How to spot fake Hermes Bag

Purchasing brand clothing or accessories online is becoming more and more of a hassle. The demand for high end products is there, but far too many people sell fake bags online. Usually, the easiest way to spot whether a bag is fake or real is by looking at the person or persons selling it. If a real bag purchased from the official website of the producer costs $1500, when you see the same model claiming to be real on a Chinese website being sold for $100 or $200, you just know it’s a fake. However, scammers have become more and more innovative in the past decade and they are taking full advantage of the anonymity offered by the online environment.

I know how important it is to get the product you want, especially if it’s a high end one that you have been saving for years. In order to help you stay here, here is a list of things to look for when purchasing a real bag or, in short, here’s how you can spot a fake Hermes Bag:

1. The stitches

Being a bag produced and sold by a well known brand, all the stitch work is done manually. Most of the time, the handbags are made manually and hundreds of hours are dedicated to creating just one of them. The easiest way to check whether your bag is real or fake is to check the stitching. Machines mess up the stitch work sometimes. Maybe not all the time, but they leave a trace. Trace the stitch work with your fingers and if you notice any bumps, that is a red flag and you should not buy that bag.

2. The way it stands

Another very easy way to check if your bag is a real Hermes bag is by placing it on a table or on a hard surface. If it’s a genuine piece, it will stand up on its own and there will be no bumps or slouching of the bag. This is because of the authentic materials and the fact that the bags are all handmade. Ditto with the handles. If the bag is placed down on a wooden surface, the handles will not slump down or fall down next to the bag. They will stand up on their own once again because of the high quality materials that were used in the making of the bag.

3. The metals

The weight and the feel of the hardware used on the bag is also another red flag. When you see the bag, place your fingers over the hardware and feel it. If it’s genuine, you will notice the weight and the way they feel when you touch them. At the same time, since the Hermes bag is a high end luxury piece of accessory, it will only have precious metals used as hardware. This usually means gold or old plated pieces or other precious metals. This ensures the durability of the bag, as well as the signature look. If your bag is the real one, you will also notice striations or other types of fine and elegant touches that you can see and touch. These are all handmade so the attention to detail is a must.

4. The zipper

This should be a no brainer: if the zipper feels light and looks cheap, then the bag is a fake. Hermes puts a lot of emphasis on the zippers so you will notice the name of the brand on the zipper. However, what few people know is that on a real bag, when you pull the zipper and then remove your hand from it, it should be parallel to the bag. If the zipper falls down or if it’s dragged by the gravity, that should immediately alert you to the possibility of a counterfeit bag.

Hermes bags are expensive high-end products so if you plan to purchase one, be very careful who you buy them from. It would be best if you would not purchase them online, but rather go to a regular shop or a place that sells Hermes bags and try to purchase one from there. That way, you can feel it and use the tips described above to make sure you are buying the real thing, not a replica.