DIOR HOMME - Coats/Jackets: Fabric Content Tags

When shopping for Dior Homme online, the quality of the fabric, stitching, and construction are all very good indicators of authenticity. However, things can often look much better in the photos than in real life. A good back-up is to know a little about the tags and labels sewn inside the garment.

Example (click to enlarge):

Example (click to enlarge):

The fabric content tags can offer a good amount of information regarding the piece's authenticity. The fake tags above are good examples. The authentic tags are made of a very smooth silver material with almost no texture. Many of the fake tags have a rougher surface (as seen above). The bad fakes also have frayed edges like the one above.

Another key is to note the fabric content. Sometimes the fake tags are mislabeled and give incorrect fabrics for the particular item. If you are looking at a wool over coat that is labeled as 100% polyester, you know something is wrong.

Example (click to enlarge):

Watch out for typos too. Occasionally a typo may occur on an authentic tag, but it won't be more than a slight misspelling. In the example of the fake above you'll notice that it says both "Fabrique en Turquie" (made in turkey) and "Made in Italy" below that. A substantial typo.

Example (click to enlarge):

Here are two examples (one fake, one real) of a similar style tag. The authentic fabric content tags do vary based on the collection and the item. There are many different variations so the key here lies in the texture, edges, and typos. This tag also contains the reference number which gives information about the year and season. If you have some idea what season the item should be from, check it against the reference number to make sure they correspond.

Example (click to enlarge):

This is another variation of an authentic fabric content tag. This one is from a suit coat from an earlier collection (Luster, a/w03).

For more information on reference numbers click the "reference number" tab in the Dior Homme drop-down menu to the right.

JOHN GALLIANO - Shoes: Real v. Fake Photos

Fake John Galliano shoes are starting to appear on eBay. Luckily, they are VERY easy to identify if you know what you're looking for.

Example (click to enlarge):

Above is a comparison photo of a fake v. real pair of Galliano sneakers. Set aside the color combos for these examples because these Galliano shoes were produced in a variety of different colors, including red and white. Also, please note that although the shoes in the authentic example are canvas there were patent leather and canvas versions produced. One of the major differences is the logo on the bottom of the sole. The fake logo is much smaller and it is slightly stubby, wider, and more cut off than the actual logo.

Example (click to enlarge):

Inside the fake logo is very cheaply printed. You can also see how thin the 'leather' and padding are on the fake shoe.

Example (click to enlarge):

...and the differences continue with the lacing structure.

Example (click to enlarge):

Notice anything different about these boxes?
Yes, the authentic Galliano shoe boxes have the detailed Gazette newsprint all over them. The counterfeiters decided to save the printing costs and opt with the black on white style.

All in all, the Galliano shoes that are spewing out of China are pretty bad copies. This is a case where it is really good to be familiar with the product you are buying. If you know what you're looking for you won't get tricked by highly inferior knock-offs.

DIOR HOMME - Coats/Jackets: Stitching and Material

No matter how well the counterfeiters copy the designs they will never been on par with the tailoring. The stitching and the material are both important things to look for when shopping online. True, you cannot actually touch it but you can see how the material lays, and if it bunches or puckers.

Dior Homme is all about the tailoring, so if you see something that looks like it fell off the shelf at WalMart, skip it.

The stitching should be straight and even, with no flaws.