How To Spot Fake Louis Vuitton Monogram Bags (2024)

This guide will highlight how to differentiate between replica and genuine Louis Vuitton 'Monogram Icons'


Spotting a fake Louis Vuitton bag can be difficult as these bags are one of the most counterfeited in existence. In this guide, to show you how we authenticate Louis Vuitton on a daily basis, we have chosen the most popular designs ranging from the ‘Monograms Collection’ to the ‘Damier Ebene’ items.

Above: Sample of Authentic Pre-Owned Louis Vuitton on sale in Handbag Clinic.

Vachetta Leather

Although these bags are predominantly made of canvas, they all feature Vachetta leather, which when purchased new will be extremely light and all exposed areas will darken over time. Fake Louis Vuitton bags will not be made of the same quality as genuine ones – and potentially not leather at all. A tell-tale sign of an imitation piece is that all the exposed leather does not darken at the same rate or does not darken at all.

Checking the interior leather against the exterior leather, or against a bag of the same age, will give this away if it is not already obvious. In several fakes LV bags we have seen, the leather appears to have a pink tint rather than the beautiful honey colour you would expect of a real Louis Vuitton bag.

Pictured below, you will see the bag on the left hosts a slightly pink tint compared to the bag on the right, which is a genuine Louis Vuitton bag.

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Above: The leather on the bag to the left is much lighter and more uniform in colour than the real bag (right)

Stamping and Lettering

The stamping and lettering on a Louis Vuitton bag host details that a counterfeit goods just can’t perfect. When we authenticate a Louis Vuitton, we look in detail at the lettering to ensure the following details are correct.

  • The lettering should be thin and crisp, the font in the example below is the standard font used on a real Louis Vuitton bag. Whereas some counterfeiters will use a slightly different font or align the lettering differently.
  • The bleeding of the gold tone is a clear giveaway of a fake Louis Vuitton bag. A messy finish is a cause for concern as ultimately, it doesn’t reflect the prestige of the craftsmanship at Louis Vuitton.
  • The age and type of each leather will determine the quality of the embossing. For example, grainier leather will cause differentiation and therefore, we can’t determine the authenticity of an item off its lettering/embossing alone.

Some examples of font and alignment differences are as follows:

  • The tail on the L should be short,
  • The “O” will look round not oval, some fake bags will have an “0” instead of an “O”, the “O” in a real bag will usually look larger than the “L”.
  • The T's should be almost touching and positioned extremely close together.
  • The stamp will read Louis Vuitton Paris but the “made in” may vary, the countries I mainly see are France, USA and Spain although occasionally some bags are stamped as being made in Italy and Germany.
  • A genuine iconic LV sign will consist of one stroke being bold and one being thin, the bold strokes will cross over to create the iconic symbol.
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Above: What genuine Louis Vuitton stamping and logos should look like

Hardware

Usually, the hardware of a fake Louis Vuitton bag is poor quality, with some even using plastic coating in a metallic finish so that it appears to be metal. Authentic Louis Vuitton hardware will be of high quality and will include branding on the majority of the items’ hardware. The branding guidelines from the lettering section above also apply to the hardware.


Padlock

It is common for people to lose the padlocks from their Louis Vuitton, so it doesn’t necessarily mean a Louis Vuitton bag is fake if a lock is not present. If a bag does have a lock, the quality of this is usually an obvious way to determine its authenticity.

The padlock will have the LV sign on one side with “LOUIS VUITTON PARIS”, as well as the location the bag was made on the other. A number will be printed on the bottom of the lock which will correspond to the keys.

It’s also important to consider the age of the bag and how this might impact the colour/condition of the hardware, in particular the padlock. It would be concerning to see a vintage Louis Vuitton bag hosting a pristine lock, whilst the bag itself looks worn.


Internal hardware

We always examine the internal hardware, as these elements are often overlooked by counterfeiters. With the interior rivets being in concealed areas, they will be a clear giveaway of an item's authenticity.

