I buy and resell Hermès bags. These 13 indicators will tell you if you've got a fake.

Wed, 02/28/2024 - 05:05

Magnifying glass hovering over a Hermès Birkin 25 Vert Emerald Lisse Crocodile Porosus GHW — Birkin bags can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Hermès; Alyssa Powell/BI

Alexis Clarbour has been buying and selling Hermès bags for a decade and knows how to spot a fake.
When authenticating, she suggests looking at the bag's front hardware, stitching, and sizing.
Hermès bags are made of high-quality leather, so the smell is also a good indicator of authenticity.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alexis Clarbour, the 49-year-old vice president of sales and business development at Madison Avenue Couture (MAC) in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity.