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How to Tell if a Celine Bag is Real?
Celine is a big name in the fashion industry, known for luxurious products with simple designs crafted for the modern woman. The French fashion house was founded in 1945 in Italy, starting as a made-to-measure children's shoe store.
In 1960, the brand changed its concept, offering leather goods such as bags, clothes, gloves, and loafers.
The love for Celine bags won't go away anytime soon, and their popularity continues to rise.
Small Celine bags cost from $1,500 to $3,000, attracting many counterfeiters willing to earn quick money.
How to tell if a Celine bag is real using proven methods? This article shares everything you need to know!
Table of Contents
[ open ]Research Different Styles Online
Celine bags are available in different styles, each one having distinguishable characteristics. If you've spotted a cute bag and fallen in love with it, check if the specific style exists as an official Celine release.
Counterfeiters might not copy the exact aesthetic of a particular style, so be sure to compare the bag using photos from the official Celine website.
The Celine Triomphe bag features a classic design, a balanced combination of leather and textile. The signature features of this style are the gold logo clasp, gray fabric, and snakeskin trim.
It has a shoulder strap, so you can quickly transform it from an evening handbag into a day shoulder bag. If you notice any inconvenience with the signature feature, this could indicate a fake product.
The Celine Micro Luggage handbag has a streamlined structure and a clean silhouette, which brings a formal look. The style comes in different versions, including tri-color suede, leather, and felt.
The zipped outer pocket in the front and protruding sides are the key features of this model. When verifying an original bag, remember that this specific style doesn't come with a shoulder strap.
Celine's Nano Luggage bag features the same aesthetics as the Micro one, coming in a smaller size. The removable shoulder strap makes the bag ideal for any occasion.
As the name says, the Classic Celine bag has been a timeless style in the collection since 2011. The bag features a clean, minimalist look with a rectangular clasp in the front.
While these are part of the most popular bags released by Celine, there are many more styles. Compare your bag with the official releases to identify if the features match.
An excellent example of a fake is the Classic bag with a date code indicating it was made before 2011. Also, a Celine Micro luggage handbag that comes with a shoulder strap.
Keep an eye on all the details to reveal inconsistencies with the authentic style. Also, you would want to check if the color scheme is officially released with the particular bag model.
Celine launches new products seasonally, so check for any variations.
Check the Overall Look
Celine bags stand for high quality and craftsmanship, and you should be able to notice this at first glance. It should have a strong structure, feel heavy, and be smooth.
Celine bags made of leather should feel smooth and have a pleasant smell. The hardware has a polished and refined appearance without any chips or dents.
Next, you want to check if the color matches the official releases. The most common colors are black, tan, gray, beige, and pastels; some styles are available in a tri-color palette.
Celine bags come with a structured silhouette that holds very well, even if empty. A slouching bag that doesn't feel sturdy to the touch is a fake.
Look at the Stitching
How to tell if a Celine bag is real by examining the stitching? Celine focuses on providing the highest quality in every aspect of the product, so poor stitching quality instantly gives off a fake Celine bag.
When we compare closeups of the fake Celine bag vs the real one, we can notice a difference in the stitching quality. The original bag has neat and precise stitching that follows the edge, and the sitch size and spacing look uniform.
The individual stitches don't remain consistent in size in the fake Celine bag. In addition, we notice a gap between them, indicating questionable production practices.
The gap between the stitching and the edge is huge and does not match the authentic Celine bag. Overall, the stitching on the fake Celine bag looks sloppy. In other counterfeit models, you can also notice loose threads.
Analyze the Font
How to tell if a Celine bag is real by analyzing the logo font? The counterfeiters can't copy the exact font, so there will be inconsistencies in the fake logo.
In the original logo, we can notice that the letters are thin and stay consistent with the branded font. However, this isn't the case with the fake logo.
We can instantly spot a difference in the letter thickness. But the less obvious part is the difference in the font. You can notice this in the letter "A," which has a pointy top in the original and a flat top in the fake logo.
The color is another apparent difference that helps you tell a fake. The counterfeit logo comes with glistening golden letters with a prominent yellow undertone, whereas the color is more subtle in the original.
However, it is essential to note that the Celine logo changed over the years. The Celine logo had a French accent on the first "e" letter until September 2018, when it was removed.
To further authenticate your bag, check the date code and ensure the logo stays consistent with the changes.
Check the Zipper
How do you distinguish a fake Celine bag vs a real one with the zipper method? The quality and stitching are the main points of interest.
Celine ensures their products are long-lasting, using zippers made of precious metals. They feel weightier and won't have any dents or chips.
On the other hand, fake bags come with cheap metal-plated zippers. The zipper on the fake Celine bag has a yellowish color and looks overall flimsy.
