First things first, let’s talk stitching. This is, like, *super* important. Real Louis Vuitton? Mostly hand-stitched, or at least, they *want* it to look like it. Think slightly angled stitches. Like someone was a little tipsy while sewing but still kinda nailed it. If the stitches are perfectly straight and even? Red flag! It probably came off an assembly line, and not the good kind. My grandma sews better than a machine, tbh. And the number of stitches, too! Gotta look at that. More stitches, potentially more legit, from what I’ve, uh, gathered.
And then there’s the size number. Uh oh, if that’s not smack-dab in the middle of the leather, like, perfectly aligned? Houston, we have a problem. That’s a HUGE tell. It’s like when you try to center a picture on your wall and it’s just *slightly* off… that’s the kind of feeling you should get. Except, ya know, amplified by a thousand because you might be holding a fake.
Now, let’s get into the interior. Ooooh, the secrets inside! If it’s a Neverfull, specifically, check that interior lining. What’s it look like? Does it feel cheap? Does it smell weird? I’m serious, some fakes smell like, well, fake! Like plastic and sadness, y’know? And speaking of smell, my friend once bought a “vintage” LV at a flea market, and it smelled EXACTLY like her grandpa’s attic. Turns out, it was a really good fake, grandpa attic smell and all. The horror!
Oh, and the hardware! Don’t even *get* me started. The zippers, the clasps, the little metal bits… they should feel solid and substantial. Not like some cheap tin foil you found in your grandma’s cookie jar. And the font on those little metal bits? Google a pic of a real one and compare! The devil’s in the details, people.
One more thing about vintage bags…don’t just assume something is real because it’s old. Plenty of convincing fakes have been around for decades. That stitching thing is still important, even on oldies!
