Today I will talk about how to spot a fake Chanel Classic Maxi in lambskin leather.
Compare it to authentic Chanel bags. If possible, compare the bag to photos of authentic Chanel bags online or in person. Pay attention to details such as the shape, size, and placement of the quilting, the size and shape of the CC logo, and the overall quality of the bag. If the bag appears significantly different from authentic Chanel bags, it’s likely a fake.
When I bought this bag in 2010 the Price was $3700, but this year in 2023 the Price of the Chanel Maxi went up to $11700.
Let’s talk about the details you need to focus on while spotting a fake Chanel Maxi bag.
1. The OVERALL LOOK
•THE LEATHER
Chanel uses high-quality leather that is smooth and consistent in texture. If the leather on the bag appears grainy, plastic-like, or uneven, it’s likely a fake. Lambskin leather is known for its buttery-soft texture. Lightweight: Due to its thin and delicate nature, lambskin leather is one of the lightest types of leather available. Durability: Lambskin leather is durable. It can withstand normal wear and tear and can last for many years with proper care. As you can see in the photos below after so many years my bag is still in a good condition.
The smell of real leather is different from the plastic smell of a replica.
•THE SHAPE
Take an overall look at the shape of the Chanel bags! The flap on the fake Chanel bag is more rounded and smaller than the original Chanel Maxi. Taking a closer look at the CC logo lock, you can see that the CC in the original Chanel bag is closer to the end of the bag, whereas in the fake one, the distance is bigger and the double C is more in the middle. The CC on the fake Chanel has worn-out gold, (the gold has turned to silver over time), but in the original one continues to look shiny and the gold still looks perfect! The leather on the original bag is lambskin and looks more authentic, and full. You can see that the leather on the fake Chanel has a more shiny, plastic finish to it.
To be an expert in spotting a fake Chanel bag you need to know how the Real Chanel looks on all sides. This is my Chanel Classic Maxi bag in Lambskin leather after I took it to the Chanel spa. Look it carefully so you will easily spot the fake once you see it.
•SIDES
The original Maxi has been used for a long time, and even though the color of the bag is faded, still the stitching and details remain in perfect condition. The sides create a wrinkle on the authentic Maxi, the sides on the fake Maxi are straight and have not created wrinkles.
Let’s take a look at the rings where the chains pass through. The rings on the original one are closer, but on the fake Chanel are far from each other. The chains look aligned with the quilting and in harmony with the overall look of the bag, everything is placed perfectly. The fake chains and rings look like they are misplaced and out of touch. You can also notice how the bag looks on the second photo, more triangular, whereas the fake comes more rounded.
There are a few things we notice when we compare the bottoms of the bags.
The first is the difference in the width, which is bigger in the authentic bag. The stitching is the biggest red flag. The stitching on the real one is regular, and no loose threads. The fake has loose and different sizes of threads. The original has two straight lines contouring the bottom of the bag and the fake does not have that.
Overall the bottom looks very regular with the stitching and the size of the quilting in the authentic Chanel.
•BACK POCKET
While comparing the two outer pockets, you can notice a difference in size and shape. The quilting disrupts in the fake bag, whereas in authentic Chanel the quilting continues in a straight line without disturbing the overall harmony of the bag.
2. STITCHING
Authentic Chanel bags are made with high-quality stitching that is even and straight. If the stitching on the bag appears uneven, loose, or frayed, it’s likely a fake. Each side of a quilted diamond is called a panel. There should be between nine and eleven individual stitches per panel. Count the stitches. In the authentic Chanel Maxi bag, there are supposed to be 11 stitches on one side of the quilting, whereas in the fake one, there are sometimes 8 or 9, which is an indicator that the bag is fake. All the stitches are delicate, flat, and well done in the original. You can spot the difference on the fake one because the stitching is not elegant, looks very cheap, and is not qualitative. You can take a closer look at the photo I have uploaded of the stitching in the authentic bag later on in this article.
A very crucial difference between a fake and an original Chanel is the quilting pattern. The way the quilting pattern is aligned when the flaps are closed should be perfect and not interrupted. The quilting pattern in the fake one is far from perfect, disrupts, and does not follow a straight line. You can also spot that the original quilting is more full and thicker, whereas in the fake is flat!
•The Small stitching in the back
I wanted to show you every detail of the bag so this is another part you should be careful to study because these are the small details that sometimes are undervalued by counterfeiters.
3. HARDWARE and Chanel Stamp
The right C of the CC Logo should always overlap the left C at the top, and the left C should always overlap the right C at the bottom> This is a detail that our replica has right.
Chanel uses high-quality hardware that is heavy and made from solid metal. The CC logo on the hardware should be centered and clear, without any visible glue or unevenness. If the hardware feels light or flimsy, or if the logo appears blurry or off-center, the bag may be a fake. The first difference you can spot is the size of the CC logo lock. The shape of the leather where the CC is located is completely different between the two bags. In The authentic Maxi bag the leather has a wider and more rounded shape, and in the fake is thinner with straight lines on the side. Even after using the bag for more than 10 years, the gold remains in perfect condition and very beautiful, in the fake Chanel Maxi the gold looks more silver-ish.
