YSL, Now Saint Laurent Paris

Saint Laurent Cabas Ligne 2013

So the famous YSL is now Saint Laurent! I actually went to a Ferragamo store, which surprisingly, also sells the YSL brand. I was carrying a Saint Laurent Cabas Y-Ligne bag in Fuchsia and I wanted to compare prices with them but there was nothing like it in the store. The ones that were available are actually the older cabas models, the ones that have the Y displayed in front of the bag. I spotted a YSL Easy in animal print and oh my, it was gorgeous! And it was on sale! From P75,000, the price went down to P45,000! Wow! Not sure if they're going to release an Easy bag without the Y though. Actually, all the other YSL bags on display were on sale at 30-60% off the original price. The reason? The SA said it’s because YSL had a major makeover and is now Saint Laurent. So don't be surprised to see discounted YSL bags everywhere, even online! No wonder some old YSL models' price really went down, and were being mistaken as replicas. The cabas bags that are being released this year (2013) don’t have the big Y anymore as part of their minimalist approach. As per the quality and branding, Hedi Slimani, the creative director of the brand said, everything else is going to be the same. The brand’s logo will still be the same as well. I just noticed my Saint Laurent Cabas doesn’t have the YSL logo anymore, even on its zippers; instead, they put “Saint Laurent Paris”, as in the whole phrase on them.

YSL Cabas Chyc 2011

YSL or Saint Laurent, the bags in that store are worth having, especially now that they’re at 30-60% off! What a sweet deal for YSL fans!

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The 5-4-5 Stitch Rule in Speedys

So I heard that the 5-4-5 stitch count rule for Speedys no longer apply. Some even have 7-2-7, 6-3-6 and other weird combinations; and these bags were brought from LV stores so there’s no doubt about their authenticity. Evidently, Louis Vuitton seems to change their patterns more often lately because of the counterfeiters. The locations of the date codes change from time to time as well or so they say.

An Authentic Speedy with 6 stitches on top

I heard that the bags that were produced recently have different stitch counts so authenticating has become more difficult especially for those who buy from out of the store. The good news is, minus the stitching, we can still authenticate these lovely bags by just looking at the hardware, the quality of the leather and the stitching overall.

Being the most copied Louis Vuitton bag, the counterfeiters became more and more detailed and a good replica Speedy, if one won’t look carefully is almost as good as the real thing.

When authenticating a Speedy, one should always look at the quality of the leather first. It should be lightweight but shouldn’t feel weak. It shouldn’t be too shiny or too matted. The monogram shouldn’t bee too contrasted with the bag’s brown color. No, it shouldn’t be too bright. The bag should not stand on it’s own because it’s leather should be of soft quality.

An authentic Speedy hardware/rivet

The hardware,  overall, shouldn’t be too yellow. The hardware holding the handles shouldn’t be too square and edgy but not too round either. They should be squarish with slightly rounded edges. As per the bag’s stamping, honestly, I’ve seen too many authentic Speedys with different stampings. I wont say they’re uniform, especially when comparing an old speedy to a newer one. The only thing they have in common is the perfect “O” in Louis Vuitton. In my opinion though, based on my observation, the older Speedys have got more appeal than the ones that were produced recently. The leather seems sturdier but softer and suppler in older Speedys. I’m not sure if it’s because the leather is older or if LV has really changed their raw materials.

An authentic Speedy's bottom

Of course, the basics that we’ve used as guidelines in authenticating change every now and then. But there are still qualities in LV Speedys that are forever there. The rivets are still the same, the zippers, the way they make sure that no LV letters are cut; that the monogram should be symmetrical from side to side; that the bag shouldn’t be stitched at the bottom; how the leather shouldn’t be cut thus making the monogram upside down on the other side are still indicators for authenticity.

They say it’s safest to buy from the LV store. But sometimes buying pre loved isn’t just for saving some but also in it’s own way, a challenge. Happy shopping everyone!

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Louis Vuitton Date Code Guide

Being one of the most popular brands, Louis Vuitton is also one of the most counterfeited designer brands in the world. So, as an online buyer, how does one avoid being fooled by sellers who pass their replicas as authentic? First, educate yourself. Get as much information as you can about the brand. Paying $500 or more for a bag isn’t cheap and you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth by buying the real thing.

It’s quite helpful to learn to understand the date codes. Here are some guidelines:

Louis Vuitton only started using date codes in the early 80’s. And yes, there are bags that are pre-date code and obviously won’t have date codes on them. Naturally, these bags are old so beware of bags that look new and are claimed to be vintage. Also, be aware that these bags should be the classic ones. I mean it’s common sense that it’s impossible to find a vintage/pre-date code Neverfull.

 In the early 80’s, Louis Vuitton started putting date codes on their bags. They started to use a three-digit-code representing the year and the month the item was made. The first two digits represent the year while the last digit represents the month. E.g. 834- this means the bag was made in April of 1983.

By mid 80’s, Louis Vuitton started adding letters to the codes and they represent the place where an

item was made. E.g. MI 881- this means that the item was made in France in January 1988. Sometimes the letters are separated from the numbers, sometimes they use a three-digit-code, oftentimes, four.

In the 90’s they started to use a different format. Still with two letters and four numbers, the date codes were much more complicated. The letters still represent the country, the first and third digits represent the month and the second and last digits represent the year. E.g. MI0060- this means that the item was made in France in June of 2000. This format was marked to items that were made from the early 90’s to 2006.

In 2007 they changed the representation once again. The date codes are still with 2 letters and four numbers, the same format, but this time the first and third number represent the week and the second and last digit still represent the year. E.g AR0057- this means the item was made in France on the 5th week of 2007.

With a little research and common sense, one can never go wrong in buying an authentic Louis Vuitton bag. Here is a list of the letters and the countries they represent:

France- A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS (special order), AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MI, NO, RA, RI, SL, SD, SN, SP, SR, TH, TR, VI, VX

Italy- BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, RC, RE, SA, TD

USA- FC, FH, LA, OS, SD, FL

Spain- CA, LO, LB, LM. LW

Switzerland- DI, FA

Germany- LP

Beware: Some knockoffs would have invalid date codes. Keep in mind that these date codes should always be matching and consistent. If the bag says Made in France, it can’t use the letters BC because the letters BC represent Made in Italy. No exceptions, the date codes should always be consistent. Also, beware of codes that usually start with a single M and have 5 numbers. Some high quality replicas use this combination. This format is usually how the serial number or model number is written, not the date code. Please be aware that the model number and the date code are 2 completely different things.

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