How to Tell if a Gucci Bag is Real

Did you know that the Gucci brand first came into being in 1921? Ever since then, people have been raving about the amazing products that this brand produces, especially handbags. When a person has a Gucci handbag, that bag more or less acts as a status symbol, and to be honest, who wouldn't want to have such a stylish item at their disposal?

But there is a problem: some Gucci bags may look very official but they may actually be fake. How to tell if a Gucci bag is real or not can be a real challenge, especially to the untrained eye. Fortunately, even if you don't know much about Gucci bags, there are still quite a few ways in which you can tell if your bag is real or a complete fake.

Keep reading and learn how to tell if a Gucci bag is real in a few easy steps or visit ReTreat for in store authentication by Entrupy.

Don’t Forget about the Serial Number

Checking for the serial number on a Gucci purse is one of the best ways you can tell whether or not the bag is real or fake. Gucci purses come in all sorts of makes and styles but even so, all of them should have a very specific serial number. But where is this serial number, you might ask?

You should be able to find the numbers on a tag inside the bag. The tag should be made of leather and it should be located near the top of the inside of the bag. If you find this tag anywhere else, you should start getting a little suspicious.

However, once you find the tag, you shouldn't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. There are also some particular details you should look for once you discover the tag. When it comes to this particular luxury brand, you should make sure that the tag is not sewn down on all sides.

Instead, it should only be sewn down on one side. For that reason, it should be quite visible although it will be small. The tag will usually be square, but for some purses, it may be more rectangular in shape.

On the tag, you will find the bag's serial number on one side. If you flip it over, you will find the Gucci logo on the other side. Both of these marks are very important for determining the falsity of your handbag.

However, these details are not exactly the same across all Gucci bags, especially those that were made decades and decades ago. And, of course, these details will not be the same on false handbags, so you will have to be careful when examining these tags.

Understanding the Serial Number

On the tag's numerical side, there should be two rows of numbers and in each row, there should be no more than six numbers.

Keep in mind that the serial code for your bag may be exactly the same as the serial code for another bag. Some bags are simply made with the same serial code. This does not mean that your bag is necessarily a fake because of this.

So, what should you look for when determining the authenticity of your bag? To start, you should look for the phrase, "Made in Italy" on the leather tag. All of these letters should be in lowercase except for if the bag is from the 1990s.

In that case, the letters will all be in uppercase. The "G" on the trademark symbol on the tag will be the same kind of interlocking G that you would find on any Gucci logo. If the G looks to be in a different font, you should start getting suspicious.

You should also check the font of the serial number. The numbers on the tag are printed in a very delicate way. If your serial number is too linear, too bold, or too modern-looking, there may be a good chance that the bag is a fake.

There should not be any letters in the serial number. However, some older bag varieties may include some hyphens or periods in the serial number. If you find any letters in the serial number, your bag will almost certainly be a fake.

What You Need to Know

If you find a date on the leather tag, your bag will also likely be a fake. Both of these facts are true no matter what era your Gucci bag is from. Once you analyze the bag's tag enough, you should be able to have better insight into the bag's authenticity.

However, there are some cases in which you can't use these tips to authenticate your bag. For example, if your bag is vintage, it might not have a serial number at all. More than that, the interlocking G for Gucci printed on the tag will also not be the same.

That's because the interlocking G only came about in the 1960s. So, if your bag is older than that, you won't be able to rely as much on this little leather tag. Fortunately, there are still some ways to authenticate your Gucci bag even if you can't rely on the tag.

The Quality of the Leather

When you spend so much money on a brand-name bag, the last thing you want is to find out that you spent all that money on a piece of junk. Fortunately, you should be able to tell a lot about the quality of your bag through the quality of the bag's leather. Gucci only ever uses real, high-quality leather.

If you don't know much about the differences between high-quality and low-quality leather, don't worry. The differences tend to be pretty obvious. More than that, you'll not only be able to see but also feel the difference between good leather and bad leather.