The hardware located on the inside has an engraved Chanel logo. The font, overall symmetry, and distance between letters are perfect. The gold has a light yellow undertone with a matte finish. The fake lock’s backplate has stamped logo, irregular font, and the gold has orange and yellow undertones with a shiny finish.
The screw on our old authentic Chanel Maxi are crosses and the fake one has straight-line screws.
Let’s take a look at the inside part of the double flap. The closure of Chanel double flap bag has a gold button to close the flap and this is a detail that changes in both bags. Look at the differences in the color, size, gold quality, and engravement inside. The other thing we notice in the inner part of the flap is the CC-stitched logo. The stitching in the authentic Maxi bag is perfect and almost unseen, whereas, in the fake bag, the stitching is irregular, ugly, and looks really cheap. The brand Stamp logo of Chanel in the real Chanel bag is gold like the color of the hardware of the bag. In the Fake bag, the Chanel stamp is engraved when it should be gold and stamped, or if the hardware is silver the stamp should be silver. Make sure to remember what the real stamp looks like so when you face a different fake you will immediately notice it.
•The Real Hardware
This is a photo of every metal piece in the bag. I wanted to show the details of the real Chanel classic bag so you are ready to spot every fake you will face in the future.
4. AUTHENTICITY CARDS and SERIAL NUMBER
Authentic Chanel bags come with a card of authenticity and a serial number. If the bag doesn’t come with these items or the card and serial number appear fake or do not match, it’s likely a fake. This is the serial number of our authentic Chanel Maxi bag because the fake one didn’t have any serial number or authenticity code.
• The Card
Both of the bags had authenticity cards, a matching code, and the same text. The difference is in the gold outline. The original has a thin and beautiful gold color, and the fake one has a thick and very shiny gold color. The Chanel stamp reflects back on the original, and the fake one has a simple imprinted grey stamp. The code of the authenticity card matches the code inside the bag.
The font is very different as well, the original has elegant writing, and the fake one a very bold looking.
•CHAIN
If we compare the chains in the photo below, the differences we notice between the real and the fake chain are in the quality and color of the gold and the quality of the leather inside the chain, and the size of the linked parts of the chain that are bigger and wider in the authentic bag.
• Chain Ring, Chain placement(the rings where the chains pass)
In the fake Chanel bag, the chains are sewn and not stitched, the leather looks cheaper, and the metal is rusted. You can tell that the hardware used on the chains in the fake Chanel Maxi is not real gold but cheap metal. The ring where the chains pass through is smaller in the fake one and bulkier. The authentic rings are flatter, and the chains are made with gold and that’s why it remains so perfect after many years. Also, the rings are placed in different places when you compare the bags. Take a look at the photo below.
• Real Chanel Classic Maxi Chain
As I showed you the real bag details before, here is the chain in the real Chanel bag.
5. THE INSIDE
If we look inside the bag the first thing we notice is the color of the inside leather that in the fake is red and in the authentic bag is more like a cherry color. The pocket size is different and the pocket where you can put the lipstick is smaller in the fake bag. The quality of the leather and the lining is perfect in the authentic Chanel Maxi bag. The bottom of the inside in the real bag looks perfect even though many years have passed, has a perfect lining, and does not have loose ends, whereas the fake looks cheap and ugly on the inside.
6. Zipper
The zipper of the secret pocket inside the flap where the supposed Love letters of Chanel were hidden is perfect in the authentic bag, whereas it has irregular stitching in the fake one. The head of the zipper in the authentic bag has a piece of leather in this end but the fake one doesn’t have it. Take a look at the photo below for a better understanding.
• Open flap, CC Logo inside
I explained the differences in all the details in this article, but to be more detailed I will show you more differences in the photos below. Look at the shape and size of the flap, the placement of the rings of the chains from the inside, the plates, hardware, and the lock of the CC logo. Take another look at the stitched CC logo on the inside of the double flap. What else do you see? Make sure to comment at the end of this article on everything you think.
• The Flap inside
7. DUSTBAG
These are two types of dust bags of authentic Chanel Classic bags. Before the dust bag used to be black and now the Chanel dust bag is white. To demonstrate I will show you the photo below.
8. SIZE
Make sure to compare the size of the Chanel bag you are going to analyze before purchasing it. The size of the Chanel Maxi bag is 23 × 33 × 10 cm
Anything other than that is fake.
These are the most important tips to help you spot a fake Chanel Maxi bag in lambskin leather. I hope this article will be useful to you. Make sure to subscribe and comment with your thoughts below. It would mean so much to us to write more articles like this.
LoVe….E