I’m not entirely sure whether this belongs in GQ or here - mods, feel free to move it with my most humble apologies if I’ve chosen the wrong section.
Recently I went shopping at a market. (I’m a clothesaholic - quality secondhand garments are my way of coping) There was one stall in particular where I ended up blowing my budget on several brand-name clothes; Mossimo, Square, Maestro, etc. (They weren’t expensive - $8 AUD at most, and the quality and originality of the garments made me 100% sure that they were genuine)
In addition, I also found a Prada bag for $7 ($3.50 US). Initially, I thought it was a fake, which didn’t bother me since I bought the bag for its unique shape rather than the brand name. However, upon reviewing the other clothes that I bought from the stall, the more likely it seemed to be the real thing. So, if any fashion-minded Dopers have any suggestions, I’d love to know how to detect a real Prada (or any) bag from a fake one - is it something about the label, the stitching, the shape, that is a dead giveaway?
Any help would be very much appreciated! And of course, if you want to give me YHO about whether it’s likely my bag is real/fake, I’d love to hear it.
You sound like you got a great deal, whether what you got is a knock-off or not. But how awesome if you got the real thing. A true triumph. The shoppers know!
Here I sit with my Prada bag in front of me, so I will be able to examine it detail-by-detail. Here’s what you should look for in the genuine article:
[li]Double stitching along all of the seams.[/li][li]If you’re holding the bag and the inside zipper pocket is facing you; that is, not on the side closest to your body, the word “Prada” should appear on the lower right-hand side of the bag.[/li][li]The leather should be very resistant to spotting and scratches.[/li][li]The bag should be lined, and the lining very securely sewn in. No stringy things sticking off, or stitching inside along the perimeter of the lining unraveling.[/li]
Hey… a little off the subject, do you like Coach too? Coach bags are truly my absolute faves. Dooney and Bourke is okay (their Cabriolet bags are very nice for spring and summer), but Coach rules! But my all-time goal of handbags is a Louis Vuitton drawstring drum bag. Maybe this year…?
Okay, I’ve been wondering this for a while now. What’s so great about Prada & Coach (the real ones) handbags that people will pay hundreds or even thousands for just one? I mean, I got my fake Prada (Creaky, by your definition, it certainly is fake. I don’t see the word Prada in the lower right-hand corner. Is there somewhere else I should look on the nylon bag?) last year on Orchard Street in NY. Actually, ditz that I am, I saw it, liked the shape, and bought it and then later realized it had the Prada tag on it. Surprised the hell out of me. Paid $15 for it, and it’s one of the best bags I’ve ever had, and I’m rough on my bags. I’ve had it for a year, and this nylon/plastic tote will hold I don’t know how many pounds of books and whatever crap that invariably finds its way in there. (Now that I’ve written this, tomorrow it’ll probably fall apart.) I have a fake, and I love it, but I couldn’t see paying $500 bucks for a real one. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got notoriously expensive taste, but no money, and I’m not saying it’s wrong if people want to pay exorbitant prices for designer things. I just really want to know what’s the allure of Coach, Prada, and Louis Vuitton? Is there some design standard that they use that makes their stuff more expensive? I really don’t see the difference (besides the designer tags) between these bags and others that cost far less. Educate me, please.
I guess it’s just a snob thing, primarily. But also, the “real deal” is usually gonna last a lifetime. So I reckon you pay for those two things.
I know the snobbery angle sounds funny to a lot of probably more sensible folks, but I can tell you: never underestimate the power of snob appeal. That’s why so many Mercedeses, Rolexes, and other expensive stuff sells so well. A lot of people like to think they are wearing/using/driving the same clothes/handbags/cars that, say, a movie star or a princess might. I’m being totally honest here. That’s why I like that stuff, anyhow. Maybe it stems from low self-esteem. I was a nerdy, unpopular kid with weird parents. Or maybe I just like to show off.
From a pragmatic standpoint, I have Coach and other snob handbags that have been through hell and still look great, years later. One thing I personally hate is buying medium-to-cheap stuff and having it fall apart on me in under a year. I am notoriously hard on handbags, and I want 'em to last,last, last. Same goes for watches and shoes and stuff I need and use every day.
Conversely, I LOVE thrift shopping (Salvation Army, Amvets, etc.), and also buy a lot of really awesome stuff at Target and Walmart and KMart. What really matters in the end is that you buy and wear and use what makes you happy and what you can afford. I do NOT advocate someone getting himself into debt to keep up with his friends, or to assuage his ego, or whatever. I think that if a person can reasonably afford it, he should buy what he likes. Other than that, the wisest course of action is for a person to purchase the best stuff he can within his means. But that doesn’t mean a person can’t start a savings account and dream on!
