19 Tips That Can Help You Spot a Fake Item

In 2013, counterfeit goods worldwide accounted for $461 billion. Nike is the most counterfeited brand globally, and Ray-Ban, Rolex, Supreme, and Louis Vuitton are the most copied brands worldwide. And while some copies look almost identical to the originals, there are slight differences we think you should know about.

At Bright Side, we want you to know how to recognize a fake product and the differences between originals and counterfeits in some of the most popular brands.

1. Nike shoes

\Nike Air sneakers have a texture that counterfeit manufacturers cannot imitate. This is because their materials are different, and so are their devices. Thus, in authentic Nike shoes, you will notice a hardness in the leather that will be missing in the counterfeit ones.

You will also need to examine the symmetry of the sneakers. If something looks asymmetrical, then it may be a counterfeit product.

2. Ray-Bans

• Authentic Ray-Ban lenses with plastic frames are made in one whole piece. If it’s a metal frame, then the central part must look neat and can have small details but no protruding points.
• Most often, the lenses are made of real glass, but some can be made of plastic. To know if yours is one of them, go to the manufacturer’s official website.
• In the upper right corner of the right lens, you can find the inscription of the Ray-Ban logo. It is engraved on the surface of the lens, so it is impossible to erase it.
• On the outside of the temples, there should also be an inscription detailing the manufacturer. In addition, the item’s serial number is usually on the left side and the country of manufacture on the right side.

3. Fila shoes

• If you look at the letter “F” on your Fila shoes, you will notice that there is some irregularity in the stitching. This is perfectly normal on all original Fila shoes. What is not normal is for the letter “F” to be really sharp on the top two edges. On the fake shoes, these edges almost touch the square surrounding the logo, which should not be the case.
• Next, look at the details of the toe cap, especially the holes in the front. There should be the same distance between each hole, but if not, you probably bought a fake pair of sneakers.
• In addition, the heel logo may be completely different. On the original sneakers, that logo is the same as the one on the tongue.

4. Burberry scarf

• The authentic scarf always has well-defined lines and a dense texture.
• The fringe yarns in a scarf should be well rolled and spaced apart, they do not fall apart when touched.
• The brand name on the label attached to the article must be written in capital letters. Also, the label must contain information about the country of manufacture and the composition of the scarf.

5. Gucci handbags

• First, you should examine the two “G’s” on the front of your bag. The serifs of the G’s should be long and sleek looking and not thick. Also, the rounded part of the G should be a perfect oval and not pointed. If the logo looks blurry, it is probably fake.
• Look closely at the stitching, as a genuine Gucci bag will have even stitching. If the stitching on your bag looks uneven in places or is a different color than the bag itself, then you should assume it is a counterfeit.

6. Supreme sweatshirt

• On the collar of this brand’s hooded and non-hooded sweatshirts, there are two dark red labels. On the first, larger, is written the name of the brand with the letter R in a circle. On the second, you’ll find the country of manufacture: Canada. There should be a recommendation not to iron the item on the inner label, where you can find the care instructions. Manufacturers of replicas often forget this detail.
• On sweatshirts with embroidered logos, the location of the letters on the red part should be uniform, and the distance between the two should be adequate. If you turn the authentic sweatshirt inside out, you will see a fine mesh of white threads on the back of the logo.
• Supreme complements the hoods of its sweatshirts only with flat laces, which are carefully tied at the ends. Round laces, burned at the ends, or laces with different types of terminations are a sign of counterfeiting.

7. Adidas Yeezy tennis shoes

• First, you have to check the wave pattern on the original Yeezy, which should be sideways with irregular wave prints.
• Next, you can check the tongue of the sneakers. The original Yeezy’s tongues are more curved, while the fake ones look much straighter.
• Check the inside of the shoes and see if the Adidas icon is the same size on each shoe. On some occasions, you may notice that their size differs.
• The stitching on the inside should also be checked, as it may look suspiciously amateurish.

8. New Balance sneakers

• New Balance sneakers have brand symbols on the back, tongue, the side of the sneaker, and the side of the sole, on the sole itself, and the insoles. The logo in the shape of the letter N on the side of the sneaker is made in the form of a patch.
• The original slippers have a soft sole, made of foam material, easily compresses and quickly returns to their original state. The sole protector is made of rubber. The insoles of authentic New Balance shoes have a perforation, logo, size, and information about the model.

9. Toms espadrilles

• The first thing to check is the insoles of your espadrilles. If they can be removed, your footwear is likely fake, as the original insoles are sewn to the bottom.
• Next, you can check the back of the espadrille to look at the logo. The letters of the original brand are perfectly balanced and square. However, the letters of the fake brand are pointed and unbalanced (note the odd shape of the letter “O”). Also, the stitching around the label appears thicker on the fake ones.
• You can also check the sides of the shoes to see if any glue is discernible. A reputable brand would never allow something like this, but a copy would probably have glue all over it.

