# Spotting fake Burberry.



## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

Any help with this? No label but curious about the pattern.










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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

The Burberry check pattern is called "Haymarket". I don't think it means much these days if the pattern is an exact match to the real as Burberry is probably one of the most knocked brands in the world. Unless you're buying it new from Burberry or an authorized retailer, assume it's a fake.

Here's an image from the Burberry website:


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

I understand - it just strikes me as exact but I find it hard to believe.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

^ Like I said, it's no trouble to knock it off. Heck, take a look at the label on the real stuff and it's made in China. It's no trouble to turn the lights on in the factory after hours and crank out the fakes.


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## ThomGault (Oct 6, 2016)

Yeah...I've purchased one Burberry item from eBay; it was vintage and I don't think I'd ever purchase a new Burberry item the same way. Too risky, unless the investment is very small. Although, I'd be satisfied with an 'after hours ' Burberry item


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

You'll actually get a better idea of authenticity by looking at the outside of the coat, in a global sense, which will allow your instinct to guide you. However, to do so accurately, you'll have to look at a thousand photos of real coats and build up that 'memory bank' of what's authentic. Sort of like antique dealers.

I realize that isn't actually a helpful comment, lol


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

Doctor Damage said:


> You'll actually get a better idea of authenticity by looking at the outside of the coat, in a global sense, which will allow your instinct to guide you. However, to do so accurately, you'll have to look at a thousand photos of real coats and build up that 'memory bank' of what's authentic. Sort of like antique dealers.
> 
> I realize that isn't actually a helpful comment, lol


No it's actually pretty helpful. I may even snag it just to see what I can do with it. It's a 38S but it nearly fits me, and I'm a 40R in almost everything. But the styling is almost identical to Burberry - only issue is I can't tell where the label was.


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## Old Road Dog (Sep 4, 2015)

Burberrys', Gucci, and Rolex were prime targets for counterfeiters even thirty years ago, when I worked for Burberrys' under Norman Hilton's distribution rights. Even then, the scarves and plaid lining materials were knocked off blatantly, and very exactingly. As one poster pointed out, you had to work with the real thing every day to easily tell the difference. A good fake is very difficult for the consumer to detect. I'm not sure it would be possible to make a real determination over the internet unless you had exceptional photographs of the item to share. Based on the photo of the lining above, I'm not optimistic about that coat's authenticity.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Burberry is most widely known for the nova check pattern. But they are hardly the only ones to use it. Several vintage companies used that pattern in their lining and it's almost indistinguishable from Burberry. Check the front pockets for tags.


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

Thanks, everyone. I picked it up - I can always take it back for a store credit. I'll post pictures tomorrow. I'm currently going back and forth between US soccer, Bama basketball and helping my wife bake a cake with my three kids assisting. 

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## ThomGault (Oct 6, 2016)

Old Road Dog said:


> Burberrys', Gucci, and Rolex were prime targets for counterfeiters even thirty years ago, when I worked for Burberrys' under Norman Hilton's distribution rights. Even then, the scarves and plaid lining materials were knocked off blatantly, and very exactingly. As one poster pointed out, you had to work with the real thing every day to easily tell the difference. A good fake is very difficult for the consumer to detect. I'm not sure it would be possible to make a real determination over the internet unless you had exceptional photographs of the item to share. Based on the photo of the lining above, I'm not optimistic about that coat's authenticity.


Thanks for the historical perspective. In your experience, when Burberry was being counterfeited 30 years ago, was it by normal factory workers staying late, or non-burberry workers at non-burberry plants with non-burberry material? To me, the former scenario doesn't really feel like a knockoff, whereas the latter clearly is.


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

Old Road Dog said:


> Burberrys', Gucci, and Rolex were prime targets for counterfeiters even thirty years ago, when I worked for Burberrys' under Norman Hilton's distribution rights. Even then, the scarves and plaid lining materials were knocked off blatantly, and very exactingly. As one poster pointed out, you had to work with the real thing every day to easily tell the difference. A good fake is very difficult for the consumer to detect. I'm not sure it would be possible to make a real determination over the internet unless you had exceptional photographs of the item to share. Based on the photo of the lining above, I'm not optimistic about that coat's authenticity.





ThomGault said:


> Thanks for the historical perspective. In your experience, when Burberry was being counterfeited 30 years ago, was it by normal factory workers staying late, or non-burberry workers at non-burberry plants with non-burberry material? To me, the former scenario doesn't really feel like a knockoff, whereas the latter clearly is.


