what was called an AAA fake Neverfull and compared it to her real one. You could see the differences without needing a trained eye.👇👇👇

Also, the stamping on these bags is usually off either too deep or too shallow and blurry.
The worst cases even have spelling mistakes or errors in font and capitalization.

Replica LV Stamp: top-too deep, bottom-too shallow and wrong font

Fake LV stamping incorrect font and blurry

 

Apart from the simple check above,
here are some more extra (more detailed) techniques for verification.

Material Quality

Touch Smell

Make sure to check whether the leather is real and not a plastic material. Genuine leather is usually soft but durable, has a clear texture, and is shiny. Fake leather could feel stiff or overly soft.

An Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton bag has a unique leather smell because it’s natural leather. It shouldn’t smell like chemicals or anything synthetic.

The canvas of real and fake bags also differs in color, glossiness, and texture.

Durability

Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton bags are built to last. Fake bags are usually made with cheaper materials and don’t hold up over time.

Like, with real Louis Vuitton leather, it gets softer and develops a natural shine as you use it, but a fake might just crack or fade.

Color (Vachetta leather)

And if the handle and the leather part are made of Vachetta leather, it should darken or patina.

Initially, Louis Vuitton’s handles start off bright white, but as they age, the handles should shift from bright white to a deeper brown or even reddish-brown.

This change, known as patina, happens as the leather oxidizes and picks up oils from being handled. It’s a natural part of the aging process for leather, not because of the wear and tear.

So, if a bag that’s being sold as vintage doesn’t have any patina, it’s probably not the real deal.

 

Stitching

On Replica Knockoff LV handbags, the stitching color either matches the leather perfectly (close in color or complementary without looking out of place), whereas on fakes, the stitching color is not always right.

For example, on classic brown Louis Vuitton bags, the stitching on Replica Knockoff ones is actually mustard yellow, but on replicas, it often turns into bright yellow.

Replica Knockoff stitching should be even, consistent, and precise, while fakes might have uneven or loose stitches.

You should see the same number of stitches on similar parts of the bag. Like, the number of stitches on the handle tabs should be the same.

Real ones use high-quality thread that doesn’t wear out easily, but the thread used in fakes is usually of lower quality that’s more likely to break.

 

Lining

The interior lining of a Louis Vuitton bag changes depending on the style and collection, but it should always feel high-end and fit perfectly inside the bag.

Make sure to look at the details that counterfeiters often miss. Check if the lining used in a bag actually matches what was typical for the year the bag was made.

For example, monogram canvas bags usually have a brown cotton lining, while Damier Ebene Canvas bags are typically lined with red microfiber.

⚠️Note: If you’re looking at a specific bag, do your research because there are always exceptions to these rules.

You might also like ：Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton Coussin PM Bag Review

                                              Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton NeoNoe Bucket Bag Review

 

Packaging box

Even though LV spans clothing, shoes, accessories, and more, their packaging boxes follow a uniform standard.

BOX LOGO	BOX FONT INK
BOX TEXTURE	Left: Real, Right: Fake

BOX LOGO

✅Real: The color is a low-saturation indigo, with matte ink and thicker font.

❌Fake: The color is a low-saturation pure black, with glossy ink and thinner font.

BOX FONT INK

✅Real: The ink is thick and evenly colored, with a strong sense of dimensionality and no obvious ink bleeding at the edges.

❌Fake:The ink is poor quality and thin, with visible orange undertones, and clear ink bleeding at the font edges.

BOX TEXTURE

✅Real: The texture is a crisscross pattern with varying depths, resembling broken lines, giving it a distinct textured feel.

❌Fake:The texture has uniform depth, resembling a grid pattern, lacking any texture.

 

Dust Bag

All bags come with a soft dust bag. It’s a white color with the Louis Vuitton logo in the center. No extra information. Often time fake manufacturers add too much information and end up giving themselves away.

You can find the dust bag in either a drawstring or envelope style.

Now let’s take a closer look at the dust bag.

DUST BAG LOGO COLOR Top-Authentic; Bottom-Replica	DUST BAG FABRIC TEXTURE Top-Authentic; Bottom-Replica
DUST BAG FONT Top-Authentic; Bottom-Replica

DUST BAG LOGO COLOR

✅ The Replica Knockoff one is deep blue, dyed on, with a finely woven fabric texture, and the bottom of the “V” slightly protrudes.