If the leather of your bag looks imperfect, then it's probably real. That's because real leather tends to have visible imperfections. On the other hand, cheap or fake leather will look a little too perfect.

This is because it's much too difficult and time-consuming to figure out a way to manufacture cheap or fake leather to look like real leather using such fine details. In particular, you should take a close look at the bag's leather grain. The grain should be irregular and uneven.

This is especially true of vintage Gucci bags. If your bag looks a little too smooth or smells somewhat like plastic, it likely isn't made of real leather. Keep the smell of the bag in mind.

Understanding Real Leather

You can actually tell a lot about the quality of leather by what it smells like. Real, high-quality leather should have a rich, earthy, natural smell. On the other hand, cheap or fake leather will smell like chemicals, or at the very least, plastic.

You should especially be able to pick up these smells if your Gucci bag is new. That's because the smell will not yet have had time to wear off yet. The leather of the handbag should be soft and supple rather than stiff.

Vintage Gucci bags may be especially soft because of the wear and tear they have gone through. However, the leather should still be very durable and it should be able to withstand the test of time without falling apart. On the other hand, cheap leather tends to flake and crack in a short period of time and its color (if the color is fake) may also rub off.

But what if your bag is made of canvas instead of leather? In that case, there are still a few things you can look for to make sure that your bag is real. To start, you should examine the logos on the canvas exterior.

Canvas Gucci Bags

The G logo should be the same as the Gucci logo on the tag inside the bag. The Gs should also be facing each other. If they are facing any other way or if the font looks to be wrong, your bag is probably fake. In particular, the Gs should have an elegant look to them and should be more on the dainty side.

If the Gs are too bold or too modern-looking, the bag probably isn't the real deal. No matter where the logos are on the bag, they should always be clear and never blurry. Between the G logos, you will find two little diamond-shaped dots.

Those who manufacture fake Gucci bags often forget about these little dots. So, if your bag is missing these dots between the Gs, it is most likely a fake. Or, a fake bag may only have one dot between the Gs.

In some cases, you may even find three dots and the dots may be placed far too close together. Finally, you should look at the placement of the logos on the canvas. A real Gucci bag will have these designs woven into the canvas itself.

Counterfeit bags, on the other hand, usually print these designs over the top of the canvas.

Check the Stitching on the Bag

The stitching, of course, is what holds the entire bag together. However, some counterfeit Gucci bag manufacturers do not take much interest in the stitching of the bag. For that reason, it isn't that hard to tell whether or not the stitching is bad on your bag.

The only time it would be difficult to tell is if you have a fake bag that is surprisingly well made. You also may have trouble analyzing the stitching on vintage bags. This is because the wear and tear over the years may have damaged the stitching slightly.

Even so, the stitching on a real Gucci bag should last several decades, especially if you take good care of the bag. To start, you should start examining the stitching on the outside of the bag followed by the stitching on the inside. Some bags do not have much visible stitching from the inside while others have designs made from stitching.

For example, many bags from the Marmont Collection have very intricate stitching across the surface of the bags. Because the stitching on these bags is so visible, it only makes sense that the stitching will be very high quality. If you see any kind of stray thread or broken thread on such a bag, you can be almost certain that the bag is fake.

What You Need to Know

You will want to also check the design of the stitching on bags from the Marmont Collection. The stitching on real bags from this collection is very linear and essentially perfect. If you see that the stitching is warped or has some bumps or any other perfections, you can be sure that the bag isn't real.

But what about other kinds of Gucci bags? As mentioned before, not all Gucci bags have stitching that is as visible as the stitching on bags from the Marmont Collection. Even so, you will still want to find stitching on the bag whether it's on the outside or inside.

You will find the stitching at the corners of the bag. If you see any loose threads or bumpiness with the stitching, you can throw your bag away because it won't be real. The stitching on a real Gucci bag will always be well finished, sturdy, and linear.