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Above: Examples of genuine Louis Vuitton zips, studs and locks

Coding

Since 1980, the majority of genuine Louis Vuitton bags have a date/location stamp located on the inside of the bag. The location for the stamp will usually be on a small tab inside an interior pocket, the inside where the handles attach, or underneath a small interior flap.

Some fake bags state “MADE IN FRANCE” but will have a USA location code or a date code that does not match the coding format for that era. The codes have varied throughout the years since the stamping process began but can be summarised as below:

  • Early 1980s

These codes consist of three or four numbers with the first two numbers representing the year and the last number(s) representing the month. For example, "822" would mean the bag was made in February, 1982.

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Above: An example of an early 1980's Louis Vuitton code.
  • Early to late 1980s
    These codes were developed to show the location where the bag was made by a two-letter code and three or four numbers. The first two numbers represent the year and the next number(s) represent the month. The code "8612RA" would indicate a manufacturing date of December 1986 and a factory location in France. In the early 1980s, the location code came after the number but in the late 1980s, the letters representing the location came before the three or four numbers representing the manufacturing date.

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Above: A Louis Vuitton code as used in the late 80's.
  • 1990 to 2006
    The codes during this period kept the letter and number format but the numbers were laid out slightly differently. The two letters representing the factory location were still followed by four numbers, but the first and third numbers represented the month, and the second and fourth numbers represented the year. For example, “CA1906” would indicate a bag made in Spain, in October 1996.

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Above: Louis Vuitton code as used from 1990 - 2006.
  • 2007 to 2021
    This format continued until 2021, but the code slightly changed its meaning. Two letters represent where the bag was manufactured followed by four numbers. But now the first and third numbers represent the week of the year, and the second and fourth numbers represent the year. A bag with a code of “SD4029” would be a bag manufactured in the USA in the 40th week of the year 2009.

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Above: Codes stamped into Louis Vuitton bags as used from 2007 onward.
  • 2021 onward
    Louis Vuitton continues to develop in-line with evolving technologies and has ceased the use of date codes. Instead, they’re utilising technological chips that will be placed within the bags to restrict the growing community of counterfeiters.




Country Codes

There can be several codes for one country, the location codes are:

  • France: A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS (Special Order Item), AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SD, SL, SN, SP, SR, TH, TR, VI, VX.
  • Germany: LP.
  • Italy: BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, SA, TD.
  • Spain CA, LO, LB, LM, LW.
  • USA: FC, FH, LA, OS, SD, FL.

Other points that give away the fakes are the quality of the lining, stitching as well as the quality of the canvas used. All bags that we stock are fully authenticated using the above methods and checked to ensure that even our most vintage bags are of the highest quality.

Louis Vuitton Authentication Service

If you have a Louis Vuitton bag that you're not sure is genuine, we can authenticate it for you. We assess, clean, and restore thousands of Louis Vuitton handbags each year, giving us great insight into spotting the real from the fake.

If you're looking to purchase an authentic Louis Vuitton handbag you can shop our online range or visit in-store. Or, if you have an LV bag that needs cleaning or restoring, take a look at our handbag cleaning and restoration services

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How To Spot Fake Louis Vuitton Monogram Bags (2024)

FAQs

How To Spot Fake Louis Vuitton Monogram Bags? ›

The serial number is usually located inside the product, such as the inside pocket of a handbag or the interior label of leather goods. While they are very common on some Louis Vuitton products, not all products will include serial numbers.

Where is the serial number on a Louis Vuitton monogram bag? ›

The serial number is usually located inside the product, such as the inside pocket of a handbag or the interior label of leather goods. While they are very common on some Louis Vuitton products, not all products will include serial numbers.

How do you authenticate a Louis Vuitton bag? ›

The Louis Vuitton stamp is a vital indicator of whether a bag is fake or not. Louis Vuitton bags do not come with any authenticity cards. So in order to tell if the bag is genuine, the manufacturer places a unique stamp with a place and date code on the inside of the bag.