If you have the authentic Celine bag in your hands, try to open and close the zipper. You likely have a fake if it doesn't zip and unzip smoothly. Also, poor-quality zippers have a distinct rust or chemical smell.
Next, we analyze the leather pull to pinpoint the differences between fake Celine bags vs real ones. The stitching authentication method is applicable in this case, where we examine the individual stitch size and thread quality.
In the original bag, the stitches are dense and neat, with thick thread that gives off a high-quality feel. On the contrary, they are larger and have gaps in the fake product. Also, you can notice how the stitching does not precisely follow the edge.
Feel the Leather
Celine bags are made of quality Italian leather, coming in a smooth, grained or quilted finish. There are several ways to distinguish genuine leather, including softness, texture, and smell.
Leather has a pleasant earthy smell, which can be felt in preloved and brand-new bags. The bag is fake if you can feel a strong plastic or chemical smell.
Even though Celine bags have a structured silhouette, you can still feel the softness of genuine leather. At the same time, fake leather feels rigid and stiff to the touch.
Another distinctive characteristic of genuine leather is the imperfect texture. Bags with grained leather have irregular patterns and creases, the natural beauty of leather. Synthetic leather has a uniform texture and strong artificial sheen.
Investigate the Label
Celine bags come with leather labels embossed with the date code. The leather label is elegantly sewn into the seam to keep their minimalist aesthetic.
Celine has a specific method of determining the date code. Unlike other brands, where this number indicates the bag style, Celine's alphanumeric code indicates the date and factor where the item was produced.
The letters indicate the factory location, while the numbers indicate the week and year of production. The serial number isn't unique for the item, and more than two Celine bags can have the same one.
Examine the Interior
The lining material depends on the style and year of production. For example, Celine Luggage bags produced before 2013 had microfiber lining before switching to suede. Some styles can also have a textile lining.
Bags with a smooth leather finish usually come with smooth suede interior lining. On the other hand, grained texture bags come with micro-suede.
The overall quality of the interior should align with Celene's highest quality standards. Irregular seams and loose threads indicate a fake bag.
The leather label containing the serial number is stacked on the interior seam and executed perfectly. The branded tag with the Celine logo can be found attached to the internal pocket seam, and the letter should be consistent with the brand's font.
Know the Real Prices
The size, style, materials, and popularity define the authentic Celine bag price. If you want to get your hands on an original piece, the price starts at $1,500 and climbs to $5,000.
Knowing the high retail price of Celine bags, low offers indicate counterfeit products. The famous Celine Luggage Micro price ranges from $1,200 to $1,800 for pre-owned handbags. Any offer that sounds too good to be true is a red flag.
How to Avoid Buying a Fake Celine Bag Online?
Purchasing an authentic Celine bag from the official website is the safest option. However, you might be after a pre-owned or older bag style. In such cases, you are left to sell websites and online marketplaces.
Look for reputable stores that have been operating for years and have reviews. Also, a strong social media presence indicates that the online store is trustworthy.
Buying from individual sellers on online marketplaces requires a few extra steps. First, you need to analyze the seller's reputation. Take a look at their rating and reviews from other customers to get a better understanding of their practices.
Always go for reputable sellers with a proven record of selling genuine goods. Also, you can ask the seller to provide proof of authenticity. The authenticity card, original receipt, and dust bag are great starting points.
However, you would want to be careful since the authenticity documentation can also be counterfeited. Compare with the original and look for inconsistencies in the letter font, size, and logo.
Next, you want to look better at the photos provided online. A genuine seller should provide enough closeups so you can assess the authenticity of the Celine bag.
An honest seller knows what they're selling and won't think twice to provide additional photos. Pay attention to the details and compare them with pictures of authentic Celine bags to identify any inconsistencies that could indicate the product is fake.
If they fail to provide additional photos after you request them, this should raise concerns. Also, low-quality photos and images taken from the official Celine catalog are a red flag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Celine bags have a serial number?
Authentic Celine bags don't have serial numbers but do have a date code. Even Though code and serial number are used interchangeably, they aren't the same.
Every Celine bag has an alphanumeric code that indicates the date and location of production. That means that more than one bag can have the same date code. On the other hand, a serial number refers to the style and is unique.
Does Celine use YKK zippers?
Celine used YKK zippers on certain bag styles in 2010 and 2011. Therefore, bags produced at that time will have a branded Celine logo on the back of the zipper. Other bags don't have branding, so the back of the zipper is clear.
How do I find my Celine serial number?
The date code of the authentic Celine bags can be found embossed on a leather tab, which is sewn on the seam near the rear pocket. The letters in the code indicate the factory location and the numbers represent the week and year of production.
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