❌ The fake version has a harsh color, printed on with a rubber stamp.

DUST BAG FABRIC TEXTURE

✅ The texture on the Replica Knockoff one is more closely knit and detailed.

❌ The fabric texture on the fake dust bag is rougher.

DUST BAG FONT

✅ The Replica Knockoff one has beveled corners.

❌ The fake version has sharp edges

 

Extras

The extras that come with Louis Vuitton bags should only include (if you order online from the official website):

• A small card with a QR code (this isn’t an authenticity card)
• A blank card (for writing a personal message)
• An envelope with attachments (including the receipt, a thank you letter, and return instructions)

There shouldn’t be any odd or extra accessories included.

The extras Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton bags come with	The extras FAKE Louis Vuitton bags come with

⚠️Note: Louis Vuitton bags don’t come with authenticity cards. If you see a bag with a certificate, it’s actually a sign it is fake, because they’re trying to make it seem legit.

Fake Authenticity Card (Front)

Fake Authenticity Card (Back)

LV receipts have varied fonts and sizes, and usually, the top part includes the store’s address, phone number, and website info.

Fake receipts might have a QR code at the top, but LV never uses QR codes on their receipts.

Also, LV won’t specify on the receipt whether you bought a bag, shoes, or a scarf. 

Instead, the receipt will list the product code, name, quantity, and price including tax, among other details.

Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton Receipt	Fake Louis Vuitton Receipt

 

Great job! 

You’ve now learned about 70% of the key points for authenticating Louis Vuitton bags. 

Time to put your skills to the test! Take a look at the pictures below and see if you can spot the differences between a real and a fake LV. 

Pay close attention to the details we’ve discussed so far. 

Ready? Let’s see how you do!

If you can point out three or more issues, congrats! You can dodge most low-quality knockoff Louis Vuitton. 

But don’t get too excited just yet.

These Fake tips are only good for catching the lower-end and mid-range fake LVs you see around.

You can no longer rely on the basic tricks to spot high-quality fake LV, like checking the stitching, material, the color of the Monogram canvas, and how well the patterns match up.

As a longtime LV fan, I’ve seen for myself over the years just how convincing these high-quality fakes can get.

 

Here are some common misconceptions
about these traditional Fake methods:

Misperception About Stitching

People usually think that Replica Knockoff LV bags will have perfect, flawless stitching. But that’s not always the case.
Even some genuine models can have slightly uneven stitches or loose threads.
On the other hand, some high-quality Louis Vuitton replicas have nearly perfect stitching, making it even tougher to tell real from fake based on stitching alone.

The stitching on my replica LV Pochette Metis is neat and consistent.

 

Myth About Materials

Genuine Louis Vuitton items use the best materials, like Vachetta Leather and Mahina Leather.
But now, high-end replicas on the market are also using premium materials, making it a real challenge for non-experts to tell them apart.

The leather on my fake LV On My Side feels soft and smooth. The grain also looks good and pretty spot on.

 

The Color Variation in Monogram Canvas

Louis Vuitton’s iconic Monogram canvas is a key factor in identifying real vs. fake.
Replica Knockoff Monogram colors usually have a specific shade and sheen, but high-quality replicas can now mimic these colors and glossiness pretty closely.

To make things more complicated, genuine items themselves can vary in color.
Luxury brands have multiple production sites across Europe. There’s variation between batches, and aging can tweak the color a bit too. 

Take LV canvas, for example. Some undertones look a bit greener, while others lean more towards orange or yellow. So there is no fixed color standard to judge by.

There is a nice sheen on my Mini Pochette Accessoires like the Replica Knockoff LV bag.

The canvas color looks different on my two real LV bags. One from Italy and the other from France.

 

Misunderstanding About Pattern Matching

People used to think that if the patterns lined up perfectly, it was definitely a real deal.
But now, fake LV bags can copy the pattern alignment so well that it’s not a solid clue anymore.
Plus, even real Louis Vuitton bags don’t always have flawless patterns due to differences in styles and designs.

The Monogram pattern on my husband‘s replica LV Discovery Backpack is perfect

If you’re curious about how high-quality replicas hold up after some use：

Take a look at my post on a Designer Discreet LV Speedy replica.

