tips to spot a fake hermes belt
7 Tips to Spot a Fake Hermés Belt
Hermés belts are a combination of high quality and excellent workmanship. With so many fakes flooding the market, is it possible to keep someone from fleecing you? Yes, by remembering the simple tips given below.
Did You Know?
Hermés holds the record for being the second-richest fashion brand in the world, after Louis Vuitton.
Hermés is a French fashion giant, which specializes in leather goods, luxury items, accessories, glassware, and ready-to-wear apparel. The company, which is more than 175 years old, took birth in the humble profession of designing saddles. Over the years, the organization slowly added other products to its kitty, all this while experiencing several ups and downs. Over the years it has shown that it is probably one brand which will not get affected by the rise of newer fashion brands.
Hermés products are endorsed by the best of the best of Hollywood celebrities, like Madonna, Elle MacPherson, Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, besides several others. Several of its products, like scarves and bags, achieved meteoric fame, beginning from the 1930s. These products have become signature style and status symbols. Some of their accessories are designed, both for men and women. Hermés watches and belts top this list. In fact, the belt is one of the most in-demand items designed for men. The belt with the iconic 'H' on its buckle is available in several types of material, including leather and exotic skins. When making such a valuable addition to your collection, it's a good idea to authenticate the genuineness of the belt before you buy it. Here is all the help you will need on how to spot a fake Hermés belt.
Fake Hermés Belt Vs. a Real One: Things to Look Out For
Check the Leather
- It should feel like it is high quality and supple.
- The smell should be that of leather and not like plastic.
- Hermés belts are double-sided, i.e., with different colors on each side.
- Look at the size displayed on the leather. True Hermés belts always display the sizes in centimeters. If you see the size mentioned in some other unit or style, it's probably a fake.
- The leather doesn't tear or come apart at the seams.
Check the Stitches
The stitching in these belts are really neat. They are well-done and not uneven or split. It short, they should be worthy of a Hermés label.
Combined Kit
Hermés belts generally come in a combined belt kit, with a single package containing the belt and the buckle together, though you are allowed to mix and match to select the combination of your choice. If you see a Hermés belt and buckle being sold separately, then it's probably a fake.
Check the Buckle
- The buckle should be shaped like an 'H' with a good design, premium-quality finishing, and no scratch marks.
- It should feel heavy and solid, and not hollow and light.
- The edges should not have metal bubbles or chips.
- Check the bottom of the buckle for the logo. If the logo is at the back of the buckle, then the belt is not authentic.
- See that the spelling is correct. Counterfeiters commonly use a wrong spelling which is just slightly different. The second 'e' in 'Hermés' should have an accent over it (é).
- The buckle will have "Made in France' written on the inside.
- Hermés buckles are always made using an expensive metal like pure gold or palladium. Gold belts are always plated with 24 carat gold.
- Check if the buckle closes properly.
- If the color of the buckle is different at the wear marks, then the belt is a counterfeit.
- The back of the buckle should be matte and not shiny.
Packaging
The packaging should consist of an orange box with the company's logo printed on it clearly, and a black ribbon tied on it, which again should bear the company's logo. More importantly, the packaging should have a pleasant and high-quality appearance. The inner surface of the box cover should not have anything printed on it.
Check the Invoice
- The yellow-colored logo in the middle should be pretty light.
- The invoice of a fake belt will have a dark middle logo and a different font.
- The invoice should have information of the store, the city, and the country it is being purchased in.
Company Outlet
A wise thing to do it to buy the accessory from an authorized company outlet. Nevertheless, in case you have already purchased a belt from somewhere else, you could always take it to a certified Hermés outlet and show it to the retail clerk there to verify its authenticity. Make sure you take the papers of purchase along too.
The bottom line is, if any part of the belt is found lacking in quality, you better move on to another one. The best way to ensure authenticity of these belts is to purchase them only from a certified Hermés outlets. These accessories give a classy look and are very durable, making them worth every penny of their high price, provided you get a real one.