Genuine or fake? Some useful tips to recognize the fake versions of 4 famous brands
There are some manufacturing brands that are famous all over the world, coveted clothes and accessories that dominate the markets all over the globe. Many of these have become highly recognizable status symbols in every corner of the world. Jackets, polo shirts, shoes and more: sometimes it is the logo of a specific brand that makes them particularly attractive.
The origins of earning such a reputation, especially if established for some time, starts with a company that guarantees (or guaranteed) products of a certain quality, and those names so powerful in the marketplace, that they are coveted by many, - both by those who purchase these products and by those who want to make a profit by selling them. Here then, is the reason so many fake versions are popping up everywhere. So, how do we recognize a genuine article from a fake one? For some brands, there is some useful information available, and some of this is given below:
Ralph Lauren polo shirts
One of the most famous brands when it comes to polo shirts, or T-shirts with a collar which is fastened by two or more buttons, is the American Ralph Lauren brand - which is faked a lot.
Among the various distinctive things to check, the first is the logo embroidered on the front (which is usually at the height of the right breast). In genuine Ralph Lauren articles, the logo is embroidered in great detail, to form a clear, crisp image: ing the genuine article, you can easily distinguish the bridle on the horse's chest and all the features of the animal and the polo player.
Again, genuine Ralph Lauren garments use only mother-of-pearl buttons, sewn on with cross stitches.
The North Face
Among sports clothing, especially winter jackets, The North Face is one of the leading companies in the sector. It is easy to recognize fake jackets when the logo - even if crisp - is only a print and is not embroidered, as shown in the photo. In other cases, you have to look at the the logo as a whole: the letters and the design must be perfectly separated, all characters must be regular and the of the same dimensions (some not thicker or narrower than others, for example), and there must be no threads visible that are joining one letter to another.
Furthermore, the internal tags (i.e. those on the neck) of fake garments are often poorly done, or show the wrong sizes (often XL or larger). In the case of fake garments that have a logo which is nearly identical to the original, this video can help.
Tommy Hilfiger
Casual clothing is popular all around the world: Tommy Hilfiger has more affordable prices for casual clothes in the US and in other markets, it also has products which are affordable. However, Hilfiger has a great reputation and is faked a lot. So what do you need to pay attention to when shopping for Tommy Hilfiger products?
First of all, check the seams: they must always be neat and straight, and not very visible. No threads sticking out or poorly placed stitches. Again, check the integrity of the logo, which is blue at the top and bottom and white and red at the center.
Then pay attention to the internal tags, those on the neck: the originals are made of a soft fabric, pleasant to the touch and without any sharp edges that can be annoying when worn. And if the graphics of the logos do not appear clear and crisp, it is amost certainly a fake product.
Nike Air Force 1
Amongst the most popular shoes in the world there are some Nike models, such as the Air Force 1, which stand out. Just from the packaging you can determine many things, but even in this case, it will be the small details that will be definitive.
The seams on the heel, for example, must be symmetrical and without excess overlaps, nor be crooked or poorly spaced. The embossed elements of the rubber on the lower part of the heel also need to be equally symmetrical and crisp if the shoes are to be considered genuine.
The metal tags on the front are satin-finished in the genuine article, and bear a perfectly legible and crisp AF1 mark. Again, the insoles in fakes are often made using cheap-looking, synthetic materials. You should then be able to read, in the label of the shoe, information about the factory number, the country of origin and the size of the shoe - and this data must be consistent at every point.
With a little care you can avoid buying a fake item!
