How to authenticate Strathberry bags
Luxury handbag knockoffs have come a long way and can look really realistic if you don’t look carefully. To authenticate Strathberry bags, you need to know what to look for.
Counterfeit handbags are getting harder and harder to spot and unfortunately more and more common. It used to be a lot easier to authenticate Strathberry handbags when they were less well known.
Nowadays, however popular bags and purses from Strathberry are a target for those who are looking to make easy money because they know that they’re sought after for their high quality and timeless design.
Key feature to spot and authentic Strathberry bag
With products priced from $135 to $1,000 some people wonder what makes Strathberry so expensive and others wonder how a luxury brand can be so cheap.
With the help of our article, you’ll learn how to identify the signature details and key features of an authentic Strathberry bag so that you’ll only be buying genuine bags that are actually worth your money and will last for years to come.
Replica bags are getting extremely clever and hard to detect. This means to authenticate Strathberry bags, you need to closely inspect the shape and structure of the bag, the quality of the material and metal hardware, the stitch work, and watch out for spelling mistakes in the logo.
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Good shape and structure
If you are familiar with Strathberry bags, then you already know how much effort the brand puts into the craftsmanship. Most of the Strathberry crossbody and tote bags have a structured, sturdy shape.
Even the most high-quality luxury fake handbags fail to retain their shape overtime because they do not have the same level of careful construction.
Check quality of the material the bag is made from
This is where things can get tricky if you’re planning to authenticate Strathberry bags that you want to purchase online because you don’t get to actually touch and feel the quality of the leather to be sure it’s not plastic or imitation leather.
When you can see the bag in person you should also be able to smell the distinct smell of leather that is difficult to replicate. If there is a strong smell of plastic or adhesives, you should stay away.
Leather generally ages well, so even if you’re buying secondhand you should expect the leather to be intact and not be peeling away. If the bag has prints or color blocks, make sure that they line up uniformly, even at the seams.
Look at hardware
It should only take one close look to differentiate fake locks, plates, zipper pulls, buttons, and clasps.
That is because they are the hardest to visually replicate, given that they are often the most functional parts of the bags and usually are the quickest parts of the bag to show wear and tear.
That’s why they have to be made with jewelry-grade hardware, so if your bag’s hardware is flaking or feels too lightweight, be a bit more cautious.
Stitch work
Strathberry bags are made by hand but the stitch work should be very uniform and neat. If you see irregularities or sloppy stitch work that is jagged, loose or coming apart, it’s a sure sign that you’re dealing with a fake.
It is worth noting that counterfeiters do know how to copy the a particular bag’s stitch work, but not as well as the original artisans.
Logo
One of the most obvious luxury handbag authentication methods is the brand’s name and branding on the bag.
Every luxury brand has a strict set of rules for typography and color palette to showcase their distinctive names on leather, embellishments, and metal plates and Strathberry is no different.
Replicas, on the other hand, often have the name written in different fonts with different spacing, smudgy letters, and typography that doesn’t have the same style traits.
Surprisingly, you can even see the logo completely misspelt. Not to forget, the Strathberry logo is usually engraved or embossed in a particular orientation. Even a slight difference would mean that the products are not authentic.
Flimsy packaging
Hopefully, it won’t be too late, but another tell tale sign of a fake Strathberry bag is flimsy and careless packaging.
All authentic Strathberry bags should come in a dedicated and sturdy box packaging with the brand name printed or embossed on the outside.
Huge difference in price
Being a status symbol, luxury handbags cost large amounts of money. Even the pre-owned luxury handbags are sold at high prices, so if you come across a Strathberry bag that has a price that’s too good to be true compared to the retail price, then it could be a fake item.
Unrealistic price tags are immediate giveaways and can be a great help for you to authenticate Strathberry bags.
Strathberry Serial Number
Strathberry bags do not come with documentation but they do have product serial numbers to guarantee its authenticity and that you can cross check with the brand itself.
They’re usually found printed onto a leather tag on the inside of the bag. If there’s a number present, don’t take it as a clear signal that it’s authentic.
You should actually go and check the number with Strathberry who should be able to help you out.
What is the best way to buy authentic Strathberry bags
It’s important to ensure that you’re purchasing authentic Strathberry bags, given that the brand’s success has attracted copycats and replica factories to produce fake Strathberry bags that try to imitate the brand’s designs.
It’s an unfortunate consequence of the brand’s soaring popularity, which happened in just two years of the brand relaunching in 2015.
However the best way to ensure your Strathberry product is authentic is by purchasing it through their own website www.strathberry.com.
They also work with a select number of authorised retail partners and advise their customers who prefer to buy their bags in store to contact their email address (info@strathberry.com) to find a verified retail partner near you. Here is a quick list of some of their retail partners.
- China: Lane Crawford, Shoplinq, Luxemporium, Galeries Lafayette
- UK: John Lewis & Partners, Fenwick, Fortnum & Masons, Gleneagles Hotel, Peter Jones & Partners
- USA: Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom
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Final Thoughts
Personally, if I’m not buying from a brand’s website, I like to use multi-brand shopping websites that specialise in luxury goods like Farfetch, Mytheresa or Net-a-Porter.
But sometimes that’s not always possible so it’s important to make sure that the website you buy from at least has a postal address and secure payment methods like paypal.
I hope this article helped you to understand more about how to authenticate Strathberry bags and make sure that you don’t get caught out by unauthorised sellers.
Have you ever bought a luxury handbag only to find out later that it was actually completely fake? It happens more often than you think! And that’s why it’s important to talk about it more openly so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
