How To Authenticate A Kate Spade Handbag Material World Blog

1. Start with the label. There are two basic types of labels: embossed and fabric. Embossed and stamped labels are simple. They will appear on leather bags, and leather bags will never have a fabric label on them. They generally appear on the front top of a purse and the lettering appears in the same font and size as the fabric labels. Fabric labels get a bit more complicated. The best way to identify the fakes from the real thing, though, is through the method of attachment and the lettering. All Kate Spade bag fabric labels are attached through stitching. That means they are actually stitched onto the bag, not that the label has stitching on it. Many counterfeiters put a fake stitching around the label on then glue it on. Pull on it and if it pulls up, it's a fake. Bags have specific lettering on the labels. This means that the name "Kate Spade" appears as "kate spade," with even spacing and clean lines. The labels will say "New York" in all uppercase under her name, or her name will appear alone. There are other very specific labels for Kate Spade, but they are for individual collections. If you are unsure about a label, confirm it with the Kate Spade website.

2. Pay attention to the shape and size of the letters on the label. Go to the Kate Spade website to view authentic labels and compare the font on the suspected fake. If the letters vary in any way, your suspicions are justified. Kate Spade only uses one style of lettering on all of her purses.

3. Be suspicious of color block purses, bags with two small front pockets and backpacks. While Kate Spade did design bags like these, they were all produced over a decade ago and are hard to find. Most often, bags with these attributes are fakes.

4. Look out for large metal feet on the bottom of Kate Spade purses. Big, pointy metal studs or ones wider than the size of a dime are signs that you're not looking at a real Kate Spade purse.  For bags that come with feet (not all do), the feet are small and unobtrusive. They aren't pyramid or cone shaped. If you have a bag with large feet on it, chances are you have a fake.

5. Question any Kate Spade purse that looks like another designer's work. Purses that seem similar to ones made by Dior, Burberry, Coach and other high end designers yet have a Kate Spade label are definite fakes. Kate Spade has a very distinct style and never copies her competitor's lines.

6. Rule out purses with a single large black stripe on top, sunflower prints, toile, camouflage, tie-dye or prints with the faces of celebrities. These are very popular fakes-and not at all similar to any authentic Kate Spade designs.

7. Examine the zipper and snaps. If they look to be of poor quality or show any signs of tarnish or rust, the bag is a fake.
8. Examine the shape of the purses available and what collection they claim to be from. Many counterfeiters will get the print right, but then produce their bags with a shape from a different collection. Check out Kate Spade's line to make sure your bag fits both the shape and print.
9. Look for an authenticator. There is one commonly referenced online, called "I Hate Counterfeit Bags Info." Check your bag against the website creator's specifications or contact her to authenticate your bag.

More info for the Kate Spade labels  from ihatecounterfeitbags.info

Kate Spade Authentic Labels

Much confusion surrounds the issue of Kate Spade labels. Sometimes examining the label is the only way you can tell (at least from a picture) whether a KS bag is authentic or not. With that in mind, here is a primer on the labels that Kate Spade uses, as well as labels that you will commonly see on counterfeits. Basic Fabric Bag Labels:

First, there is your basic "Kate Spade New York" label. Most of the fabric bags will have this label on it. Memorize the stitching, font, size and spacing of these letters.

Many bags from the older (1994-1996) collections have a similar label, but the label itself is larger and the lettering is larger.

Nylon items (and other items made in China) from 2002 on have a slightly smaller label with letters that are closer together.

Since 2002, many fabric bags have also been made with leather labels sewn only on the sides, with an embossed solid letter logo. This is from a fall, 2002 Pony Halley bag:

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Leather Bag Labels

With regard to leather bags, it is very difficult to determine authenticity from the label alone. In general, the labels on leather bags will either be embossed:

Or gold-stamped:

The logo might also be stamped or embossed on the strap, as was the case with this hair-calf leopard bag from fall, 2001:

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Specialty Labels There are so many specialty labels, it is practically impossible to get them all here. Here are the most common specialty labels you will see on authentic Kate Spade bags:

A ribbon label from a straw bag, date unknown:

From the Kate Spade for Lilly Pulitzer collection, circa 1996:

"kate spade" labels from evening bags, 1998-1999:

Evening Bag embroidery:

From the 1999 Kate Spade Texas denim collection:

A leather label on a linen bag, circa 1999:

From a canvas bag, circa 2000 (stitched with white thread):

