YSL Bag Fake vs. Real: Comparison Reviews & Buy the Best Replicas

Hey YSL lovers! 

We’ve all been there, drooling over those Yves Saint Laurent bags only to be stopped cold by their hefty price tags. And let’s not even get started on those annual price hikes – it’s like chasing a luxury mirage!

So, it’s no surprise that the demand for YSL dupe bags is on the rise. They’re everywhere. 

But can you tell a real one from a fake? And if you’re actually looking to get your hands on a YSL replica, do you know how to pick the best one and where to find it?

In this post, I’m not just gonna show you how to spot the fakes, I’ll also walk you through some comparison reviews. 

And even gonna share my secrets on where to snag those high-tier YSL bag replicas that are very convincing!

     Table of Contents

• How To Spot A Fake YSL Bag
• YSL Real vs. Fake Comparison Reviews
  • YSL Shopping Tote (Low-tier Fake vs. Auth)
  • YSL Kate (Higher-tier Fake vs. Auth)
• Buy the Best Replica: High-tier YSL ICARE Maxi Review

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HOW TO SPOT A FAKE YSL BAG

Even though fake YSL bags are getting better, there are some key features to differentiate between knockoffs and authentic YSL bags. 

Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about buying a Saint Laurent bag and want to make sure it’s real.

YSL Logo

The iconic YSL logo is a significant feature usually placed prominently on the bag. When trying to confirm if a YSL bag is genuine, this should be one of the first things you examine.

• The “Y” has a thicker left arm compared to its right.
• The left arm of the “Y” sits below the “S”, while the right arm is above it.
• The leg of the “Y” is positioned above the letter “S”.
• At the top, the “S” crosses over the “L” and then goes behind it.
• The “L” widens from the top and narrows towards the bottom.

Material Quality

Saint Laurent uses a variety of high-quality materials such as lambskin or calfskin, suede, and other genuine leather, which feels soft and smooth and won’t come with a chemical smell.

Some YSL dupe bags use poor-quality leather (or even fake leather), which can feel stiff, have an unnatural plastic texture, or lack a genuine shine. These are clear signs of subpar material quality.

Hardware/Zipper

Keep an eye on the bag’s metal hardware too. Saint Laurent uses high-quality metals that aren’t just plated, so they stay shiny and don’t chip or lose color.

Also, a genuine bag has a chain that feels heavy and solid—lightweight chains or ones with uneven coloring are fake YSL.

The zipper should feel smooth as butter when you zip and unzip it, and it should also have a bit of weight to it.

Unlike the lighter, flimsier zippers you would find on some cheaper YSL dupe bags (like the ones on DHgate or Aliexpress), which often use aluminum or aluminum mixes to cut costs.

Also, take a moment to compare the zipper’s shine and finish to the chain strap. The zipper should match the chain’s shine and reflectiveness.

Heat Stamp/Font

When it comes to the Saint Laurent stamp, fake YSL bags often have a hard time getting the fonts right, so it’s crucial to take a close look at the lettering.

The text should be all in uppercase letters, and without any serif details, the font should look neat and clear.

• In “LAURENT,” the letters “N” and “T” should be connected.
• Also, the right foot of the letter “R” in “SAINT LAURENT” should be curved, while in “PARIS,” it should be straight.

Just a heads up, vintage-style labels might carry the old brand logo “YVES SAINT LAURENT.”

Serial Number

Take a look inside for the serial number tag. Some bags might even say “Saint Laurent Paris” on the front. Flip it over, and you’ll find the serial number engraved in a single row. If there are two rows, it’s likely a fake.

• Modern ones have 3 letters followed by 10 digits, separated by dots.
• For older Yves Saint Laurent bags, the serial number should be 12 digits, split into two 6-digit numbers by a dot.

The bag must have a serial number; otherwise, it’s not genuine. Also, some authentic bags may have a “made in italy” label in either all lowercase or capital letters.

Button

Don’t forget to check the buttons. Authentic YSL bags will have “SAINT LAURENT PARIS” engraved on their buttons.

The “SAINT LAURENT” engraving should be:

• in all capital letters
• perfectly even
• and occupy just half of the button’s surface
• also unpainted

In contrast, knock-off YSL bags often get this detail wrong. 

The text might be:

• uneven
• letters too thick
• or the entire look just feel off

Fakes might also extend the lettering beyond half the button, use black paint to highlight the text and mess up the font style.

So, if you notice that the text on the buttons is hard to read, too bold, or just looks strange, you are dealing with a fake YSL.

Stitching

Pay attention to the stitching along the edges.

YSL uses this French technique called matelassé stitching, which is supposed to look like it’s been hand-stitched.

What you want to see is that all the stitches are evenly spaced out, with each row looking just as neat as the next.

Here’s a pro tip: count the stitches on both sides of the bag. The numbers should match up perfectly.

If you spot any double stitching or any loose threads, those are big warning signs.

Quilting

The quilting is designed to subtly represent a “Y” shape, in reference to Yves Saint Laurent.

Each quilted section should mirror the others in symmetry, spacing, and stitch work.