Do all Louis Vuitton bags have upside down LV? ›

Yes, it is very common for Louis Vuitton items to have upside down LV logos because their leather goods are often made with one continuous piece of leather. Some handbag styles, like the Louis Vuitton Speedy, use one large piece of leather wrapped round the exterior, resulting in upside down LV logos.

How can you tell if a Louis Vuitton overnight bag is real? ›

Additionally, the stitching on the handles and straps of an authentic Louis Vuitton bag is precise and durable, with no loose threads or sloppy craftsmanship. On the contrary, counterfeit bags often exhibit uneven stitching and loose threads, which are clear signs of inauthenticity.

What if my Louis Vuitton bag has no date code? ›

At the same time, if your bag is missing a date code, don't panic; the absence of a date code does not necessarily mean that the bag is not authentic. As of March 1st, 2021, these have been removed, in favor of microchips embedded discreetly in your LV products.

What does the inside of a real Louis Vuitton bag look like? ›

Although Louis Vuitton often uses different linings for different collections, Monogram canvas bags are generally lined in brown cotton, and Damier Ebene Canvas bags are historically lined in red microfiber.

How do I know if my Louis Vuitton bag is in the store? ›

Our Check-in Store Availability feature provides visibility on the availability of select products in our stores. This feature can be found in product pages. Please note that due to frequent store inventory changes, an item's availability cannot be guaranteed.

Is it true that Louis Vuitton burns all their unsold bags? ›

Yes, Louis Vuitton does burn some of their unsold bags. This is a method that many luxury brands practice to prevent stock malpractices and theft. According to Fashion Coached, it is a way to maintain the exclusivity of the brand and prevent the bags from being sold in the secondary market at a discounted price.

Does the LV Monogram fade? ›

Prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause colors to fade, and this includes the colors used in the LV monogram. UV rays can break down pigments and materials used in the printing, causing them to lose their vibrancy. High temperatures can accelerate the breakdown of dyes and pigments in the material, leading to fading.

How do you tell if a Louis Vuitton on the go bag is real? ›

Most obvious is the color of the leather on the fake bag, which attempts to mimic the Louis Vuitton By the Pool collection; the color doesn't match the real deal. Another red flag is the stitching on the fake Onthego – it uses low-quality, overly shiny threads that don't meet LV's high standards.

Do all Louis Vuitton bags have date stamp? ›

Louis Vuitton Date Codes

A Louis Vuitton handbag with its date code embossed on a leather tab attached to the interior lining of the bag. With the exception of older models made before the 1980s, date codes can be found on all Louis Vuitton handbags and other accessories like sunglasses.

What is the date code on Louis Vuitton monogram? ›

Two letters followed by four numbers with the first two letters representing the factory location, the first and third numbers representing the month and the second and forth numbers representing the year. For example, “VI1025” would indicate a factory location in France and a manufacturing date of December, 2005.

How can you tell if a Louis Vuitton monogram bracelet is real? ›

One way to tell if your Louis Vuitton bracelet is real is to look for the date code. If the bracelet was made in the early 1980s or later, it will have a date code. Some bracelets also have a serial number that you can research, but not all have this number.

Where is the serial number on a bag? ›

The code will either be on a leather tab situated along the seam of an interior pocket or pressed into the lining if made of suede. For suede bags, the code can also be located along the seam inside of the interior pocket, however, it can be trickier to see if faded over time.

What do the symbols on the Louis Vuitton monogram mean? ›

Louis Vuitton's “LV” monogram has become synonymous with luxury, aspiration, and exclusivity, symbolizing power and affluence. Crafted by Georges Vuitton as a tribute to his father and to safeguard the brand's authenticity, the intertwined LV monogram and floral motifs have become a signature element of the brand.

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