Articles

Dec 31, 2002

How to Tell if Your Fashions Are Fakes

Judy Colbert
Special to the Washington Post

You've received a pricey piece of clothing or accessory for a holiday present from (1) a friend or relative, (2) someone you may have a possible romantic interest in or (3) the love of your life.

You're upset because (1) it's too costly a present for your friend or relative to give or it's certainly more expensive than the gift you bought for that person, (2) you aren't ready for that expensive a commitment, or (3) you're supposed to be saving for the wedding, home or other major purchase.

First, give the person the benefit of honest bargain shopping and realize that maybe it's last year's line, legitimate products made for the outlet store market, or recycling a present someone gave him.

Of course, that "expensive" gift could be a counterfeit (as opposed to a "knockoff," which is an imitation of a couture product, but with no intent to deceive) purchased from a sidewalk vendor. How is a person to know? There are some really easy ways and some subtle ways to determine the truth.

Here are some tips:

Look for labels that are blurred or torn, a misspelled or altered product name, shoddy workmanship, or a missing warranty card. An example is a sweat shirt with the team name "Sabers" instead of "Sabres."

Check for hangtags, bar codes and labels. "For instance, if the front logo or emblem is Nike, then the corresponding label sewn into the neck should also say Nike, not Hanes," says Steven Boorstein, author of "The Ultimate Guide to Shopping and Caring for Clothing." "The labels for these garments are usually sewn underneath the seam of the shirt at the mill, not on top of the seam." With counterfeit clothes, Boorstein says, "sometimes the original label has been ripped out, and in some cases, another label has been sewn on top of the stub."

Check for a care label. Boorstein says that all garments are required by law to have a care label that states at least one safe way to wash or dry-clean the garment.

A Rolex watch has a sweep second hand; the counterfeit's jumps forward each second.

The signature metal logo on a Prada item has rivets or grommets with domes; the fake has hollow or empty rivets. Also, you can often pry a glued-on logo off the counterfeit bag; you can't with the permanently attached Prada medallion.

Check the packaging. Sandy Beattie, who is in charge of U.S. enforcement for Oakley eyewear, says: "A genuine pair of Oakley sunglasses will be in a microbag and box, along with warranty and registration information. Counterfeit products will be in clear plastic packaging, by themselves, or just in a microbag." Are those $400 "titanium" frames really metal or are they plastic?

Look at the tie lining. Is the designer name stitched or printed over the entire piece of fabric or stamped once, or not there at all? If the tie is really a J. Garcia limited edition, for example, it will have a 10th-anniversary hangtag and woven label commemorating the occasion.

When someone presents you with what seems to be an Hermes product, the obvious first clue is if it's in the famed orange box with brown trim. Is the design crisp or blurred? Are scarf hems hand- rolled and stitched? Are leather goods double-stitched (with two pieces of thread) and does the stitching go all the way through the leather? Counterfeit pieces generally have surface stitching and the pieces of leather are glued together. The metal hardware never fades from its gold color and the links never tarnish.

Although a Martin Margiela-designed coat from Hermes is rarely copied, you can tell the current chocolate brown cashmere coat (retail $4,050) is the real thing because the sleeves are lined with leather and the interior seams are covered with leather. Most Birkin bags are back-ordered with a long waiting list, so if you've known this friend for only a week or two, either he just broke up with a girlfriend or it's not the real thing (the bag, not the relationship).

There are two easy ways to spot a Kate Spade counterfeit, says Barbara Kolsun, senior vice president and general counsel for the handbag designer. "Does the Kate Spade bag have a tag inside naming the country of origin and is the outside Kate Spade label sewn on?" If so, there's an excellent chance it's the real thing; if not, it isn't.

Does the fragrance have a hint of alcohol, is it watery, and does it smell different on you than usual? Good signs you're dealing with a counterfeit.

Is the design on a scarf the same on both sides or is it faded on one side? Counterfeit ones, made from rayon or polyester, tend to be printed only on one side.

A counterfeit Gucci watch may not have the intertwined GG logo on the back.

Is there a gift receipt? Even if the present you received is not counterfeit, it still may have fallen off a truck or have been diverted in a gray-market deal. The genuine article will have a receipt so you can exchange it should you want another color or style.

If you have a question, take your gift to a department store or boutique that sells that product, and they'll let you know. If you don't want to ask someone, check such things as the number of stitches per inch in, say, a Coach bag, the feel of the product, and definitely, the workmanship.