Well, okay Creaky, but I used to work in retail, and I found out that a lot of upscale department stores mark up their merchandise 1000% so that when they put stuff on sale, people think they are getting a bargain, when in reality the store is still getting at least 100% profit for something that they didn’t pay that much for. I also found out that when a lot of merchandise is made in factories, they put the designer tags on some things, and those things get marked up a lot, while the rest that don’t have the designer tags on them, get marked a more moderate price. The merchandise is still basically made out of the same materials and made in a similar manner. I know I’m generalizing, this certainly wouldn’t apply for haute couture, and I don’t have a cite for what I’ve just said, but I believe this to be true. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Yeah, I’m sure that he mark-up on a lot of department store stuff is pretty steep. I know that the mark-up on jewlery averages around 500% for starters.
As far as the stuff being made in factories… Coach stuff is made in a factory, but a small one, and a lot of the work on the bags is still done by hand. I’ll try and dig out the little “care and feeding” pamphlet that comes with the bags if I can find it; it tells all about the “making of a Coach Bag” details. Same goes for Louis Vuitton. You can check out their websites if you want to know more. I mean, I’ve never visited these factories or anything, but they can’t be lying about everything… at least I hope they’re not! Regarding other pricey designer stuff being mass-produced, I know that it has to be… but that’s where that pesky ole snob thing comes in. Marketing and perception are powerful, powerful selling tools, and they work well on me, that’s for sure! People like to have that label. At least some people, I guess.
Yeah, I know all about that snob thing. I’m a bit of a snob on some things too. I love some designer clothes too, but that’s just because I’m difficult to fit, and I have expensive taste. Certainly if I had money to burn, and I saw something I liked, no matter if it has a designer label on it or not, I’d buy it.
I already have one. My mom got it for me when she went to New York. It’s cool. It’s hip. It also weighs about eighty pounds if you put a Kleenex in it. Plus it is about as pliable as a slab of concrete.
But yeah…it is the height of cool.
I have another great bag, too. But it’s from Walmart. And it doesn’t kill my shoulder either. You could hide a dead body in it and nobody’d notice if they picked it up.
I guess I’m not really into these things, y’reckon?
[sub]I really do have a Louis Vuitton drawstring bag, though!!![/sub]
SilkyThreat! That rocks. That totally rocks. Even if it is heavy, that is so cool. I am jealous!! Wahhhh!! Creaky wants one, too! I don’t care if the weight of darn bag turns me into the Hunchback Girl of the Eastern Seaboard. Suffer for fashion! Suffer for fashion!
I will admit to being in on the snob thing. I’ve always just bought whatever the hell was on sale at Target (or even more downscale) for my purses. But last year, Mr. Cranky offered to buy me a Coach bag and I decided to take him up on it. I’ve been a cheap clothes/cheap haircut/cheap shoes type of girl most of my life, and sometimes I feel like I am somehow less of a grownup for it. Okay, in reality I know it means I am only less of a consumer, but there you have it. When I got the Coach bag, I felt like I was got a free pass into a club of real grownups and I had a better chance of passing myself off as someone who knew what the hell she was doing. All the other women I knew had decent handbags, and I wanted the cachet.
It turns out my boss and my boss’s boss have the exact same handbag I chose, so I felt truly validated.
The other day I turned down a panhandler’s request for money, and he said “Hey, is that a Coach bag? It’s really nice!” I suppose it was his snide way of saying I ought to be able to afford to give him his quarter, but I take it as a sign I’ve really arrived, when even the homeless notice the make of my bag. Heh.
I’m still cheap and classless in every other way, FWIW.
Creaky does your wonderful advice apply for ALL Prada bags, or just the handbag? Some things, like the double stitching and the lining and the scratch resistance, I’ve noticed, but the others aren’t there. Are they specific to a type of Prada bag or not? The bag I have is substantially smaller; almost an evening bag. It’s a lunch-box type thing with a silver ball that holds the two ends together, and a short strap. (When the bag is on my shoulder, the lunch-box bit rests just underneath my armpit) I have to admit that I’ve never ever seen a Coach bag - but can definitely sympathise with your LV obsession.
And I know what you mean, celestina - why do you think I go to the market to buy all my designer outfits? Having said that, however, I have noticed that even secondhand “brand” clothing that I buy at the market tends to outlast their new “no-name” counterparts.
Silky, Good for you! I’m ashamed to admit that I have no clue what a Louis Vuitton drum bag looks like. I’ll have to remedy that ASAP. Thank you for giving me an excuse to go shopping. And I know what you mean about Walmart. It’s gotten so bad that I can’t go in that store or Target with any money in my purse! They’ve got such great stuff, and I’m so weak!
