How To Authenticate A Louis Vuitton Monogram Wallet

In honor of my husband rocking my birthday gift this year with a pre-loved Louis Vuitton wallet, I thought I would share some knowledge I've come across over time for authenticating LV wallets. Keep scrolling for some authentication tips!

Leather Quality

Designer goods are made of high quality materials, and many LV wallets are made of leather. If the wallet is made of leather, the material should feel sturdy and not slippery. It should not smell like plastic. When you bend the wallet (gently!) it shouldn't wrinkle up but keep its shape. 

Stamped Date Code

Since the 80s Louis Vuitton has included a stamped date code on their products that indicates the factory location as well as the date it was created. Mine was inside a slot up near the stitching. LV products can be produced in a number of countries, including France, USA, Spain, and Italy.  It is not a unique serial number and its possible it has rubbed off over time so just because your item doesn't have one doesn't mean its fake. However, its good to check if you can find it as well as  see that the factory matches with the country of production. (IE your product says made in France but the code has an Italian factory) I found a really comprehensive list of factory codes you can check out -  HERE

Stitching

Like pretty much all designer items, stitching should be straight and consistent. There should be no raw edges. One way to check stitching is to look for stitching ends. If the stitching back tracks over itself that is usually a sign of low quality stitching.

Embossed Stamp

When inspecting the "Louis Vuitton made in ..." stamp, check whether the stamping is consistent. A common give away of a counterfeit is that the stamp was not weighted evenly so some ink areas may be more thick than others. Authentic LV items will have an evenly weighted stamp. 

Also, on the "made in" stamp, make sure the O's are round like a circle, not like a "0". As well, the trademark R in the circle should not be touching the circle it is in anywhere. 

Monogram

If you have the traditional monogram pattern, it will be made up of the LV symbol along with a few other shapes. Spend some time to compare the same shapes against each other to make sure they are perfectly the same. You will see in counterfeit items that the same shapes will come in different shapes or show inconsistencies. 

MYTH - Cut Off Monogram

One thing I had always thought to be true about LV monogram items is that they will never cut over an LV or other shape of the pattern. Turns out that is not true! Many products purchased directly from LV have shown that products can in fact be cut through the pattern. So this doesn't necessarily mean an item is fake!

If you are also looking for a secondhand LV wallet, I have rounded up some pieces from Vestiaire Collective below. Rest assured, they  are authenticating through the site so you can have a lot of confidence they are authentic!