Gaining insight into the disparities between vintage and contemporary Chanel bags can aid in identifying characteristics appropriate to their era.
You can sometimes tell a Chanel bag is fake simply by the quality of the leather or the dust bag, the crooked logo, or the rigidness of the hardware.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel designed her first quilted jersey flap bag in 1929. The original quilted jersey bag had a rectangular twisting lock and short, all-chain straps. Her bag was carried in hand or on the arm, like most bags available to upper-class women during the era.
The location of the serial number varies depending on the style of handbag and the year, but unless the bag is very vintage you should always find the date code inside.
Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
The iconic Chanel flap bag is a wonderful addition to any fashion wardrobe. See more of our favorite Chanel treasures in our article about the pieces we are coveting from the new Chanel collection.
An authentic bag always uses flathead screws on the backplate of the lock, never Phillips-head screws, which are a clear indicator of a copyright.
Chanel bags are among the most coveted and collectible fashion accessories on the planet. In fact, these luxury handbags are considered exceptional investments with an impressive ROI. But this is true only for genuine Chanel.
Handles/Strap: Chanel invented a new style of history of the Chanel flap bag shoulder strap inspired by men’s military satchels, who wore them across their chest. The gold-linking all metal chain was light yet strong, wearable on the shoulder or across the chest, so that a woman’s hands could remain free.
A hallmark of an authentic Chanel lock is its smooth and consistent finish is gold or silver, which should not show signs of flaking or discoloration, on the silver or gold plated surface, over time.
Genuine Chanel's classic bags feature either flat head screws or proprietary star-shaped screws in their lock mechanism, never Phillips-head screws.
Let’s say you’re authenticating a Chanel bag that has the serial number 28794237. Can you identify the date it was manufactured? It is an eight-digit number, so we take the first two digits: 28. Look that up in our Chanel date code chart, and you can see it was manufactured in 2019.
In 1955, Coco Chanel crafted the iconic Chanel classic flap bag, a beloved and desired accessory adored by women worldwide. This bag boasts a history spanning over fifty years.
Chanel started using the date code system in the mid 1980's. We call them the social security numbers of the Chanel bags. Look inside the bag for a sticker with the serial number.