I shared my experience using a super fake LV Speedy, including how it wore over two years and a detailed comparison with the Replica Knockoff bag.

For readers interested in where to buy high-quality replica bags, this article will provide some useful info.

 

With all these changes, relying just on the old ways to spot fake LV bags isn’t reliable anymore. Moreover, we’ve got to use a bunch of different methods instead of just sticking to one thing.

Up next, I’ll fill you in on some of the latest and more effective ways to tell the real from the fake.

 

Here are three professional and straightforward steps
to help you quickly tell real LVs from the fakes.

Date Codes Chips

Starting in the early 1980s, Louis Vuitton added date codes to their bags to mark where and when they were made.

You’ll usually find the stamp on a little tab inside an interior pocket, where the handles are attached, or under a small flap inside.

They can be hard to find and might even fade over time in older bags.

The codes have changed over the years, but here’s a summary:

• In the 1980s

In the early 1980s, the codes only had three to four numbers.
The first two numbers show the year it was made, and the third and/or fourth numbers are the month.

Louis Vuitton updated their date code system in the mid-1980s to include letters that show the factory location where the bag was made.

Early 1980s to Mid 1980s: First two numbers = year + Last number(s) = month eg. 853 = Made in March 1985	Mid to Late 1980s: First two numbers = year + Last number(s) = month + Country code eg. 874 SL = Made in France in April 1987

• 1990 to 2006

It still consists of two letters followed by four digits, but the numbers representing the date have changed.
The first and third numbers show the month, and the second and fourth numbers tell you the year.

Country code + 1st and 3rd numbers = month + 2nd and 4th numbers = year eg. FL0041 = Made in France/USA in April 2001

• 2007 to 2021

This format lasted until 2021, but then the meaning of the code changed slightly.
The first and third numbers tell you the week of the year it was made, and the second and fourth numbers tell you the year.

Country code + 1st and 3rd numbers = week of year + 2nd and 4th numbers = year eg. SD3028 = Made in France/USA in the 32nd week of 2008

The country code is a handy tool to verify the bag’s manufacturing location.

Watch out for LV replicas that claim to be “made in Italy” but then have a Spain location code or a date code that doesn’t fit the format used at the time.

However, even if everything matches up, you should keep looking for any odd details. Not all replica manufacturers are careless.

⚠️Note: The date code should be used together with other Fake methods, not as the only way to check if a bag is authentic.

Louis Vuitton Country Codes

France: A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SD, SL, SN, SP, SR, TH, TR, VI, VX.

Italy: BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, SA, TD. Spain: CA, LO, LB, LM, LW.

USA: FC, FH, LA, OS, SD, FL. ​ Germany: LP, OP.

 

This went on until March 2021, when Vuitton started putting microchips in their products instead.

These chips are super tiny and tucked away under the fabric or leather, so you basically can’t see or feel them. They’re usually hidden in the sides or pockets of the bag.

The thing is, only LV sales associates have the special app to read these chips properly. 

There are apps like NFC Tools (there are YouTube videos showing how to do this with this app, I’ve added one below.) and NFC TagInfo that anyone can use to scan the bag and get some info, although it’s not the same as the LV employees can see.

 

How to Scan LV Microchip with NFC Tools

 

How to Scan LV Microchip with NFC TagInfo

To check for a microchip, follow these steps:

1. First, download the app from the Apple App Store / Google Play Store.
2. Open it and hit ‘Scan Launch.’
3. Swipe your phone over the outside of the bag until you see a blue check mark show up.
4. If that doesn’t work, give it a go on the inside of the bag.
5. After a successful scan, tap on “unknown card” to view the details, and take a screenshot.
6. Then, exit and scan the item again.
7. Take a screenshot again and compare the two.

It’s important to note that the first 10 characters of the UID stay the same, but the last 8 characters change with each scan. All other information remains constant.

If you scan a bag and it immediately takes you to the Louis Vuitton website, that’s a sure sign it’s a fake.

You might also like my guide on how to spot a fake YSL bag

Hardware Engraving

Louis Vuitton uses top-notch hardware on their bags, which is not only durable but also has a consistent color and won’t look too shiny or gold. 

The hardware’s color inside and outside the bag should match, and there shouldn’t be any faded or discolored pieces.

