Real vs. Fake. With the popularity of Hermes in the world of fashion and the growing collectible nature of their scarf designs, it's becoming increasingly important to know how to identify the differences between an authentic silk scarf and merely a good knock-off. Here we will break down the key differences in what to look for when wanting to feel confident in your next vintage (or modern) purchase.
The Sign of Four
Take a page out of the second novel of Sherlock Holmes and you're on the right track to your treasure.
There are four key factors in identifying your scarf. After all, the best way to know if you have a real scarf is to identify if the design exists, right?
When you pick up a scarf, whether it be silk, cotton, or cashmere; you''ll want to know how to cross reference it on the internet. The internet may be littered with fakes, but it's still your best friend for tracking down what you need when you don't know about the history of a Hermes scarf. So what are we looking at in the image above? It's simple actually.
Look for the title. Most artists put the name of their piece smack dab in the middle of the design. Some don't, which will make it more difficult to track down what the design is, but if you have a title, there's no doubting what the piece is called and how Hermes promoted it. Think about how hard it would be to find that 'Chasse en Inde' online with all those animals running around creating such chaos.
Find the artist. This is probably the most difficult moniker to find on a Hermes scarf as it could be absolutely anywhere in the design. Most designers only signed their names on some their work, and a few others barely ever signed them at all. If you can't find a name or signature on the piece, that doesn't mean it's not real, but finding the artist among the work can help you verify pieces without titles and sometimes even help you identify the decade it was created. Caty Latham can be found on most of her works like this orange version of 'Neige D'antan'.
Find the company name. This is one of the two features pretty much no scarf goes without and it will usually be in the center of the bottom of the design. It will also fairly often include a dash in between the words like in this purple 'Voyage en Etoffes'. More importantly, make sure that grave accent (l'accent grave) is found above that second "e" or else you're looking at a fake. Fashion companies don't misprint their names.
Lastly, find the copyright. Many times the company places this mark near the top left area of the artwork, but realistically it can be found anywhere they decide it looks best. There is not one scarf design that doesn't include the © symbol followed by 'Hermes'.
Tag, you're it!
Now it's time to figure out what year the artist released their work, and more importantly if Hermes ever decided to reprint the famous design. When it comes to figuring this information out, the tag means absolutely everything. Care tags have evolved with each passing decade and they have become one of the main indicators of finding out if you've got a great vintage collectible, just a modern reprint, or worse - some scheming company's accurate knock off.
Wannabe companies give their due diligence when creating fakes which has continued to make it more difficult for a fashion collector to purchase with confidence. One thing they seem to not do as well though is replicate the tags correctly. Sure, they can make a similar tag, but creating one that matches and older style and look is not as easy as it sounds. It's easy to call something vintage. What's not easy is copying a vintage design from the past while also having it look like it came from that era. When a company makes a new scarf, it looks new, but that doesn't mean you should avoid an authentic piece in good condition. That's where the tag comes in.
Size Matters
And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Hermes tags have gone from a small length with one layer, to a small length and folded over, to a long length and thin height, and finally back to short length but with now a larger height sometimes even in a different color. It may seem like a lot, but it's pretty simple. Nowadays, you'll find very nice looking tags with four rows of information, always saying they are: Made in France, 100% Silk (soie), Dry Clean Only, and including multiple wash symbols. Just as seen in image A and B, these tags come in white, black, and sometimes even (but more rarely) brown. If you have this tag, you have a modern release of a vintage design. Just make sure it's a design Hermes did release again and not someone trying to slap a tag on a good looking fake, these newer tags are easiest to replicate, but not that easy. If it has a tag, you're usually in good company.
So how do these tags differ from vintage ones? Luckily it was almost exactly 20 years ago that Hermes made a major switch. The company had solid run releasing pieces with thin longer tags that had three rows of information, and attached to the scarf by folding downward at each end as seen in image C and D. If you see this tag, you can be sure it's vintage. Stumbling across a design from the 70's or 80's with this tag is a great find because that's exactly when artist variations had these tags and also aren't so old that they couldn't have been kept in good condition. Older scarves can tend to fade with time especially if washed, but this is prime time for Hermes scarf collecting in that you can find the best condition scarves with the best verification for authenticity.
Lastly we want to take a step back to an even more vintage time frame, when Hermes scarves were growing to fashion prominence. You'll notice in image E and F that the tags have almost nothing going on. They are small squares attached by one end and all they really tell you is that your scarf is silk. Well, that's all Hermes needed for their original releases and that's all you'll need to know your piece is from a different era. Sometimes the most simple features are the best.
A Final Tip
The hem edges of each scarf are a good indicator of correct Hermes factory production. One thing counterfeiters get wrong is the direction in which the stitching goes. It's a subtle difference that many people will overlook but once you know this it's easily distinguished.
Tags are located on the back of scarves. Notice how the stitching isn't as easily seen near them? That's because Hermes makes sure the stitches wrap over completing on the top of the scarf. When you fold a front corner over a back corner you can see the interchanging look of how a hem is supposed to look. Some scarves aren't as fine as others but most will look like the ones pictured here, giving a clear indication of if it was stitched in a Hermes factory.
In Conclusion...
There are so many features in a Hermes design that keeps it lauded above other fashion brands. This is why with a little practice and a bit of research nearly anyone can own a fine piece of fashion history for their own collection.
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