How to Tell a Knock-off Burberry Scarf

When 21-year-old Thomas Burberry founded his Burberry outfitter's shop in 1856, he probably never considered the possibility of charlatans copying his products. Knock-off Burberry scarves, however, saturate the clothing market. Consumers, frequently, spend hundreds of dollars on fake "authentic" Burberry scarves. Look for specific Burberry characteristics to avoid buying a fake.

Instructions

1. Head to an authorized Burberry retailer for an authentic scarf. When in doubt, shop at the Burberry website, www.us.burberry.com. Nordstrom's, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus also sell legitimate Burberry products.

2. Save your money. For the assurance you purchased a true Burberry scarf, expect to pay more. Fake Burberry scarves tempt consumers with low prices. Don't be fooled by cheap scarves. New Burberry scarves range in price from $250 to more than $500.

3. Feel the material and check the fabric content. Burberry uses pure silk, wool and cashmere to create scarves. Any other ingredient in the fabric indicates a fake. Fake manufacturers may label knock-off scarves as pure cashmere, wool or silk. Fake materials don't have the soft, smooth feel of the real thing.

4. Study the fringe. Burberry fringe is neither too thin nor too full. Fringe on a new, authentic, Burberry scarf looks clean and untangled. The fringe strings have a medium-thickness and look separate from the others. Any pills of fabric or overly fuzzy fringe indicates a fake. Fringe longer than 3 inches usually has "fake" written all over it.

5. Check the pattern. The lines in a Burberry scarf run straight, not crooked. Study the Burberry plaids before purchasing a scarf from anyone other than an authorized Burberry dealer. Burberry remains consistent with the colors and pattern on its famous checks. Don't fall for diagonal or odd color combinations.

6. Burberry manufactures scarves, mainly, in Scotland. Scarves with different origins should be carefully studied for authenticity.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask the retailer questions about the source of the scarves if you feel uncertain.

References

• eBay Guides: Fake Burberry Pink Scarves
• Burberry Official Online Store

Resources

• Handbags-n-Guides: Authentic Burberry Bags Guide