Replica Knockoff LV bags usually use brass, golden brass, or silvery metal for their hardware, and sometimes you’ll see matte finishes too. 

💡Tip: It’s a good idea to check louisvuitton.com to make sure the hardware on the bag you’re considering matches what’s officially used.

Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton Hardware

Fake Louis Vuitton Hardware

A lot of cheap Louis Vuitton handbags (especially under $100) use cheap hardware that is weightless and flimsy. 

This hardware is not made to last and fades quickly and breaks easily.

💡Tip: Fakes LV might also use magnetic materials. Testing the hardware with a magnet, real ones shouldn’t show any magnetic attraction.

All the hardware on an Replica Knockoff Louis Vuitton bag, from the clasp to the rivets, will have brand engravings. 

Make sure it’s etched clearly, right in the middle, and sits evenly on the hardware.

Take zipper pull as an example:

1. It’s normal for the surface metal to show rust or flaking; this isn’t used to determine authenticity.
2. The side of the zipper has a seam, and the side holes are hollow, not solid.
3. The metal engraving has the V thicker on the left and thinner on the right.
4. Check if the bottom groove’s polishing marks are smooth/evenly sanded/have a special texture.
5. The pull tab connector should fit perfectly.
6. LV mostly uses zippers from brands like Riri and YKK, which are high hardness, beveled side edges, and are evenly spaced.

 

Heat Stamp Front

Now, some manufacturers have gotten pretty slick at copying the brand’s font, so you really need a sharp eye to catch any odd details.

Draw a vertical guideline centered on the trademark symbol, cutting through the edges of VU and the left side of R, touching the right side of n.

Keep in mind that:

• Registered trademark ® should sit right in the center above the V and U.
• Spacing between the three lines goes from small to medium, to large.
• L should have a short tail.
• O’s in LOUIS VUITTON should be round not narrow like the number 0.
• The bottom of U is round.
• S is smaller at the top and bigger at the bottom.
• The right side of V should be parallel to the left side of A.
• The T’s should be super close, almost touching each other.
• The top parts of T’s legs are pointy, sitting right on T’s horizontal line.
• N’s inner angles are sharp.
• The A in the Paris logo is pointy.
• In made in France, inside a, it’s not a circle, and d is a small ellipse.

The stitching around the stamp should match the rest of the bag’s perfection—no loose threads, frayed ends, or crooked lines.

 

---

Once you’ve got these Fake tips down, you’ll be more confident in spotting everything from basic fakes to those super convincing super fakes.

Finally, I’ve listed some key points as a summary of Fake tips for this LV guide. You can also use it as a quick checklist for real vs. fake Louis Vuitton.

If you’re unsure about something or get stuck, just scroll back up and check again.

 👉 Read Also: How to Spot A Fake Louis Vuitton Dauphine Bag

A Quick Checklist: Real vs. Fake Louis Vuitton

ASPECT	REAL	FAKE
—————————	—————— Leather——————	—————————
Leather Quality	Even texture, consistent color, natural sheen.	Uneven texture, color discrepancies, lack of gloss.
Smell Test	Distinctive leather aroma.	Harsh chemical smell.
Feel	Soft yet durable, feels substantial.	Either too hard or too soft.
Durability	Becomes softer and shinier with age.	May crack or fade.
—————————	—————— Hardware——————	—————————
Hardware	High quality, clear engravings.	Poor quality, blurry engravings.
Hardware Weight	Heavier, solid feel.	Usually lighter.
Color Consistency	Consistent color, no discrepancies.	Possible color inconsistencies or fading.
Magnetic Test	Non-magnetic.	May use magnetic materials.
Zippers Quality and Engraving	High-quality, clear engravings on zippers.	Poor zipper quality, unclear engravings.
Zipper Consistency	Consistent quality inside and out, smooth operation.	May operate poorly or vary in quality internally.
—————————	—————— Other——————	—————————
Stamp and Date Code	Accurate placement, standard fonts.	Incorrect placement and fonts.
Lining	High-quality lining material, consistent color.	Color mismatches, inferior material.
Stitching	Neat, consistent, evenly spaced stitches.	Irregular stitching, uneven spacing.
Packaging and Accessories	Soft dust bag, clear label printing.	Low quality material, blurred printing.

 

How Useful Was This Post?