How to Spot an Authentic Michael Kors Purse
Trying to tell whether that beautiful handbag you spotted is actually an authentic Michael Kors purse? The value of global trade of counterfeit goods is off the charts and it’s no surprise why.
There is no popular designer bag that hasn’t been replicated using cheap materials and passed off as the real thing to unknowing customers. It’s now the norm!
Michael Kors is a mid-level luxury brand that sells popular designer handbags through its own stores and third-party, authorized sellers.
There are hundreds of different styles of Michael Kors handbags to choose from. So, it’s important to know all the different ways you can avoid purchasing a bag that’s completely fake.
This guide will not only help you to tell whether your Michael Kors purse is authentic, but will help you spot the fake ones too.
The tips laid out in this article cover different aspects of the authentication process. These include assessing common features of the bag for quality and analyzing the finer details that are more difficult to spot.
Key takeaways
- Buy your MK bag from an authorized retailer. It’s very easy for product photos to be copied and pasted on the internet.
- Style Numbers: Cross-check the bag’s style number and look for a manufacture date tag, which is found on the inside of the bag.
- Logo: Check that the logo is not stuck on with glue.
- Inside lining & pockets: Check the bag has the correct layout and high-quality lining.
- Hardware: Should feel solid with polished finish and have the Michael Kors logo on smaller pieces.
- Stitching: Should be neat and uniform. On the inside you should see an inverted triangle at the end, showing high-quality finishing.
- Leather & materials: For leather bags check for refined texture, depth of color and authentic leather smell. For monogram canvas bags, check for correct spacing, color and logo size. Ensure that the logo on the canvas panels align well and are not crooked.
- Straps & handles: Check that bag handles and straps are symmetrical and the leather is not wrinkling.
- Zippers: All zips should align perfectly and run smoothly. They should not warp or jam easily.
- Research the design and inside layout of your desired bag well so you will spot the differences easily.
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Authorized Michael Kors bag retailers
The best way to tell if a Michael Kors purse is real, is to find out where it was bought. If you haven’t yet purchased the bag, shopping on Michael Kors’ online store, physical boutiques or authorized retailers is the best way to know that you are getting the real deal.
However, you can often see MK bags sold at non luxury stores like TJ Maxx and Amazon. This means it’s important to be aware of who is an authorized seller and who is not.
The fact of the matter is that, it is much easier to tell if a Michael Kors bag is fake or real when you can see it in person, or side by side with a fake one to compare. However, this is not always possible, as nowadays, most of us shop online.
1. Find out if the seller is an authorized retailer
Whether you’re trying to find a bargain on a new Michael Kors bag online or a pre-loved one, the market has been flooded with fake MK bags. Product images are not a good source of trustworthiness because they can be easily stolen from other places on the internet.
Some fake Michael Kors bags are sold online intentionally as cheaper alternatives like the “Micky Ken” example below for $20. Other fakes are made to look convincing and as close to the real thing as possible.
These bags are called “replica bags” and they are usually sold for around $50-$70, including shipping. They’re made with the cheapest materials possible to make the most profit they can.
If you cannot inspect the bag closely, it is strongly recommended to purchase your Michael Kors bag from the official Kors website or authorized retailers only.
Michael Kors has an Outlet section on the website store where you can find certain styles at lower prices. They also have a Pre-loved section, where you can purchase second-hand items that have been inspected.
Other good places to by real Michael Kors bags include online retailers that specialize in luxury fashion. Big online stores like Farfetch or Net a Porter stock a lot of MK products.
You can also buy authentic Michael Kors purses at reputable department stores like Dillards, Saks 5th Avenue or Harrods. They usually sell MK products both online and in store so you can choose which one if more convenient for you.
By shopping for your Kors pieces at a trustworthy store, you will have peace of mind that your bag is authentic. Your consumer rights will also be protected so if you are not satisfied with the bag you bought, you can return it under their return policy.