For bags that are fresh and haven’t been worn out, pay attention to the front flap. The quilting here should line up pretty neatly with the quilting beneath it, maintaining that consistent, even look throughout.

The stitching that separates each quilted bit should be even and uniform. No weird gaps or stitches running all over the place.

Straps/Chain

YSL bags can have a leather strap, a chain strap, or sometimes, they’ll have both. Here’s what you need to look for in each:

Leather Straps: They should feel and look premium, mirroring the bag’s stitching style all neat and uniform.

There should be some embossed lettering that reads “SAINT LAURENT” or “SAINT LAURENT PARIS,” depending on how much room there is on the strap.

Chain Straps: The chain should be a curb chain, characterized by its flat-faced links. If the grommets (those little rings the chain goes through) are stamped with the YSL logo, those letters should be sharp and consistent.

For bags with removable straps, you’ll find two kinds of hardware: a metal clasp or a leather clasp featuring two peg-in-hole closures that fasten the strap under the flap. Even though they’re different, both types are authentic.

Dust Bag

When you get a new YSL bag, it usually comes with a dust bag that’s typically in the color black. They feature the YSL logo in thick white lettering (“SAINT LAURENT”).

The feel of the dust bag is also a giveaway. The real ones are made from a material that’s soft and feels luxurious to the touch.

On the other hand, the fake dust bags are usually made from polyester, and you can tell the difference just by looking at them.

It is important to note that some of the details we talked about for checking if a bag is real can change depending on the bag’s style, size, and when it was made.

Before you go and buy one, take some time to dig into YSL bags. Get to know all the specific features of the bag you’re eyeing, like how the stitching looks, what the logo should be like, and the hardware used.

Other signs a YSL bag is fake

Besides checking the details on the bag itself, there are also some signs that a YSL bag might be fake.

1. The price is way below what you’d expect.

Watch out for heavily discounted YSL bags. Fake bag sellers often tempt buyers with big discounts. Sure, pre-owned YSL bags won’t be priced like new ones, but nobody’s going to sell a luxury designer bag for peanuts.

2. No refund policy is offered.

If the platform doesn’t offer refunds, that’s a big warning sign. When you’re buying a bag online, you can’t check it out up close. So, there’s no promise of getting your money back if the bag turns out to be fake.

3. Shoddy packaging.

If the packaging looks off, like it’s low quality or missing the right branding, that could mean the bag’s a fake. Real bags come with top-notch packaging.

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YSL Real vs. Fake Comparison Reviews

As interest in high-end fashion grows, so does the market for alternatives to these luxury bags. You can find all sorts of Yves Saint Laurent replica bags in various designs and styles being sold online and in markets. 

But, these YSL purse dupes come in different levels:

• Some can be easily spotted as low-quality fakes.
• Some are middle-tier and can be identified when placed next to an authentic bag.
• And then there are high-quality fakes that, even when compared closely with a real one, only show minor differences.

Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

Top – Replica; Bottom – Authentic

After learning the theory behind identifying genuine and YSL dupes, to further strengthen your ability to spot YSL knockoffs, let’s now move on to practical exercises, starting with the basics: comparing a Low-end fake YSL bag with an authentic one.

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YSL Shopping Tote (Low-tier Fake vs. Auth)

I’m taking off 1 point for super clear mistakes, and then 0.5 and 0.25 points for the less obvious stuff.

Replica YSL Shopping Tote	Authentic YSL Shopping Tote
Left – Authentic; Right – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

• The size is a bit off, with the fake bag being slightly larger. (-0.25)
• The leather texture’s off – it’s a bit rough on the real one but super smooth on the fake. (-1)
• The inside color of the real one is black, but the fake has a more greyish tone inside. (-0.5)

If someone who’s familiar with the YSL Shopping Tote gets a feel of the replica bag, I’m pretty sure they’d instantly know it’s a fake because of the texture difference and the color of the inside.

Top – Authentic; Bottom – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica
Top – Authentic; Bottom – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

• The logo on the front is bigger on the fake than on the real one. (-0.5)
• The stitching on the real YSL luggage tag is smaller, and it’s not stamped with anything. (-0.5)
• The replica’s zip pull is much thicker than the one on the authentic. (-0.25)
• The authentic zip pull doesn’t have any stamps. (-0.5)

Top – Authentic; Bottom – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica
Top – Authentic; Bottom – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

• The sizes of the zip pouches are different; the authentic one is rectangular, while the replica is closer to a square. (-1)
• The gold YSL hardware is chunkier on the real bag compared to the fake. I’m not sure if older models have smaller hardware, but I’ll knock off 0.25 points just in case. (-0.25)
• The font for “PARIS” on the button closure doesn’t look right; the authentic font is more compressed together. (-0.25)
• The metal back on the authentic version is bigger than on the replica. (-0.25)

Top – Authentic; Bottom – Replica	Top – Authentic; Bottom – Replica

• The tag on the authentic is bigger, and the “MADE IN ITALY” stamp is in gold. On the replica, the letters face the wrong direction (the tag should be stitched the opposite way onto the bag) and the stitching is crooked. (-1)
• On the replica, the stitching on the strap is further from the edge than on the authentic. (-0.25)

Alright, that wraps up our comparison review between the low-tier fake YSL Shopping Tote and the real deal. All in all, it scores just 3.5 out of 10.