10. Michael Kors Handbag

• For its bags, the brand uses only cream-colored labels containing the primary information about the product: serial number, shade, material, parameters, the price in USD, and a unique bar code.
• All parts of the original bags are engraved with the brand name. It is applied to magnetic clips, handle rings, clasps, carabiners, and fasteners.
• The brand’s authentic bags are made from a dense material that does not deform even during shipping when the item is packed.

11. Guess handbags

• First of all, fake Guess handbags are not made of leather but are cheaper synthetic material. You can check this by pressing the fabric with your finger. If the wrinkles stay there and do not disappear, it is not genuine leather.
• Next, you need to check the lining of the bag. Original Guess bags have an apparent soft lining, while fake ones sometimes have no lining. And if they do, it is very thin, like a sheet of paper.
• Finally, you can check the metal of the bag. The metal applications of a genuine Guess bag are sturdy and shiny, with a smooth surface. Counterfeiters, on the other hand, use a cheaper material that may appear dull and even have surface marks.

12. Guess watches

• Straps for Guess watches are made of metal, silicone, or natural leather. A lousy product smell, uneven color, cracks, scratches, and wear on the strap indicate that we are dealing with an imitation.
• The back should contain basic information about the watch: a logo with the brand name, the material of the watch body (as a rule, it is steel), and data about the watch mechanism with the engraving Japan Movt (as Guess uses only high-quality Japanese mechanisms).

13. Hermès handbags

• First, check the inside printing of the leather and see how the letters have been printed. The French accent of the letter E should be very elegant and not chopped up, as in the fakes. Also, the letters F and R in the word “France” appear to be glued together, something that would never happen on a genuine Hermès bag.
• Next, you can check the leather strap of the bag and inspect the stitching. On a genuine bag, the stitching looks much more elegant and flawless. In contrast, the stitching on the fake bag is not as elegant and, in some areas, looks thicker than that of the original bag.

14. Lacoste polo

• The Lacoste crocodile is always made with clearly defined details. Its eyes, teeth, legs, and red mouth are clearly visible. The crocodile’s body is bright green, and the tail runs parallel to the back.
• At the base of the polo neck, there is a white label with the logo and a red number indicating the size. In men’s models, it is one number, while in women’s models, it is two.
• An imitation Lacoste polo shirt can be spotted because of a small detail: its buttons. Original Lacoste garments have mother-of-pearl buttons with two holes. They have no inscriptions. Replica manufacturers often forget that, so they use buttons with four holes.
• In the men’s models, at the bottom, on the sides of the polo shirt, there are small openings approximately 1/2 inches deep. In women’s versions, the manufacturer does not make any cuts.

15. Balenciaga shoes

• Balenciaga sneakers have a very recognizable protrusion on the heels. This feature is often missing in counterfeits, as their structure is much weaker.
• Not only that, but the front of the shoe has a much more prominent curve than the originals.
• Also, if you check the back of the shoe, you will notice that the brand name is not well centered. Also, not all the letters are the same size and height, and some appear more significant than others.

16. Pandora bracelet

• The color of the original silver bracelet is a bit dull, not very light or bright. In manufacturing, Pandora uses a blackening technique that gives them this unique tone.
• The new original bracelet keeps its perfect shape and virtually no bending, showing well-defined edges of its striated silver cord.
• The size of the clasp on the original Pandora bracelets is comparable to that of the charms. On the front of the clasp, you can see the engraving of the brand: the word Pandora with a crown above the letter “o.”
• There is a brand-specific fastening in the clasp: a clover in the form of a small screw with four heads that serves to fasten the bracelet securely. In addition, the clasp must bear the quality seal of the metal (indicating its purity) with a mark of origin, the initials ALE.
• Pandora charms have an inscription with the name of the brand and the acronym of the metal they are made of. Since 2011, S means silver, and G is gold. Murano glass charms are free of cracks, broken parts, and air bubbles inside.

17. Levi’s

• The arched design on the back pockets of Levi’s jeans might be the brand’s most recognizable feature. It is either a simple bow or a diamond-shaped arch in the center of the pocket. This feature is often copied remarkably incorrectly on counterfeit jeans.
• In addition, the color of the stitching is traditionally orange on original jeans, while many fakes use white thread.
• The third sign of a fake pair of Levi’s jeans is the red tag on the back pocket. An original pair has “Levi’s” written on the red label, while a fake pair has a plain red tag with the letter “R.”

