How to Spot a Fake Vera Bradley Purse

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By eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (13 Ratings)

Designer knock offs are everywhere these days and deciphering real versus fake can be pretty difficult sometimes. A lot of careful work has gone into mimicking Vera Bradley bags because they are so loved, yet a bit pricey compared to some equally popular bags on the market. Follow these steps to know if what you're looking at is a real or fake Vera Bradley purse. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Look for it on the Vera Bradley Web site. If you can't find the design under Current or Retired patterns, then it's an absolute fake. Online auction sellers try to pass off knock offs as authentic, retired Vera Bradley bags all the time, so be sure to go straight to the official source.
Step 2

Examine the zipper pull. The official Vera Bradley scripted signature should appear on the pull. Even though the pull could be a fake itself, you know for sure if a bag is a knock off if there's no pull at all.
Step 3

Turn and walk away if the bag is unusually well-priced. There is a reason Vera Bradley bags cost what they do—they are well made and women are crazy about them. If you see a bargain priced bag (with the exception of Vera Bradley clearance sales at official retailers), you can bet it's not real.
Step 4

Find the green Vera Bradley tag if the bag is brand new. It's usually attached with a green string and tucked inside a purse pocket.
Step 5

Compare the bag to one on the Vera Bradley Web site to be sure the pockets are the exact same. Knock offs have an out-of-place pocket, zipper or strap.
Step 6

Turn the bag over in your hands to really get a feel for the fabric. It should be soft like a real Vera Bradley. Some fakes have a scratchier feel to them. Also examine the stitching closely. Fakes often have wider, less durable stitching than the real deal.

Comments

deborahkay said

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on 4/26/2009 I am a dealer of retired Vera Bradley bags and live near the plant. I have some of the earlier rare to find bags and the early patterns are NOT shown on the website but they certainly are not fake because of that. The comment about the fabric is kind of silly as some of the patterns had a stiffer feel to them than others. I have been dealing in Vera Bradley for many years and while there are many other fabric bags I have never seen one, NOT ONE bag trying to be a Vera by having a fake tag. The is not cost effective for counterfeiters to try to copy Vera bags, most copies are high end bags, like 500.00 and up, Vera bags are not high end and in my opinion are certainly not copied and sold frequently. Also price has nothing to do with it, I have picked up VB for a few dollars at garage sales, certainly doesn't mean it is fake. So don't get your panties in too big a twist worrying about fake