From the 2000 Spazzolato leather collection:

Metal label from the Summer, 2001 Palm Beach Linen collection:

Green lettering from the 2001 Park Stripe collection:

Gold-stamped label, from the spring 2001 printemps silk collection:

Fabric label from small collection of silk faille accessories, summer 2001:

Birdseye Goldstamp, from fall 2001:

Metal tag from nylon/leather collection, circa 2002-2003:

From the 2003 Maira Kalman for Kate Spade bags:

From the Kate Spade Decade Noel collection, summer/fall 2003:

From the Kate Spade Haagen Daas totes, summer/fall 2003:

From fall, 2003 canvas accessories, made to match:

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Country of Origin Labels Now, let's talk about country of origin labels. In case you didn't read the FAQ page, please note that not EVERY Kate Spade bag has a country of origin label. Many of the bags produced in the earliest collections, up until 1996, had no country of origin label. I have *4* older bags with no country of origin label, including my Kate Spade for Lilly Pulitzer.

That said, any bag made after 1996 should have a country of origin label. Sometimes they are very hard to find. For example, they are often hidden in the interior pocket of a bag, sewn onto the seam. You have to pull the pocket lining all the way out in order to find them.

Many bags, from 1996 – 2002, were made in the USA. If your bag was made in the USA, the tag MUST look like this:

See the pictures below, under "counterfeit labels" for pictures of fake made in USA tags.

All of Kate's leather, suede, and hair calf bags were made in Italy. Many other collections were made in Italy as well, such as the Italian nylon and some other faille and silk collections. Here are examples of Made in Italy labels. Unlike the Made in USA flag tag, there really aren't any rules when it comes to the made in Italy tags. I will say this. In all of my years of doing this, I have seen *one* fake with a made in Italy label. Just one.

For a couple of years, 1997 – 1999 I believe, some of Kate's nylon line was produced in Taiwan. The interior label will be something like this:

Here's another Made in Taiwan label, from a 1997 canvas bucket bag:

Prior to 2002, only some of the nylon bags and nylon accessories were made in China. Until 2002, the China label simply looked like the little made in Taiwan label or like this:

Now it is big and looks like this:

You will also see the large made in China label in leather on some bags. Here's one with gold-stamp lettering:

Here's one without gold-stamp lettering:

Many straw and wicker bags are made in the Phillipines. Shown here are the pre-2002 and post-2002 Phillipines labels:

Although Kate Spade does not normally manufacture in the Dominican Republic, a few collections have been made there:

~*New for 2004! Kate Spade bags are now made in Indonesia. The new interior labels just say "Kate Spade New York" on them, and then there's a teeny "Made in Indonesia" tag sewn in the seam, just like the old Taiwan and China labels. Here are the interior tags on my 2004 pink nylon messenger bag:

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Fake Kate Spade Labels

All of these labels are fake. They all have some problems; some serious, some not so serious. Sometimes you have to look very carefully to be able to tell why a label is fake!

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It is easy to tell why this one is fake. Look at that capital P!

This tag is made to look like Kate's inside Made in USA flag tag, but it's from a FAKE!

Another fake Made in USA label:

And another one:

And another one:

This is a fake metal tag. The counterfeiters are getting a lot better at this, folks. Don't assume that just because the label isn't ugly and glued on that the bag is authentic. This is from a fake!

This too!

On this fake label, the S and P are much too close together (authentic label also shown for comparison):

On this fake label, the letters are shaped completely wrong:

Here, the S and P are squished together, and the lettering is not centered:

This is just SAD (from a bag that the seller tried to sell as AUTHENTIC):

On these label, in addition to the font being wrong, you can see all this excess fabric to the sides of where it is stitched on:

One fake label sewn over another??????

Ever heard of the up and coming designers Kade Spade, Kute Spade and Kade Spate?

From another supposedly authentic bag, this is a "good fake," spaced well, but the letters are a little shaky looking and thin. Examine the bag you want CLOSELY!

See how the A's on this label are at an odd diagonal? This is a typical counterfeit label font (also check that squished spacing!)

More fake labels with capital letters:

Be sure to check the seller's label against the authentic one before you bid on a fishy looking bag!

source: http://ihatecounterfeitbags.info/ & ehow.com

How To Authenticate A Kate Spade Handbag Material World Blog

Source: https://droolworthy.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/how-to-spot-a-fake-kate-spade-bag/

Posted by: wilsonexte1947.blogspot.com

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