Spot the finer details of authentic MK handbags
Let’s look at some of the small things you should pay attention to tell the difference between a fake bags and a genuine Michael Kors.
2. Handbag serial numbers
Michael Kors handbags don’t have a serial number but they do have a style number that is printed on the inside tag. While these tags have changed over the years, you should be able to find it sewn into the left or right seam of the inside lining or slip pockets.
On the tag you will find the country where it was made and a long string of digits that you can cross check. Type the full style number into Google and hit search. The search results should immediately show you the model of the bag you are inspecting.
In the list of results, you should be able to find an exact match for the style number displayed on the product page of well known stores and authorized retailers.
Another detail you can check is whether the manufacture date is printed on a tag. All genuine Michael Kors bags should have a four digit manufacture code that indicates when the bag was made.
The first two digits correspond to the year it was manufactured. The last two digits indicate the month of the year it was produced.
This is a level of detail that counterfeiters are not interested in reproducing, as most people don’t know about it or where to look for it. If you have the chance to inspect your bag closely, it’s a great way to check for its authenticity.
It’s important to note that both of these codes are not serial numbers. Michael Kors bags don’t have serial numbers that are unique to each bag. That’s why it’s important to use other authentication methods alongside the style number check and the manufacture date check.
3. Logo
Logos often appear in multiple places on a real Michael Kors bag. The most common place is on the center of the front of the bag between the handles or straps.
There are multiple different versions of the logo that are used on different styles of bag. Sometimes you will see the full name of the designer and other times you will see the brand initials.
In all cases, the logo hardware should be high-quality and be well-secured . Some logos will be secured with stitching and others are secured from the inside of the bag with metal plaque to hold it in place. A fake bag will have logos with a large font and are stuck straight to the bag.
Look for the logo in other places as well, including on the strap buckles, zippers, and handle hardware. A logo embossed leather tag will usually be visible on the inside of most new Michael Kors bags that reads “MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS”.
Check for multiple logos around the bag. A real Michael Kors bag will have multiple logos both on the inside and on the outside of the bag. It’s a reliable way to quickly check a bags authenticity and how much effort it took to make it.
4. Inside lining & pockets
Counterfeiters only care about replicating the outside of the bag, as that is what convinces most people that it’s real. The inside of the bag is where they make the least effort. Check inside the bag for mistakes that are easy to spot.
This include using low-quality material for the lining with the wrong logos. Sometimes you will even see floral prints or animal prints that you will never find on a genuine Michael Kors. Another common mistake is the wrong number of organizational pockets.
The lining of most MK bags is stitched into the structure, along the side or the bottom corner to prevent it from being fully pulled out. If you are able to pull the lining completely outside of the top of the bag, this is a good indication that it is fake.
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Quality of real Michael Kors bags vs a fake bag
It’s important to note that fakes are getting smarter and more realistic every year. Therefore, it’s also important to be able to identify a high-quality bag from a cheap one. Assess the quality of your desired bag on all of the criteria below as well to avoid getting scammed.
5. Hardware
The hardware of your bag should feel solid and have a good weight to it. Check if your bag should have angular edges on the zipper.
All hardware should be beautifully polished including the zip, strap buckles, chains and decorative details. Generally, all MK hardware is very shiny and well polished with precision cut edges high definition.
They should have a bright, shiny and clean cut finish with no flaking or cracks.
6. Stitching
Stitching is one of the hardest things for replicators to copy because it takes a lot of effort and precision to get it right. Fake Michael Kors handbags will have uneven stitches or larger perforations that don’t look tidy.
The most common stitch you’ll see on Michael Kors bags is called the “Saddle Stitch”. In leather making this stitch is used to stick two pieces of leather together but also for decoration as it’s a very clean looking stitch that’s meant to be straight and uniform.
The saddle stitch, simply put, is where you stitch the thread into the front and the back of the piece into the same hole to create a consistent dashed line on both sides without any gaps.