At some point, if the knock-off is well made, then it might not matter in everyday terms. I have three classic trenchcoats, made in Canada from West German cloth (that helps date them!), which look convincingly like Burberry to the layman. They're excellent and just as good as anything I've seen from Burberry, aside from the super-heavy classic ones from 30+ years ago. Take another look at the coat and if it seems well made, then what the heck, it might turn out to be a good buy.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

There's a difference between something made in the style of a particular classic, such as the Burberry trench, and a blatant knock off, i.e. counterfeit product. 

I don't care how well made the counterfeit may be, I refuse support an enterprise which at it's heart is associated with organized crime.


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## Old Road Dog (Sep 4, 2015)

Interesting that the photo above of a sleeveless lining shows the product label with "Burberry" spelled just that way. In my experience with the company, dating back to the late 70's, the spelling of the brand was always "Burberrys'', in the plural-possess form. The labels are also white letters on a dark blue ground. That liner would be from a coat much earlier than the 70's, or more likely a current coat that shows that they have reverted to the former "Burberry" name on the label. I mention this because genuine coats made in the 70's and 80's would have the blue label I referred to with the alternative spelling. This might help those who are trying to authenticate vintage coats.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Hey, WillBarrett, there's an authentic Burberry coat at Big Saver in Roebuck. It's a 40L and they want $24.99 for it. However, the manager said that he would come down on it a little. Probably get it for $19.99. It has the zip-in liner as well. By the way, if you go there, it is in the women's section (where I find most of my nicer coats):hidden:


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

Here's the jacket in question. I'm quite sure it's fake but still a rather nice piece.






























Now here's the question - is there anything I can do with it, or should I take it back for a store credit?

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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Not Burberry... RN number shows as being Wear Wolf Group (no ties to Burberry that I could locate).


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

Thanks much - it's an incredibly well made jacket but I don't need it - well.... - so it's going back to the store.


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

"Made in Poland" would be the first clue that it's not legitimate.

If you like it and would wear it, keep it.

If the "fakeness" of it bothers you, return it.


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## WillBarrett (Feb 18, 2012)

gamma68 said:


> "Made in Poland" would be the first clue that it's not legitimate.
> 
> If you like it and would wear it, keep it.
> 
> If the "fakeness" of it bothers you, return it.


I've seen some Burberry pieces made in Poland...

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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

Why would a fake advertise the fact? why make a coat that looks like a Burberry and then add a label that would make it a fake, if Burberrys weren't made in Poland.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

Chouan said:


> Why would a fake advertise the fact? why make a coat that looks like a Burberry and then add a label that would make it a fake, if Burberrys weren't made in Poland.


While some Burberry items, namely the classic trench coats, are still made in England, there's much that's made in Eastern Europe not to mention China.

This is especially true with the "Brit" line. The fact that something is made in Poland wouldn't necessarily disqualify it as being genuine.


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## gamma68 (Mar 24, 2013)

Well, I stand corrected.

I wouldn't have thought that a genuine, quality Burberry coat would be made in Poland.

Personally, if I could choose, I'd opt for a Burberry or Aquascutum made in England or Canada. Not China or Eastern Europe.


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## SG_67 (Mar 22, 2014)

gamma68 said:


> Well, I stand corrected.
> 
> I wouldn't have thought that a genuine, quality Burberry coat would be made in Poland.
> 
> Personally, if I could choose, I'd opt for a Burberry or Aquascutum made in England or Canada. Not China or Eastern Europe.


I know some of the trenches from the "London" line are made in England. I'm not familiar enough with them to know which models of course.


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## Reuben (Aug 28, 2013)

gamma68 said:


> Well, I stand corrected.
> 
> I wouldn't have thought that a genuine, quality Burberry coat would be made in Poland.
> 
> Personally, if I could choose, I'd opt for a Burberry or Aquascutum made in England or Canada. Not China or Eastern Europe.


Bill's in Bangladesh and Barbours in Lithuania too.


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## drlivingston (Jun 21, 2012)

Reuben said:


> Bill's in Bangladesh and Barbours in Lithuania too.


