Here at Lollipuff, we love authenticating! How good are you at locating the ugly fakes from the gorgeous designer items? Find out how good you are at telling the difference between fake and authentic. 🙂

We put the fake version right next to the authentic version. The fakes that we chose are what we consider "regular fakes." They are neither fakes that are really convincing, nor are they very obvious. Generally, these are the fakes that are most common on eBay and other peer to peer sale sites.

Chanel double flap bag:

One Shoulder Ombre Herve Leger dress:

Red Christian Louboutin High Heels with Platform:

Ready for the answers?

Authentics are- left Chanel, left Herve, and right Louboutin.

I look around on eBay and other marketplaces all the time. It's interesting to observe the fake to authentic ratio from site to site. Though there are many fakes on eBay, they actually perform very well compared to other similar sites. Anyway, here are two appalling listings that took my breath away.

This particular style is a personal favorite. The ombre off-shoulder dress from Fall 2008 is absolutely divine! So, when I saw this dress on eBay, I had to check it out. Looks good at first, right? Feedback is plentiful with 100% positive!

Let's take a closer look. What really prompted me to do this article is that the dress doesn't even look remotely like the authentic. It is one of the worst fakes I've ever laid eyes on! Why would people pay $220 for the dress in that picture?!? Sometimes, fakes are difficult to discern for non-authenticators, but this dress is obviously fake to any untrained eye. Observe the stark color contrast and width from band to band.

Next up is a sad, sad story. If any of you are bidding or contemplating on this piece, please stay away. With still a whole day left (and, we all know that the most aggressive bidding occurs during the last few moments of an eBay auction), this Chanel bag is already at a whopping $2900. Too bad it's a horrible counterfeit!

Notice how the description states that this bag is an original Chanel, and that money will be refunded if it's not? If only they intended to keep on that promise! It does take a special kind of person to be ok with selling a fake item for hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

Hope you enjoyed the article and found it useful. Take care, and stay tuned. We plan to release some mini authentication guides out soon for you all. 🙂

Many people resort to buying counterfeits because of the high price of authentic designer items. But, there are several reasons why you shouldn’t. Other than ethical reasons, I’m here to show you some of the physical differences of authentic vs. fake. Also, authentic items can be bought secondhand at great discounts!

By the way, I don’t judge people who buy fakes. I can see why people do it, but I’m here to show you just how different a fake is compared to the authentic!

Chanel:

The counterfeit is on the left side. The authentic is on the right. Almost all counterfeit bags are not even made of real leather. To people who are familiar with Chanel, a fake is usually very apparent, particularly when the item is in person.

Fakes exhibit a lot of shortcuts including bad stitching, poor materials, and lack of attention to details.

Fakes aren’t always cheap either! The fake Chanel on the left still had over 5 days of bidding left on eBay when I took the pictures. At that time, it had 31 bids and was already $810!!! HORRIBLE!

Secondhand Chanel can be had at HUGE discounts. Think $1300 instead of $4400… or $700 instead of $2200!

A fake Chanel bag can be so poorly made, that you’re better off just buying a different brand. Here’s our pick for a cheaper alternative if you can’t bear to buy Chanel:

Rebecca Minkoff Affair bag  Rebecca Minkoff bags are not nearly as high quality as the top notch Chanel, but it most DEFINITELY is better in both look and quality than a counterfeit Chanel.

Herve Leger:

Herve Leger can be quite difficult to authenticate to the untrained eye as most Herve Leger is made mostly of a thick stretchy fabric. Dresses with embellishments such as beading and sequins are usually quite easy to authenticate, because once again counterfeiters really do cut corners. They use the cheapest materials and processes possible.

Fake Herve Leger fit really poorly compared to real Herve Leger even though a heavy thick fabric is usually used. They tend to lack the same type of elasticity that a real one has. The sewing oftentimes can be mis-aligned causing the dress to wrinkle, and little thought to proportions is given, lending to a poor fit. To people familiar with authentic Herve Leger, a fake is very apparent particularly in person. In just the the way that it lays against the body, it is drastically different.

eBay sellers that repeatedly sell counterfeit Herve Leger source these counterfeits for as low as $10 and usually sell them for $150 on eBay! Horrible and unethical! Don’t let them trick you out of your money!!

Real Herve Leger is meticulously made. Everything is always lined up perfectly. The fabric has a perfect balance of stiffness and elasticity to provide the ultimate body flattering fit! The detailing and workmanship is drastically better!

There’s really NO reason to buy a fake Herve Leger because of price. A fake typically costs the same as an authentic! Pre-owned Herve Leger can be as low as $75. Save up!

Christian Louboutin:

Once again, I’ve provided pictures of a fake (left) and an authentic (right) to show the extremely apparent quality differences. In person, these are even more obvious! Fakes oftentimes are made of cheap faux leather and plastic soles!

Finally,  authentic items usually have great resale prices. Whereas, counterfeits are illegal to sell.