What are the best ways to tell a fake or genuine Goyard bag? Our guide outlines the clues for you to avoid being ripped off by counterfeiters.
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French extravagance, an elegant appearance and outstanding workmanship – the Goyard bag is THE luxury bag that has established itself as a real insider cult item among fashion connoisseurs. The traditional French company Maison Goyard adorns the bags with an unmistakable logo pattern, but thanks to minimal advertising and marketing measures, it has not become a bulk item, which is particularly popular among the exclusive set.
What also makes the Goyard Shopper such a particularly sought-after luxury bag is not the unmistakable design and a very high price level, it is also very difficult to get hold of. Except in exclusive Goyard boutiques, the luxury bags are not sold anywhere – you only have the chance to get hold of a second-hand or vintage copy online.
Best ways to tell a fake or genuine Goyard bag
We have collected the most important points, tips and tricks for you so that when you buy your Goyard bag you are guaranteed to get an original and not be the victim of a bad buy:
THE SHAPE AND SIZES
Sometimes it’s the most obvious things that reveal a bad fake – size is often one of the things that is forgotten to be checked. If you know the sizes in which original Goyard shoppers are produced, and the present bag is different, you don’t even need to go into any further details.
The famous Goyard St. Louis Shopper, for example, is available in exactly two sizes – once as the smaller Goyard St. Louis PM measuring 28 cm x 48 cm x 15 cm (including handle) and once as the larger Goyard St. Louis Gm in the dimensions 33 cm x 58 cm x 18 cm (also including handle). So grab a tape measure and measure as precisely as possible or have photos sent to you when buying online.
MATERIALS
All Goyard shoppers are made from the in-house fabric Goyardine. Goyardine is a dyed textile, which consists of cotton, linen and hemp and is coated afterwards and thus made resistant. This gives the bag a slightly leathery, shiny look that is typical of Goyard shoppers. Is this Goyard bag matt or does it remind you of the canvas typical of Louis Vuitton – hands off! These are precisely the common mistakes that counterfeiters make and is one of the best ways to tell a fake or genuine Goyard bag.
COLORS
Goyard lovers appreciate the variety of colors of the iconic luxury shoppers. There is something for every taste and every outfit in a total of 10 colors. The Goyardine is made in a brown / black tone, white, light and dark blue, gray, yellow, orange, red, green, and a purple / red tone. There are no other colors and color combinations. If you come across a pink model, you can assume that it is plagiarism, as this color in particular is often faked.
THE CANVAS
It is now more difficult than ever to tell a real Goyard shopper from a fake one. One of the reasons for this is that Goyard made a fundamental change in 2006: Instead of painting every single point on the Goyardine by hand, Goyard began to use stencils for the iconic print – this was the only way they could keep up with the growing demand.
It is understandable that many regular customers were angry about this change, after all, for such a high price, you only expect the best workmanship. In addition, the price was increased despite the decrease in quality, which makes vintage Goyard bags and second hand models so desirable for many Goyard fans.
With the older models, it used to be much easier to tell what an original Goyard bag was and what was a fake – the forgers obviously didn’t hand-paint their bags and the difference to the real luxury bag was enormous. So pay particular attention to your Goyard St. Louis Shopper – if the model is from before 2006, the print shouldn’t look too perfect.
But even with newer models of the iconic Goyard St. Louis shoppers, the fabric feels uneven, as if it had been hand-painted. When buying online, you should therefore definitely ask the seller for close-up photos that show the texture of the bag, especially if it is a Goyard shopper with a stencil print.
THE BRAND STAMP
Another sign of a fake Goyard shopper is an unclean brand stamp, which is a strong clue to tell the difference between a fake or genuine Goyard bag. A real stamp always says “GOYARD PARIS MADE IN FRANCE” in three lines and is always straight, balanced and stamped evenly. The distance between the lines should also be the same and the lettering should be in the typical Goyard font. The most common mistake is a wrong font and / or too deep embossing of the brand stamp.
THE SEAMS
The same rule applies here as for all bags in the higher price range – the seams should always be straight, balanced and parallel to the edge of the bag. Irregularities or crooked seams reveal many counterfeit designer bags and are often extremely obvious.
Another important detail when stitching Goyard St. Louis shoppers is the color of the seams. The black / brown version of the bag always has a black stitching, while the other colors are always embroidered with a white stitching. In addition, there should be a vertical seam right in the middle at the end of the handle – again straight and even here.
THE HARDWARE
The use of hardware is limited to the minimum with Goyard bags. However, the devil is in the detail and a particularly close look is required here to be able to distinguish an original Goyard St.Louis shopper from a plagiarism. For example, the Goyard logo is engraved on the toggle switch of the inner pouch and the words “Goyard” and “Paris” should be on the inside of the metal toggle switch.
Zippers never have obvious branding, but a stamped “G” can appear. With original Goyard bags, these can always be opened and closed without any problems and should slide smoothly. In addition, of course, the hardware should always feel heavy and luxurious and look accordingly. Bad counterfeits often only use plastic parts,
THE INNER LINING
The inner lining of Goyard bags is a simple, mustard-colored cotton twill, which in most cases is trimmed with a jacquard fabric trim. If a jacquard fabric is available, the lettering “GOYARD” is in capital letters. Again, the stitching should be perfect and straight.
THE PERSONALIZATION
Goyard offers its customers a very comprehensive personalization of the bags – many use this to give their Goyard shoppers a personal touch. If you come across a personalized model when buying a second hand, you should of course know which versions of the design there are. The following personalization variations are possible with Goyard bags:
- – Initials: A maximum of four letters with no dots in between are possible; these can have one of two fonts.
- – Decoration: A total of 11 options are possible here, which is why it is worth taking a look at the official Goyard website – here you can virtually create your own personal print and, if in doubt, compare whether the existing pattern is legitimate when buying second hand.
- – Colors: There are a total of 17 colors to choose from, while two colors can be used or the bag can be decorated in one color. Again, take a look at the personalization page on the Goyard website.
In general, personalized bags are cheaper to buy second hand than bare models.
THE SERIAL NUMBER
With older models of the Goyard Shopper, the serial number is on the inside of the enclosed pouch inside the bag. With newer models, however, the serial number is at the end of the leather strap that connects the pouch and bag. In both cases, the serial number is small and discreet. However, a stamped serial number is never a 100% guarantee, because these are now well counterfeited and should therefore not be the only thing by which you can determine the authenticity of your Goyard shoppers.
THE DUST BAG AND PACKAGING
A new Goyard Shopper always comes in a simple, mustard-colored dust bag with a logo print and a simple, unprinted brown box. Older models had a brown dust bag, the same color as the boxes. When buying second hand, a dust bag and a box are always a good sign, but you shouldn’t just rely on them.
THE PRICE
A used, older bag from such an exclusive luxury brand as Goyard will also have a proud price. If the price is disproportionate to the condition and age of the bag, keep your hands off it. It is best to compare the prices of your dream bag and have a realistic price range in mind before you actually make a purchase. In general, when buying designer goods, you should only shop at legitimate boutiques or online shops.
