I remember when I bought myself a Guess Sling Bag. I had been eyeing it for some time and I finally decided to get it. Little did I know I would have to become an expert in spotting fakes.
I was so excited when my bag arrived. I opened the parcel and the first thing I noticed was how vibrant colors of blue and turquoise with Guess’ signature writing across the front. I felt like I had struck gold.
Several weeks after I started using my bag, I noticed some people around me wearing similar Guess bags. I was taken aback because the bags looked almost identical. I was starting to question whether mine was an original or fake.
I started comparing the material, stitching, hardware, lining, and dimensions of the bag. Everything on the fake bag was either of inferior quality or was wrong in some way. I found out that the original bags use a thick stitching and the brass hardware was smooth and polished while the fake ones had thin stitching and were rough.
I thought I had an eye for detail but I knew I had to develop more knowledge so I turned to online resources. I read articles, watched video reviews and looked up pictures of original and fake bags. Eventually I became familiar with all the identifying marks of an original bag and I got better at spotting the fakes.
Next I started to look for online stores that sold original Guess bags. The real ones usually came with a certificate and hologram to prove authenticity. I was surprised at how much information I found and how companies have evolved to beat the counterfeits.
These days when I buy a bag to add to my collection, I make sure that I spot the fakes before I make the purchase. I’m not a pro and I know if I am not careful I might end up with a fake.