Cranky, you luckyduck. I wish I had someone to buy me expensive things. [sigh] I’m glad you’re enjoying your Coach bag, but be careful of panhandlers and others you meet on the street. They especially look for people with the expensive handbags, and sometimes they may want to acquire your handbag rather than a quarter, but I guess you know that. That’s pretty wild that the ladies at the office have the same Coaches as you. Make sure ya’ll don’t get them mixed up. And, yes, I do know what you mean about how designer clothes make you feel more grownup–I say this even though I know I’m never going to grow up. I don’t want to. Anyway, I got my first Jones New York suit last winter, and I when I put it on and had my fake Prada and my pumps by some other designer, I felt like ten million bucks rather than the usual five million I feel like when I’m walking around in my jeans and hiking boots or the million I feel like when I’m in a tee-shirt and sweats. There’s something about knowing you’re well dressed, and just about everything else is in place. It’s a great feeling.
I admit to being a Coach junkie. From my purse to my briefcase to my Palm Pilot case. As for why bother buying the read thing…simple: Quality. Coach makes a great product and they stand behind it. Frankly, I can’t be bothered with cheap crap that might turn out to be as good as the real thing.
Is it horribly practical? I think that depends on how much money you have to spend.
I have a Furla bag which I love, too. I don’t like things with huge labels on them - so I’m not a fan of Douney and Bourke (or however you spell that) with their HUGE ASS DUCK. I think that’s obnoxious.
I’m going to quit on this topic now because I have so many pet peeves about labels (who the FUCK thinks Tommy H is high fashion???) that I’m liable to offend many.
Not sure about the bag you described. I don’t own any Prada evening bags. I’m only telling you what I’ve noticed on the leather handbags. But here’s maybe what you could do. Go to your local nicer department store and check out the Prada bag like yours or something close to it in the Prada line. Then go home and make a comparison regarding details like where the name Prada appears (if at all on the evening bag), what the bag fastener or clip looks like, what the rivets or snaps look like, etc. Maybe you could get a general idea of what you’re looking for in the evening bag.
Hope that helps!
By the way, the bag you described sounds way cute.
Tiburon said:
“I don’t like things with huge labels on them - so I’m not a fan of Douney and Bourke (or however you spell that) with their HUGE ASS DUCK. I think that’s obnoxious.”
Oh, Tibs. You don’t want a big old duck on your bag? Whyever not?
[valleygirl mode on]
Well, like, you’re really going to hate, like, the latest fashion, like, trend. Like, I was reading in the paper today about, like, how graffiti is, like, going to be all the rage on shirts, jeans, and, like, just about everything.
[valleygirl mode off] No offence intended to any valley, like, people. I’m just having a little fun.
I wish I had that newspaper article describing this fashion trend. It’s a gem. They were saying something to the effect that people won’t be overwhelmed by and won’t feel compelled to read the words on clothes as words. They’ll just see the words as art and not ascribe any meaning to them. Well, I don’t know. If I see someone and they’ve got CHICKEN emblazoned on their jeans, I think I’m going to notice, and I’m going to wonder what in the hell is wrong with that person. But, hey, it’s a free country, and people can wear whatever they want to, so I shouldn’t complain, and I certainly don’t have time to be the fashion police, especially as ragged as I sometimes present myself to the public. But you know the more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to get a marker and start writing bad poetry or something on my jeans and test that article’s theory. Hmmm.
I’ve seen some fake Pradas and you can’t tell them from the real thing they’re so good. Even the wrapping paper, little labels, boxes, cards inside are like the real thing.
Only way you can tell are price and where you got it from (high end store or street).
Bad news. I’ve come to the conclusion, upon closer inspection of the bag, that it isn’t the genuine thing. The seams aren’t completely straight along the side of the bag, and I’m guessing that Prada would take a little more care when making their bags (especially considering how much they cost :eek: ).
I still think I’ve gotten a great deal though. I love the style of the bag, it’s made of leather, and unlike my other evening bags, is quite roomy inside. In addition, knowing it’s not real allows me to re-upholster the lining inside without guilt-tripping myself.
By the way, in case anybody is interested, I found this story very helpful and interesting in my quest for The Truth.
There was one stall in particular where I ended up blowing my budget on several brand-name clothes; Mossimo, Square, Maestro, etc. (They weren’t expensive - $8 AUD at most, and the quality and originality of the garments made me 100% sure that they were genuine)
I’ve come to the conclusion, upon closer inspection of the bag, that it isn’t the genuine thing. The seams aren’t completely straight along the side of the bag, and I’m guessing that Prada would take a little more care when making their bags (especially considering how much they cost :eek: ).