How To Identify Fake Designer Fashion Items From the Real Ones

Have you ever found a designer bag at a great price, but couldn't tell if it was just a good deal or a possible knockoff? As the market for designer bags has grown, so has the market for knockoffs. Style Caster reports, in 2012, the U.S. seized counterfeit goods worth around $1.26 billion, and there was no shortage of fake designer handbags in that haul. Counterfeiters are getting increasingly savvy, and telling the difference between a fake and the real deal isn't always easy.

According to The Huffington Post, fakes are harder and harder to differentiate from the real ones as production houses who produce the real ones are starting to "knock off" the very work that they do for expensive luxury labels. The best way to recognize fakes is to look at the details. Here are 5 details to look for when distinguishing a fake from the real thing:

Stitching- The stitching on fakes usually looks sloppy. Lines are not clean, the threads are not trimmed, and often times the seams are not sewn straight.

Logos- The brand's logos are often cut off, and not aligned at the seams of fakes. Aligning those logos is time consuming, and is a real sign of expert craftsmanship. Some logos may even be printed incorrectly! Check for misspellings in the designer or brand name.

Quality- The quality of the fabric or leather will be compromised in fakes. Leather items should smell like leather, so if you smell glue, rubber, or chemicals, you likely have a fake on your hands. Remember, if it claims to be made from leather then it should have a soft but dry feel to it. Fake leather will feel sticky and oily.

Price- As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. If a bag normally retails for $2,500 and is being offered to you for $250, that's a dead giveaway. Keep in mind that if you're looking for a majorly discounted handbag, you're likely going to have to buy something that's secondhand, with a lot of wear and tear.

The extras- Real bags and shoes always come with dust bags, the box, even ID cards for certain designers. Cheap imitations will not have these, and if they do, even the dust bags will have a cheap feel to them.