Yep, the flaws on this fake YSL tote bag are pretty obvious, which is exactly why I always stress doing your homework before buying. With low-end replicas like this, you don’t even need to compare them side-by-side with the real thing to spot the differences. 

Knowing the features of the bag you want to buy ahead of time can really save you from falling into traps or getting scammed.

Also, if you wanna steer clear of these low-quality replicas, the first thing you should do is avoid buying from places like Amazon, DHgate, and AliExpress. Sure, the prices are tempting, but the quality really leaves a lot to be desired.

But drawing from my own experience of having both genuine YSL bags and some YSL dupes(the high-tier fakes I mentioned earlier), I gotta admit, some replicas are pretty mind-blowing. 

The quality of these fake YSL handbags has really stepped up. Now, let’s check out how a higher-tier fake YSL bag stacks up against the real thing.

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YSL Kate (Higher-tier Fake vs. Auth)

First off, you should know I bought this fake YSL Kate bag like four or five years ago, back when replica bags weren’t as popular as they are now. 

Obviously, the quality and craftsmanship of making these knockoff bags couldn’t really compare to what it is today. But back then, this bag was definitely considered high-tier.

By today’s standards, though, I’d rate it as mid-to-high tier. I actually wanted to show you guys a comparison between a high-tier (or super fake) vs. an auth. 

But after digging through my bag stash, I realized I didn’t have an authentic of the same model to compare it with. (God knows how long it’s been since I bought a genuine YSL). 

So, I decided to add a review of my latest YSL replica purchase to show you instead. Stick around till the end!

Left – Authentic; Right – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica
Left – Authentic; Right – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

Left – Authentic; Right – Replica	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica
Top – Replica; Bottom – Authentic	Left – Authentic; Right – Replica

The leather sheen on both bags is pretty similar, and the fake YSL bag feels as smooth and luxe as the authentic. It’s only upon close comparison that you can notice:

Since the level of detail required for the two comparisons is not the same, the scoring criteria will be a bit different.

• The YSL logo itself should be a bit more italic and skinnier. (-0.2)
• The pebbled-grained leather should also be smaller in scale; the authentic has smaller pebbles, while the rep has bigger ones. (-0.1)
• The length and height of the bag match up, but the width doesn’t—the replica is slightly bigger than the authentic, as you can see in the pictures. (-0.1)
• The leather glazing on the side of the authentic bag has more shine to it. (-0.3)
• The color of the chain is slightly different. (-0.1)

Apart from what’s been mentioned, everything else is correct. The final score is 9.2.

Unlike the low-end fakes, mid-to-high-end fake bags aren’t so easy to spot right off the bat. 

If you’re just looking at this bag by itself, not side-by-side with a genuine one, for most people, even if they’re familiar with the details and features of this model, they might still fail to tell if it’s real or not.

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Buy the Best Replica:
high-tier YSL ICARE Maxi Review

To prove that high-quality YSL dupes exist, I’ve decided to add this review of the YSL ICARE bag. (Well, another reason is simply to share some joy, haha!) If you’re on the lookout for a spacious travel bag, don’t miss this part!

Quality: 10/10

Awesome quality! I already took it on a trip once, and it worked like a charm as my new travel buddy.

• It has a strong leathery smell, no fufu smell.
• The bag feels really soft, and the leather is on point.
• The chain and straps are solid too.

There are these creases that a lot of reviewers mention, and they’re pretty noticeable in the authentic ICARE. 

These creases are evident in both the pictures I took and the PSP shots. But since the authentic one also has the same issue, I’m not docking any points for it.

Accuracy: 9.8/10

I did my homework so I can confirm that this one is a really accurate, high-quality version. (And you should do yours when purchasing a replica bag.)

• The leather is super soft and has that kinda pebbled look, not all smooth like the cheaper replicas.
• The hardware, both in the center and on the sides, looks just right.
• The designer stamp inside is on point.
• The chain and mini-bag inside also feel and look good.

I haven’t had a chance to see this bag in a store yet because they’re always sold out. But from watching YouTube reviews and the research, it is a pretty solid match. 

There’s a chance the authentic one might be a bit softer, considering the common description I’ve heard from reviewers is “soft as a baby’s face.” So, for the sake of a rigorous review, I’ll deduct 0.2 for now.

Satisfaction: 10/10

Couldn’t be happier! 

The Saint Laurent ICARE bag is like an extra-large shopping tote, so you can throw in anything and everything you need. This bag is sold out everywhere, and I wasn’t really up for dropping $4900 pre-tax on a massive travel tote bag, so this is just perfect!

I hope after reading all this, you’ve got a better grip on how to spot fake YSL bags and understand the different tiers of YSL replicas. 

And if one review isn’t convincing enough for you, there’s also another review of the YSL LE 5 A 7. I even went to the store myself to check out the real deal and took a pic to do the comparison.

Have you ever bought a fake YSL bag? What tier do you think it was, and do you reckon others could tell? Feel free to share your stories and your great finds below!

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