Very true. I do believe that Aquascutum is back under British ownership now, though. At least there's that. I think the Chinese company that owned it bought it for less than $25 million. lol


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## Angela Bailey (Nov 20, 2017)

WillBarrett said:


> Any help with this? No label but curious about the pattern.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Please help with this coat I just found at a Thrift store-fake or not?


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2020)

Did they ever make a short black insulated Brit jacket with just a black and white pattern for the lining? Buttons, stitching and labels appear authentic. Thank you


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## Doctor Damage (Feb 18, 2005)

Angela Bailey said:


> Please help with this coat I just found at a Thrift store-fake or not?


How much does it cost at the thrift store? If it's like $40 or something, who cares if it's genuine, it's a nice looking coat!


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2021)

gamma68 said:


> Well, I stand corrected.
> 
> I wouldn't have thought that a genuine, quality Burberry coat would be made in Poland.
> 
> Personally, if I could choose, I'd opt for a Burberry or Aquascutum made in England or Canada. Not China or Eastern Europe.


I hear you. However, Poland has good quality control, better than UK probably, China, on the other hand....


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## ran23 (Dec 11, 2014)

I picked up a used trench coat with a faded lining, Burberry style. Only tag was a 'Made in Poland'.


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## drpeter (Nov 21, 2008)

I think the fundamental issue here is a kind of discomfort one feels about certain very traditional brands of clothing, like those that have long been made by Burberry or Barbour or Grenfells in the UK, and comparable brands in the USA, now being outsourced to other countries which may not have a history of excellence (at least none that we know of) in the manufacture of clothing. I am definitely not discounting the widespread production of fakes. That is certainly a problem that we have to face. So the question is: Are we looking at a real Burberry (or Barbour, etc.) made in another country, outsourced legitimately, or are we looking at a fake product that is counterfeited illegally?

In the first case, the only real way to deal with the quality of legitimately outsourced items is to try them and see how well they hold up to long wear. We could gather information, collect others' experiences with such products, and come to a decision on our own. If another country, to which Burberry has legally outsourced manufacture, can actually sustain production of high quality items, then we can trust that country's Burberry items. However, they may still not have the same cachet as those made in the UK.

There are also countries with a general tradition of quality which we might trust more than a less well-known producer of clothing. A good example is Italy. Would a Burberry made in Italy, with its long-standing reputation in the design of practically everything including clothes, be more acceptable to us than one made in Poland (or Bulgaria, Macedonia, etc.)?

A low-cost way of testing such "outsourced" items would be to buy them used in thrift shops and try them out -- see how well they hold up over time. I have a couple of pairs of outsourced shoes made in Indonesia, thrifted at low cost, which I plan to wear this summer to see how well they hold up and how comfortable they are. They look good, and what wear they have seems to indicate quality. If they don't stand up to muster over several months, I will have learned something and my cost for this lesson would have been only a few dollars per pair.

In the second case, the resolution of fakes/forgeries is problematic. How can we determine this (the concern raised in many of the posts above) and if so, how acceptable is it? If a fake item is done extremely well, and holds up to long wear, should we countenance its continuing purchase? This is a tough question to answer in general terms.

A side note: In one of my areas of collecting, philately, the acquisition of forgeries and fakes is considered a very valuable aspect of the whole enterprise, partly because it enables us to study the forgeries and learn how to tell real stamps from forged ones, and real cancels from forged ones. Even common stamps are forged -- not for collectors, but for large-scale bulk mailers who can buy the forged stamps in bulk at 70%-80% of what they would pay at the Post Office. Both the American Philatelic Research Library and the Royal Philatelic Society of London have excellent collections of forgeries that they maintain (I have access to both organizations), in order to help expertize and validate (or not validate) any given stamp a collector submits to them. This is useful stuff!


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## Guest (May 30, 2021)

This is so sad to see people know nothing about the quality of Polish production. Poland was a textile empire in past, the area of the city od Łódź, especially. 

Best quality Wrangler items now are those made in Poland. Poland also still „
''produces” the best quality of goose down with matchless technical parameters used by top brands from US, Japan and Poland (yes, they also settled famous mountaineering brands like legendary Yeti, Pajak and Malachowski that have been a longtime top suppliers for International expeditions equipping them with extremely endurable sleeping bags, padded jackets and suits). 

Poland is also famous from producing raw linen, traditional linen, handmade embroidered tablecloths (being sold expensively in some areas in US), and niche, handmade painted silk exclusively manufactured in Milanówek.


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