I was so excited to spot this iconic Comme Des Garcon heart while going through a tight rack at Goodwill for $6.50!  It was my first time thrifting a Comme Des Garcons Play piece (the line with the hearts - I've thrifted other Comme Des Garcons pieces before) and I had no idea what to look for in terms of authenticating it. There are a lot of fakes out there! Unfortunately this item had all the interior tags cut out so it is really difficult to authenticate, but it got me searching for what to look for with these pieces for the next time I find one (hopefully!) Keep scrolling to see the best info I found on authenticating Comme Des Garcons Play.

(here are photos of the item I found - let me know if you think it is authentic or not!)

Like most higher end items, consistent and even stitching is a dead giveaway of a fake vs authentic item. For a Comme Des Garcons heart, two key places to look for stitching will be both on the inside and outside of the clothing item. For the exterior, you will want to look around the edges of the heart. There should be really even stitching around the edges with no loose threading or chunky sections. On the inside of the item, the stitching attaching the heart to the item should be thin but even around the border of the heart. If it is very bright and thick, it is not authentic.

The first thing to look for when inspecting the heart eyes is to make sure the eyes are of an identical size and shape. When looking at the pupils, you want to make sure they are not perfectly round. The top of the pupil should be touching the top of the eye and the bottom of the pupil should have additional stitching that comes down out of the pupil into the whites. 

When looking at the top of the heart where the two points come together in the middle, you. want to see that the connection is shallow and does not come in too much at a sharp point. Both sides of the heart should be symmetrical . 

The brand tag will be matte and rectangular, not shiny. The "P" in Play should be over the "O" in "Comme" and the "Y" in Play should be over the "O" in Garcon. 

The interior tag along the inside seam will be shinier and of a different material than the brand tag. The item should be made in Japan, and should include a code that designates the season and year the item was made. Some fakes can have this so make sure to check the item you have was made during the season/year designated on the interior tag.

Do you have any other tips for authenticating Comme Des Garcon? Let me know down below!

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!

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. 

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

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.

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. 

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. 

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!

I was so excited to find this Chanel top at the thrift store last month. My first time thrifting Chanel! I've refrained from listing it yet because making sure you sell authenticate items is super important as a reseller. Being accused of selling fake items is not something I take likely, plus can kill your reputation and maybe even get your account suspended. I've shared some of the most helpful tips I've come across to help you authenticate your own Chanel clothing below:

As far as I have seen and read, Chanel only makes their products in France, Italy, and Spain. It will be easy to spot a fake if an item has a country origin that is not one of these, and especially if it's China. In my experience, Chanel clothing is made in France or Italy while some of their shoes are made in Spain. This top was made in France.

Most Chanel brand tags have either a white tag with black lettering, or a black tag with white lettering. Depending on the age of the garment the tag could look different. There will be a hang tag from the brand tag that will tell you the season of the item. Unfortunately on this item it has been washed out, but on other Chanel item you will find the season, size, and style of the item. This is quite a large tag and could be uncomfortable to wear, so don't be concerned right away if it is not attached. Another giveaway of a counterfeit item is the writing on tags being crooked or words being misspelled. All writing should be consistently straight and placed within the edges of the item. 

Another thing to note is that while a lot of designers have something like an interior hologram  to show authenticity, Chanel items do not. 

Chanel clothing is made of very high quality, natural materials, like silk, linen, and cotton. If an item feels flimsy and cheaply made it's not Chanel. This top is 100% cotton.

Uneven and inconsistent stitching will not pass Chanel quality control. I like to especially look at stitching ends and edges to check to make sure the stitching does not go back over it self, which is a clear sign of sloppy stitching. 

Counterfeit designer clothing items often have sticky residue or glue on the hems.  The fabric was glued together before being sewn to be easier and save time. 

Chanel clothing starts in the hundreds of dollars. If the item feels cheap and you can't imagine someone paying that price for the quality, it's probably fake. Have any other tips for authenticating Chanel clothing? Let me know down below!