Let’s compare a fake vs. an authentic Chanel Jacket side by side—exact same jacket, purchased from two different online sources, authenticated by Real Authentication, days apart.
The Backstory -The Fake Chanel Jacket
I purchased this Chanel 2018 Spring jacket from an eBay seller in the year 2021. The seller had great feedback, and the collection was over 3 years old at that time. I had no reason to think it was a counterfeit. Since I received the jacket promptly, I didn’t have anything to complain.
I wore the jacket and loved it and told whoever asked about it that it was a Chanel because I believed it to be Chanel.
Several years went by, and in 2023, I got an opportunity to buy the black and white version of the same jacket. It was on my list, and I loved how the blue one fit and had a perfect drape. When I received my authentic Chanel, it was apparent that my blue one was fake.
BTW here is a detailed blog post about buying Chanel on eBay.
Round 2 – Authentic Chanel Jacket
I got super lucky, and the same jacket popped up on The Real Real. It was a final sale, so the price was right. It was in great condition, although it did have a missing button. I was fine with that. So I pulled the trigger!
As soon as the real one showed up, it was obvious that I was conned by the eBay seller two years ago. The authentication service settled the score. It was past two years, so I was out of luck. No selling platform and no credit card could have helped me get my money back. Oh well! Lesson learned.
High-Quality Fake vs. Authentic
What I realized is that my original Chanel was a pretty decent-quality dupe. It was not your typical junky knockoff. Let’s look at the differences between the two. In my opinion, they are so subtle that they are only obvious when compared side-by-side.
Feel, Texture, And Color of The Tweed
- The tweed on the fake one is very, very similar to the tweed on the real one.
- . The tweed on the fake jacket is softer. The real jacket tweed feels a little rougher.
- The blue of the tweed of the fake jacket is darker, whereas the real one is brighter.
- The color of the fake and the real one is very, very similar.
- It’s pretty hard to notice if you are looking at them individually.
Sizing Differences
- The fake jacket (left) is size 36, and the real one is 38 (right), yet the fake one is much bigger.
- The fake one is two sizes larger when you account for the marked size.
- Because Chanel jackets can be taken out in 2 sizes, it’s easy to ignore the sizing being off.
- Yet, another subtle, hard-to-catch difference.
Lining Color and Micro CC Fabric Differences
- The lining on the fake Chanel matches the darker tint of the tweed pretty well.
- The real Chanel lining is brighter, more royal blue.
- The micro CC and other embossings are more pronounced on the fake one & subtle on the real one.
- The differences are subtle and only apparent in side-by-side comparisons.
Differences In The Buttons And Chain
- The real jacket buttons have brighter blue edges to match the brighter tweed and lining.
- The tweed, lining, and buttons are darker and match well.
- The chain looks slightly lower quality than the counterfeit one. Not bad, though.
- It is impossible to detect these differences unless they are side by side.
The Tag, The Tag, The Tag
It ultimately comes down to one thing and one thing only. The differences in the size, quality, and font of the tag on the fake vs. authentic Chanel.
- Authentic Chanel’s tag is consistent with the brand’s size.
- The authentic Chanel tag has an accurate font thickness.
- The fake Chanel jacket’s tag is only attached on two sides vs. three sides for the authentic one.
Quality of The Stitching In Fake vs. Authentic
You can see in the picture below that the stitching quality of the fake Chanel is very poor. The fabric doesn’t lay flat; it’s bunched up, and the stitches are much larger.
Final Thoughts
If you are an expert who is used to looking at many, many Chanel jackets and have a trained eye, the differences in the tag and stitching quality are glaring. Those two alone would disqualify the fake one instantly. For most people-
- It’s really, really hard to see the difference between the fake and the real Chanel for a non-expert.
- Just because a jacket is from an older collection doesn’t mean it’s immune to being counterfeit.
- Older Chanel jackets go for such high prices that the incentive to copy is always there.
- Always get your purchase authenticated the minute you receive it!
