Along with their immense popularity, Louis Vuitton bags have a strong resale market, making authenticity a hot topic. Over the years, we've received thousands of questions about certification from our customers, so we designed this guide to answer the most common questions we hear.

Louis Vuitton bags have a variety of key authenticity indicators, including date code, material, and craftsmanship. Couture USA's certifiers are thoroughly trained to certify Louis Vuitton and many other brands. This guide is intended to provide a brief overview of each category. There are always exceptions to the authenticity guidelines, but here are some key things to look for when determining whether a Louis Vuitton bag is authentic:

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Modification of logos and embossing on exterior materials

Louis Vuitton currently has a wide selection of materials in hundreds of styles and color combinations. The most popular Louis Vuitton materials are Monogram Canvas, Damier Canvas, Epi Leather, and Monogram Vernis Leather. Here are some key points to keep in mind for each:

• The authentic Monogram canvas features symbols such as the interlocking LV initials, a four-pointed star, a sun, and a flower.

• Genuine Damier checked squares are uniform in size (approximately 0.65 inches each).

• Genuine Epi leather pieces typically feature a lightly embossed LV on one edge.

• Authentic Monogram Vernis items usually have a slight pearlescent sparkle.

By touching and examining these materials closely, you can quickly determine the authenticity of a bag before even considering other factors. Counterfeits tend to have greater variety in pattern arrangement, color, texture, weight, etc. The product photos on our website are a helpful resource in determining the authenticity of the ingredients.

Monogram canvas motif

There are many misconceptions surrounding monogram canvas. Many people believe that the LV logo is not cropped or even upside down, but this is not true. Speedy is a perfect example of an upside-down logo because it is made from one continuous material.

Typically the LV logo is not cropped, but there are exceptions. Ellipse, Croissant, Tulum and Tivoli bags are examples of bags that have logos cut out along the edges due to the way the bags are designed.

Vuitton places the monogram canvas motif on all four sides of the bag whenever possible. In most cases, the pattern is arranged horizontally, vertically or diagonally, depending on the style of the bag. Due to the manufacturing process, it is not uncommon to see minor differences in alignment along seams and zipper lines. However, you need to be able to count down the number of LVs to match the actual LV every time.

correct leather label stamp

A leather trademark stamp is a stamp bearing the ® trademark symbol. On genuine stamps (like the ones pictured below left), the round “O” letter is the first inspection point. The Vuitton “O” should be a perfect circle.

Counterfeit bags often have mismatched leather brand stamps. The counterfeit stamp on the right above uses a slightly different font than the genuine stamp on the left. The embossing on counterfeit stamps is inconsistent (especially the 'made in' area). But real stamps are clear and uniform. Counterfeit stamps often vary in depth, clarity, size, and location.

Brand stamps may vary slightly from year to year and from factory to factory. Also keep in mind that LV hardware stamping has a different appearance than leather stamping.

correct hardware stamp

For hardware, the LV logo and trademark stamp appear on zipper pulls, logo plaques and handle rings. The depth, size and clarity of the stamp are common check points when determining authenticity.

Correct Hardware Logo Stamp

Like the leather stamping mentioned above. correct leather label stamp In the section, genuine hardware must be clearly and uniformly stamped. In the counterfeit example, the top zipper pull features deeper embossing than the bottom zipper pull.

Correct Hardware Brand Stamp

The metal trademark stamp features a slightly rectangular shape rather than a round “O”. One example is the Inventeur nameplate pictured below. The machine markings on this authentic plaque are smooth, neatly finished and have no jagged edges. Counterfeit stamps typically have machine marks within the characters and are not smooth.

A quick note on Louis Vuitton hardware

There is a widespread belief that the finish on genuine Louis Vuitton hardware will not chip, peel, or wear away. This is not true, as most modern Vuitton hardware is made of plated metal. The lock is one of the few pieces of Vuitton hardware made from solid brass.

Well-applied glazing on leather handles and trim.

Glazing on the edges of genuine Louis Vuitton handles is always applied carefully and evenly. Counterfeit bags often have sloppy or uneven sheen. The glazing color of counterfeit Louis Vuitton products may also vary, but the glazing should not be bright red.

Appropriate Louis Vuitton interior materials

Louis Vuitton uses different inner lining materials depending on the style of the bag. The most popular ones are canvas, microfiber, cross grain leather and Vuittonite. One way to check for authenticity is to check if the lining matches the style of the bag. Consider that some styles of bags may have different linings depending on the outer material. For example, the Monogram Neverfull has a canvas lining, while the Epi Neverfull has a microfiber lining. A lining that does not match the exterior material and style of the bag is a red flag and means the bag requires further authenticity testing.

Louis Vuitton photos our website This is a great resource to help you decide which lining will suit your specific bag style.

Alcantara microfiber lining

The Alcantara microfiber, specially created for Vuitton, is thick and has a very luxurious feel. Because of its high quality, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish it from suede.

Counterfeit Alcantara microfiber linings typically feel much thinner than genuine microfiber. Many counterfeit microfiber materials have noticeably thinner piles and/or rough surfaces, such as the example above.

For counterfeit products that attempt to imitate microfiber, it is common to use low-quality pigskin suede lining. Low-quality suede is easily distinguished from microfiber by visible pores in the suede material (see above).

Well-stitched seams, zippers and trims

When evaluating genuine LV stitching, we look for appropriate stitch color, pattern, count, and alignment. Genuine Vuitton stitching may not always be perfect, but it is always well made.

In general, Louis Vuitton bags are highly consistent, but it is common for slight differences to appear depending on bag style or material. The counterfeit zipper above right has many noticeable defects, including cut leather, sloppy glass, and uneven stitching.

Louis Vuitton Date Code

The date code is one of the first key checking points in determining the authenticity of a bag. The date code consists of two letters and four numbers and indicates where and when the product was manufactured. However, vintage date codes vary slightly depending on the year.

*Date code fonts have varied over the years, but thin Sans-Serif fonts are the most common.

The characters in the date code are called the 'factory code'. This code is meant to match the 'made in' stamp on a separate piece of leather. When authenticating a Louis Vuitton product, matching the factory code letters to the country shown on the 'made in' stamp is a good first step in verifying your bag. For instructions on how to decipher Louis Vuitton date codes, check out our blog post A Quick Guide to Authentic Louis Vuitton Date Codes.

Do not confuse the date code with the model number. The model number is usually not stamped directly on the item, but rather printed on a separate small piece of paper. The model number refers to the style name of the product, not when and where it was made. Remember: Louis Vuitton products do not have model numbers printed on them. If you're curious, see our blog post How to Know the Difference Between Louis Vuitton Date Code and Model Number. There's more information.

Accurate certification requires knowledge and practice. The best way to ensure that you are purchasing authentic Louis Vuitton is to educate yourself and know what you are looking for. However, it is also important to remember that there will be slight differences in the materials and craftsmanship of the item over time. Comparing your Louis to others will also help you determine if it is real or fake. We've only mentioned a few ways to check your authenticity checklist, but there are still many other factors to consider and every bag is different.

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***Couture USA only authenticates items that you wish to sell or consign to us.

There are several companies that provide authentication services. Mypoupette, CarolDiva, and Authenticate4U are all reputable authentication companies that will be happy to review your items for a small fee. ***

(Updated March 2021)