Fancy Find: Givenchy Bag For Double Digits!

It is a particularly happy Thursday because today I am dishing all about my yummy, beautiful, wonderful new *to me* white GIVENCHY small crossbody that I just loooove (if you can't tell). I've been on the hunt for a small white designer crossbody for months, and if you follow me on social media you've already seen my latest wardrobe addition.

Banana Republic Wrap Skirt [new, $15] Banana Republic Nude Flats [new, $15] Givenchy White Crossbody [secondhand, $45] Gucci Clubmaster Sunglasses [new, $130]

Outfit Total: $205

I had been looking all over for a secondhand designer small white bag, but really didn't want to spend more than $50, which was definitely a challenge (champagne taste on a beer budget). I'm not sure what possessed me to check Mercari when I did, because I had just gotten in the car after a Goodwill thrifting trip but the powers above were guiding me to this bag :D It had recently been marked down to $45 and I couldn't believe it. After looking over the photos a few times and looking at the reviews of the seller I pulled the trigger in the parking lot and purchased it! With the money I had in my Mercari account from few sales here and there I actually only paid $5 out of pocket.

The nice thing about shopping through sites like Mercari or Poshmark is that if for whatever reason the item is not what was as described, you can return it for a full refund without having to pay for the return shipping. The seller guaranteed the authenticity of the bag but you can never be too careful. I intended to look it over thoroughly when I received it and if anything seemed off I would just open up a claim and send it back. 

Before I even got the bag, I did some searching to look for this particular bag and see if I could find others like it. With high end brands like Givenchy that have been around for so long, there are bound to be so many different types of bags they have produced. However if after searching around through a couple pages of Google images you can't find a bag that looks like yours, that is not a good sign. Luckily I found a few similar bags like this one, like one listed on eBay for $300!

Once I had the bag, the first thing I looked for is the inner tag with the serial number and "made in ..." info. The tag was made of a nice leather and all the information was embossed. 

Another key give away of a fake bag is cheap details and improper stitching. With bags like this that have such a high retail price, multiple inspections are done to ensure they are perfect before they are sent to stores. There should not be any uneven or crooked stitching. As well, any hardware should be heavy and not rubbing. This Givenchy bag had great stitching all around, the gold hardware was consistent and substantial, and the overall feel of the bag was heavy with great feeling pebbled leather. All signs of an authentic handbag!

Thanks so much for reading! I would love to hear about your own great secondhand bag finds or any tips for authentication below in the comments!