18. Timberland boots

• The sole has a caramel color, but if you look at it closely, it seems slightly transparent. The company logo and the brand name are printed on them, and the sole is uniform. The heel part does not protrude, but forms a continuous line.
• The logo is located on the outside, at the bottom of the boot above the heel. Its print is uniform and well-defined, located strictly vertically.
• The eyelets on the boots are perfect hexagons, which are ideally rounded on the outside. In men’s models, there are 7, in women’s models, 6.
• All seams on the boots are made with white thread. If there are several seams close, they are clearly parallel to each other.

19. Nike t-shirts

• The first thing to examine is the Nike logo. In most cases, it does not have exactly the same proportions as the original. Its angle and inclination may be different.
• Next, the label inside the T-shirt should be checked for misspellings. The original brand would never misspell words, but counterfeit products may have one or more errors.
• You will also need to look at the labels inside the shirt, near the bottom. Nike’s usually have two or more labels sewn in, while the fake ones usually have only one.

Have you ever unknowingly bought a counterfeit product? How did you recognize that it was not a genuine brand? Could you tell the difference, or did you have to ask an expert?

I spotted a recognizable scar on our cleaning lady’s hand, and suddenly, a distressing memory surged back

It was just an ordinary day until I saw a familiar scar on our cleaning lady’s hand. It triggered a flood of painful memories I’d buried deep, bringing back a piece of my past I thought was lost forever. Could it be HER?

I never thought an ordinary scar could change my life, but that’s exactly what happened on a Tuesday afternoon last month.😔

“Ashton, we need to talk about the new hires,” my business partner, Jake, said as he barged into my office.

I looked up from the pile of invoices on my desk, rubbing my tired eyes. “What’s up?”

Jake plopped down in the chair across from me. “It’s Mrs. Rodriguez, the new cleaning lady. The clients can’t stop raving about her. She’s getting all the good reviews and all the big tips. The other cleaners are starting to notice.”

I leaned back in my chair, a small smile playing on my lips. “Isn’t that a good thing? We want our employees to do well.”

“Yeah, but…” Jake hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I’m worried it might cause some tension.”

I shrugged. “As long as everyone’s doing their job, I don’t see the problem. Mrs. Rodriguez is just really good at what she does.”

Jake nodded, but I could see the concern in his eyes. “Just keep an eye on it, okay?”

“Will do,” I replied, turning back to my work. Little did I know that those words would come back to haunt me.

A week later, I was knee-deep in complaints about Mrs. Rodriguez.

“I’m telling you, Ashton, she ruined my carpet!” Mrs. Jennings, one of our long-time clients, screeched over the phone.

I winced, holding the receiver away from my ear. “I understand, Mrs. Jennings. We’ll make it right, I promise.”

As soon as I hung up, my cell phone buzzed with a text from another angry client:

“Your ‘expert’ cleaner RUINED my antique rug!!! It’s been in my family for 3 generations and now it’s DESTROYED! I want compensation NOW or I’m calling my lawyer!!! 😡🤬 #WorstServiceEver”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. This was getting out of hand fast.

“What’s going on?” I muttered to myself.

Jake poked his head into my office. “More complaints?”

I nodded, feeling a headache coming on. “I don’t get it. Mrs. Rodriguez was doing so well, and now suddenly she’s messing up left and right?”

Jake’s expression darkened. “Maybe she’s not as good as we thought.”

I shook my head. “No, something’s not right here. Mrs. Rodriguez is too professional for this.”

“What are you thinking?” Jake asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“I’m thinking we need to do some investigating.”

The next day, I installed hidden cameras in our supply room. It felt wrong, like I was betraying my employees’ trust, but I needed answers.

“Are you sure about this?” Jake asked as we finished setting up the last camera.

I sighed, wiping my hands on my jeans. “No, but what choice do we have? We need to know what’s really going on. Mrs. Rodriguez is a seasoned cleaning lady, and she can’t be messing up. We must be missing something.”

Jake nodded, his face grim. “I hope you’re wrong about this, Ashton.”

“Me too, buddy.”

As we left the supply room, I had a premonition that something wasn’t right.

Three days later, I sat in my office, staring at my computer screen in disbelief. The footage from the hidden cameras played before me, showing three of our cleaners — Sandra, Alice, and Maria — tampering with Mrs. Rodriguez’s cleaning supplies.

“I can’t believe this,” I muttered, my hands clenched into fists.

Jake leaned over my shoulder, his face pale. “Holy—! They’ve been sabotaging her this whole time?”

I nodded, feeling sick to my stomach. “We need to confront them. All of them, including Mrs. Rodriguez. She deserves to know what’s been happening.”

“I’ll call them in for a meeting. Tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah,” I agreed, my mind racing. “Tomorrow morning.”

As Jake left the office, I couldn’t help but wonder how I would handle this mess.

