Some time ago I vowed to myself (with hubby as my witness) that I will never buy an LC bag..why? Here are some of my reasons:
- too many are already carrying it
- it’s too expensive for a nylon bag
- it doesn’t look expensive enough
- there are too many fake LCs that if you carry an authentic one, some people might still think it’s fake
So there..
And because of recent LC commotion in an online garage sale I’m a member of, I suddenly got interested. I wasn’t able to ‘mine’ the 2nd hand LCs sold but it’s enough to catch my attention. So I looked for a reputable online store that sells authentic Longchamp bag. I searched for a simple Navy Le Pliage medium long-handle. I also made some reading on how to spot fake Longchamps and here they are:
The handle length should be proportional to it’s size. If it’s too short for a long handle type or too long for a short-handle, chances are it’s a fake.
Also notice the material. Fake LCs have shiny material and is not that thick compared to the original one.
The new logo has no line between the jockey and the snap.
The logo should be at almost perfect center.
The leather of the flap should have the signature diamond pattern and the grain is not embossed as deeply as the logo. The fake ones are like fish-scale-y
An authentic bag has a jockey logo embossed on both the leather AND the snap.
The button should say “Longchamp 1948″
The jockey logo is deeply engraved and detailed you can even see the hooves of the horse
The back of of the button should say “ORIGINAL PRYM 6/4B”
Longchamp uses YKK zipper
Longchamp Pliages have round logo zipper pulls, which can be gold or pewter depending on what shape the bag is. Real one is super detailed, and on the fake, the body of the jockey and the horse blend together
The logo on the pull should say Longchamp 1948. You should be able to distinguish the C and the G on authentic bags.
Original LC should have reinforced snaps
The word “Longchamp” is above the stitch
The wording is also deeply embossed and is easy to read.
The words “modele depose” has diacritical mark on the E or simply accent mark on top of the letter E.
Real Longchamps have rounded leather tab
Real longchamp uses high quality leather so the handle is stitched flat and no tubing inserted.
Fake bag leather looks hairy and the edges jagged. Real one is also raw but is smooth and clean. Notice also that the embossed jockey logo is still visible at the back of the flap.
Real one has a plastic tag sewn neatly to the side of the bag. Most of the Les Pliages are made in China, so please don’t be alarmed if your tag says “Made in China”.
Your LC should also come with a paperbag and care card. Mine has the option if you want to get the paperbag (I want the bag..not the paperbag..LOL)
Although these tips are for the Le Pliage, similar attributes can be also used to authenticate other Longchamp Collections. I dont claim to be an LC expert. I have gathered all these info from various websites and blogs.
I’m happy with my purchase..I think it’s authentic. And now I understand the LC craze..it’s your perfect everyday bag. This is my first LC… Will there be a bag no. 2..or 3?
We’ll see..