Another good indication of whether an MK bag is real is to analyze the point where the saddle stitching ends, particularly on the inside of the bag, as shown below.
If you see a neat inverted triangle to secure the stitch work, it’s a sign that the bag was made to a high standard. Fake bags are rarely produced with this level of care and attention to detail.
7. Leather & materials
Michael Kors uses a variety of different materials in his designs. It’s important to know which material your bag is primarily made of, so you can assess if it’s real or not.
Michael Kors bags are usually made of materials like saffiano and pebbled leather, coated canvas for his well-loved monogram bags, and a faux leather blend for his vegan-friendly bags.
Saffiano
Saffiano leather has a distinct cross-hatch texture that feels waxy when you touch it. It creates a finish that is resistant to water, scratches and stains, which makes it a great material for handbags. The texture of real saffiano leather will be compact and refined looking, with a rich color.
Coated canvas
The very popular MK monogram bags are made with coated canvas (fabric that is coated with a thick layer of PVC). There is not much you can do to check the authenticity of coated canvas apart from inspecting the monogram itself.
Cross-check the spacing as well as the size of the monogram with a real bag if possible. If you don’t have a real version to compare then look for poorly aligned monograms along the seams of the bag.
Monogram bags will also have a very distinct color combination that will help to make it easy to identify a fake one.
Pebbled leather
Pebbled leather is another type of texture that’s commonly used on MK bags. It’s more difficult to spot fake pebbled leather from images alone because it can be reproduced easily.
The best ways to tell if it’s real pebbled leather is the feel of it, which should be soft and supple; and also the smell. Real leather has a distinctive leather smell that cannot be faked by inauthentic materials.
8. Straps
If your bag has straps or top handles, try to see whether they are symmetrical. Close them together and they should meet perfectly in the middle from the side profile as well as the front of the bag.
All chain hardware on the straps, whether it is gold or silver, should feel solid in your hand and have a good weight to it. The metal should be highly polished with no chipping or flaking either.
Check that handles made from leather are smooth and with a good structure to them. Wrinkled leather straps with a poor shape are a clear sign of a poor quality bag.
9. Zipper
Fake zippers often have chunky zipper threads that don’t align perfectly and get stuck very easily in the sides of the bag or the other threads.
If you have the opportunity to hold the bag in front of you, be sure to run all the zips forward and back to determine if they run smoothly. If they jam easily or the threads do not slot together side by side, then this is a sign of low quality.
Another thing to look out for on bags with a full width zipper is warping. It takes a lot of care to measure a zip up perfectly with the different panels of the bag.
It needs to be sewn onto the bag with care so that the leather doesn’t get pulled in an uneven manner. If you see a wobbly zip, avoid at all costs!
10. Research the bag you want
Finally, it’s important to spend some time to get to know the bag you want in more detail. Try to find details or images about the inside of the bag and how it is laid out. Find out what material is used and what features it has.
Search for reviews on YouTube or other blogs and read the reviews on the Michael Kors website. These can be found on each of the product pages and will help you to understand what kind of quality and features you should expect.
This will go a long way in helping you spot a fake. This is because most counterfeiters only focus on the outside appearance of the bag to make it look as real as possible. They do not pay the same amount of attention to detail or effort to the inside layout of the bag.
You won’t be able to find out all the finer details about the bag from product photos alone but having a general idea of what to expect is a simple and effective way to not get scammed.
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Summary
We hope this article has given you lots of ideas about how to accurately tell the difference between a real high-quality Michael Kors bag from a convincing fake one.
Remember that researching the bag you want to buy well and purchasing it from an authorized dealer is the best way to ensure that you’re buying the real deal.
In all other cases, you should carefully assess the bags hardware stitching, leather, monogram alignment, straps, style number and the manufacture date on the tag.
Be aware of the different types of leather that Michael Kors uses in his designs and their characteristics. If you analyse these things carefully, there is no way a fake Michael Kors bag will get past you!