The next morning, I paced my office, waiting for everyone to arrive. Sandra, Alice, and Maria filed in first, looking nervous. Mrs. Rodriguez came in last, confused yet composed.

“Thank you all for coming,” I began. “We need to discuss something important.”

As Mrs. Rodriguez took off her jacket, I froze. There, on her right forearm, was a scar. A red crescent-shaped scar that I’d recognize anywhere.

Memories — painful ones — came flooding back.

Suddenly, I was five years old again, huddled on a doorstep, cold and hungry.

And there was Mrs. Rodriguez, though I didn’t know her name then, wrapping me in a warm blanket, her kind eyes filled with concern.

“No, could it be HER?” I mumbled, tears brimming in my eyes.

“Mrs. Rodriguez,” I slowly approached her. “Did you… did you live on Maple Street about 30 years ago?”

She looked startled, her eyes widening. “Yes, I did. How did you know that?”

I took a deep breath, feeling tears prick my eyes. “Because you saved my life!”

The room fell silent as Mrs. Rodriguez stared at me, recognition slowly dawning on her face.

“Billy?” she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Little Billy?”

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

Mrs. Rodriguez rushed forward, enveloping me in a hug that smelled like lemon cleaner and home.

“Oh, my sweet boy,” she cried. “I’ve thought about you every day since then.”

I hugged her back, tears welling up in my eyes. For a moment, I felt like the scared little boy who had been abandoned by his parents. But this time, I was safe, cradled in the warm embrace of the woman who had rescued me from darkness.

“I never got to thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez. You changed my life that day.”

She pulled back, cupping my face in her hands. “I’m just so glad you’re okay. When I moved away, I always wondered what happened to you.”

I smiled through my tears. “I got adopted by a loving family. I have a wonderful life now. I’m running a successful cleaning business, married with three wonderful kids. It’s… it’s all thanks to you.”

Mrs. Rodriguez beamed, her eyes shining. “That’s all I ever wanted for you, Billy.”

“It’s Ashton now,” I said softly. “But I never forgot about you.”

A throat clearing behind us brought me back to reality. I turned to see Sandra, Alice, and Maria shifting uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at us.

My earlier anger came rushing back. “Do you three have any idea who this woman is?” I demanded.

They shook their heads, looking terrified.

“This woman saved my life when I was a child,” I said, my arm still around Mrs. Rodriguez’s shoulders. “And you’ve been trying to ruin her career because you were JEALOUS?”

Alice spoke up, her voice trembling. “We didn’t know… we just thought…”

“You thought what? That sabotaging her work would make you look better? That destroying her reputation would somehow improve yours?”

Mrs. Rodriguez put a hand on my arm. “Ashton, please. I don’t want any trouble.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “No, Mrs. Rodriguez. You don’t deserve this. None of this is your fault.”

I turned back to the three women, who looked like they wanted the floor to swallow them whole.

“You’re all FIRED! I won’t tolerate this kind of behavior in my company. Pack your things and leave. Now.”

They didn’t argue as they quietly filed out of the office, leaving Mrs. Rodriguez and me alone.

She sighed, looking troubled. “Ashton, I feel terrible. I didn’t want anyone to lose their jobs because of me.”

I shook my head, taking her fragile hands in mine. “This isn’t because of you. It’s because of their actions. You did nothing wrong.”

Mrs. Rodriguez smiled sadly. “I just wanted to do my best work. I never meant to make anyone jealous.”

“And that’s exactly why you’re so good at what you do,” I said, gently squeezing her hands. “You care about doing a good job, not about competing with others.”

She nodded, then looked at me curiously. “So, you own this company now?! My little Billy, all grown up and successful.”

I laughed, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. “I couldn’t have done it without you. You gave me a chance at a better life.”

Over the next few weeks, things at the company settled into a new rhythm. Mrs. Rodriguez became our lead trainer, teaching new hires the importance of integrity and hard work.

One evening, as we were closing up the office, she turned to me with a twinkle in her eye. “You know, Ashton, I always knew you’d do great things.”

I raised an eyebrow, amused. “Oh yeah? How’s that?”

She smiled, that same warm smile I remembered from thirty years ago. “Because even as a little boy, you had a big heart. And now look at you, running a successful business, treating your employees with respect.”

I felt my cheeks flush with pride. “I learned from the best!”

Mrs. Rodriguez patted my cheek affectionately. “We both did, my son. We both did.”

As we walked out of the office together, I realized that sometimes, life has a funny way of coming full circle. Mrs. Rodriguez had saved me all those years ago, and now, in a small way, I had also saved her.

From that day on, she was more than just an employee to me. She was family. And every time I saw that scar on her arm, I was reminded that sometimes, our deepest wounds can lead us to our greatest blessings.