The market has been filled with replicas and Chanel is not spared from this. Every Chanel item exudes luxury and it’s definitely a must-have for bag collectors, this is one of the reasons why makers of counterfeits spend a lot of time trying their best to copy each item down to its core.

However, Chanel ensures that imitating their designer items will never be easy. In fact, their bags are so exquisitely made that it screams perfection. We’ll give you some of the ways to easily recognize whether a Chanel bag is real or fake.

·   Quilting Pattern

Nothing shouts Chanel more than a quilting pattern. Chanel is the only designer brand in the world that made the quilting pattern so famous that they have mastered it in any item. It’s also a great indicator to know if the bag is fake or real. A Chanel craftsman has been trained to perfect this diamond pattern regardless of the angle of the bag.

You will definitely notice that even at the back of the bag, it’s diamond pattern perfectly lines up. There are no irregular size diamonds or anything that seems off with the whole pattern.

·   Stitch Count

Chanel often use a high-stitch count for its bags to ensure that it stays in tiptop shape for a long time. The stitch count is also a great factor in making sure that the bag will be able to hold its shape.

There should be up to 11 stitches in one panel or the distance between the sides of the diamond shape. Fake bags will have a lower number of stitches, this is the reason why they are of substandard quality.

·   Leather of Choice

Most of the Chanel bags are made up of lambskin. The lambskin is famous for its perfectly smooth texture and appearance. Another type of leather that Chanel uses is the caviar skin made from pebbled calf leather.

The caviar skin is opposite to lambskin as it’s has more texture and it feels like touching raised dimples. Most counterfeits when touched, often gives a rough and very stiff texture that feels cheap.

·   Authenticity Cards

Keep in mind that just because there is an authenticity card in a Chanel bag, doesn’t mean it’s legit. Some counterfeits even have their own authenticity card. Lucky for us, Chanel has made this security feature unique and they have been using this since 1984.

The bags that were manufactured from 1984-1986 will come in 6 digits; 7 digits for those made in 1986-2004 and 8 digits for 2005 up to the present.

·   Shape and Overall Structure

Have you ever placed an authentic Chanel bag beside a fake one? If you have, surely you noticed that the genuine one stands out because of its impeccable structure. An original Chanel bag is sturdy enough to stand straight while the counterfeit one is often flimsy-looking and slouches.

Authentic ones are often square-shaped yet it doesn’t look like a box so when you see Chanel bags with rounded edges, it’s often a great sign that it’s a fake. Also, when a bag can’t hold its shape, this is a sign that poor quality materials were used on it.

Remember that every time you purchase a Chanel bag, you are paying for excellent craftsmanship and top of the line materials. So, when you see a Chanel item that comes in a very cheap price, it might be a counterfeit and you don’t want that in your collection.