Irregular stitching is a dead giveaway.

Yes, that’s a strong sign it’s fake. Coach does not ship bags with wonky stitching—especially on the signature C pattern.

A real Coach bag has very consistent stitching: straight lines, even spacing, and the Cs line up across seams. If you see loose threads, skipped stitches, or the pattern doesn’t match up at the edges, it’s almost certainly counterfeit. Counterfeit factories cut corners on labor and quality control, so the stitching is the easiest tell.

Beyond stitching, also check the hardware weight (real Coach uses solid brass or zinc, fake stuff feels hollow), the inner tag (should have a serial number stamped, not printed), and the leather smell (real leather has a distinct smell, vinyl does not). But if the stitching looks off, you don’t need to look further.

Trust your eye—if it feels sloppy, it’s fake.