Last Updated on December 3, 2023 by Ch David
Burberry’s coat is one of the most legendary wearables. It is known by every fashion fan, especially in the classic Burberry Nova Checkered Print.
So, Thomas Burberry, the maker of Burberry’s coats[1] are being manufactured ever since the year 1856, and since this item’s got this popularity, fakes come along with it but don’t worry, we’re here to help you authenticate these.
We’ve compiled this ultimate fake vs real Burberry coat authenticity check guide that will teach you everything you have to know about authenticating these coats, and just by following it, you’ll easily know how to spot a fake Burberry coat and how to spot a real coat.
Along with every method of our guide on how to identify fake Burberry trench coats, we are going to attach reference real vs fake Burberry coat images, and these images will make it easier for you to visualise the flaws on the fake coats, as well as the right details on the genuine products.
You can spot a fake Burberry coat by checking the text on the neck tag to see if the text is very thick, as this is a very common issue with all fake coats. Authentic Burberry coats are built with high care and are defined up to the smallest details.
Unlike fake Burberry coats, genuine products are flawless every time. Precision defines Burberry as a brand.
As we’ve previously mentioned, we consider the neck tag on the interior side of the real vs fake Burberry vintage trench coats as the very best way to authenticate the Burberry coat.
The Burberry coat was released over 71 times throughout its history[2]. Hence there are lots of authentic versions of the neck tag.
The replica Burberry vintage coats mostly feature the latest types of neck tags, with very few replicated older neck tags.
As Burberry changes their name a couple of times[3], “Burberry, London England” is the most popular one among these coats.
Find a list of all the name changes at the end of these comparisons.
The fake Burberry coat mainly presents font-weight flaws for each of its characters and starting with the block of text which says that the coat was manufactured by a specific appointment, you can see how the fake coat’s inscription looks too thick.
Flaws on the fake Burberry coat’s neck tag:
Regarding the authentic Burberry vintage Nova coats, these should have their text thinner than the fake one in the image above, and as you can see, the fact is being proved: the real coat’s “BURBERRY” main text is thinner.
On the other hand, the genuine Burberry vintage Nova trench coat’s “London, England” text is thicker than the fake one.
For your reference, in the image above we have posted an older but genuine Burberry neck tag.
There are fewer replicas with this neck tag rather than the number of replicas with the previously inspected neck tag.
If you see a neck tag that’s off the pattern of the real one highlighted above, then you are most likely looking at a counterfeit Burberry trench coat.
There is no difference between “Burberrys” and “Burberry”. The one that ends with an “s” is simply the old name of the brand, used up until 1999.
Starting in 2000, the brand was officially named “Burberry”.
This is one of those rare cases, but we’re here to warn you about any sort of flaw that occurs on the replica Burberry coats.
If you see a Burberry coat with the “Burberry® OF LONDON” text (without the “s” at the end of “Burberry”), then you are definitely looking at a fake coat.
The brand used to do authentic neck tags that said “Burberry London” in the threshold of 1998-1999, so that makes two years of “Burberry London”.
Burberry is known for changing its name a few times, and if you’re looking for a concrete and easy-to-remember list with the brand’s names, then have a look below.
That’s all you need to know about what your product’s neck tag should say based on when it was manufactured.
Expert's Advice - Reach out to our authenticators
The wash tags are yet another very good way to spot fake Burberry coats, and we recommend that you never skip checking the wash tags, as they can also tell you the authenticity of a coat in an easy manner.
Just like the neck tag, these changed a lot of times as well throughout the existence of Burberry, and we are going to compare two similar wash tags that differ in just a few inscriptions on the lower side of this step.
First off, we’d like to mention that not every Burberry coat will have this piece, but we’ve started with it because on most of the newer coats, this tag is the first one, and this is the very first thing you’ll see when you got to the wash tags.
In the image with the fake vs real Burberry coats above, we have pointed out how there are three flaws in the fake tag:
Always compare your Burberry coat side-by-side with our fake vs real images to get it right.
Don’t worry, we’re not looking for the wash tags to have the same inscriptions, as the only thing that we care about here is the way in which the text looks.
Burberry always proves their high quality here, while the fake items tend to have their wash tag’s text flawed.
As you can see, we’ve spotted three main flaws on the fake Burberry coat’s wash tag:
On the other hand, the legit Burberry coat’s “BURBERRY” main text looks thinner, wider and more stretched than the fake coat’s text, and the real deal has its letters with more distance in-between, therefore having a higher kerning than the characters on the fake coat.
Lastly, on the bottom side of the wash tag, the real coat’s text should look a bit thicker than the text seen on the upper side of the wash tag, and the fake coat’s text actually looks thinner than it should be.
Now, let’s have a quick look at a few other authentic wash tags.
On the left side of the image, you’ll see the legitimate Burberry wash tag of an item manufactured in Italy, and on the right side, there’s another one from England.
The made-in-Italy wash tags are rarer than the made-in-England ones, hence there are fewer replicas for the made-in-Italy items rather than the more numerous number of fakes pretending to be made in England.
This picture from above shows you an older version of an authentic Burberry wash tag. This is indeed a bigger and more detailed wash tag, and being frank, these are not often seen replicated.
Here’s what a fake “MADE IN CHINA” Burberry tag looks like:
We’ve added this reference picture of a fake Chinese Burberry label due to high demand. People always ask if a coat is fake just because it says “MADE IN CHINA”.
Authentic Burberry coats and other products are made all over the world:
Don’t panic if you see your Burberry item saying that it is made in China. There are many authentic Burberry tags that say “Made in China” on all labels.
Just because it says that the item was manufactured in China, it 100% doesn’t mean that you have a fake Burberry.
This tab can be seen on lots of Burberry coats, and we are going to take for reference three of the most popular models of the Burberry coat.
This step will begin with the real vs fake Burberry Kensington comparison of the label below the neck tag. Then, we’ll look at other real vs fake Burberry trench coat models.
In the image with the real vs fake Burberry Kensington coats above:
Now that we’re done with the Kensington, let’s have a look at the real vs fake Burberry Sandringham coats for their model’s inscription.
As you can see in the picture with the fake vs real Burberry Sandringham trench coats above:
The picture with the fake vs real Burberry Westminster coats above shows you how:
Besides, the stitching job all around the fake badge is not as dense as the real stitching.
The picture with the authentic vs fake BurberryNova coats above shows you how:
The pattern from the genuine Burberry coat above should be the same throughout each authentic Burberry Nova coat, as the red lines need to be close to the neck tag.
The picture with the fake vs real Burberry Nova coats above shows you a full-view angle of the pattern on the inside.
As you can see, the fake coat’s black and white lines are a bit thicker and larger than the real ones, which are thinner and narrower.
A quick mention:
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
Depending on the release of your item, there may be just one or two tabs.
These indicate where your Burberry was made and the size in different formats: UK, US, and Italian sizes.
In the picture with the fake vs real Burberry coats above, we have pointed out how the fake “MADE IN ENGLAND” text has its letters too thick.
That aside, if you look at the letters “D” and “E” in the “MADE” text, you can see how they are too big on the fake item, and how all of the letters on the real labels are at the same size and font-weight.
The “US UK IT” tab (United States, United Kingdom, Italy) on the fake Burberry coat also has its text too thick, and that’s the most visible on the “IT” text. On the other hand, the real coat’s text is thinner on this small tab as well.
This is one of the most critical flaws that a fake Burberry coat can have, and that’s because the interior labels do not match the model’s name properly.
So as to easily understand this, let’s have a look at the neck tag and at the wash tag of the same Burberry coat that presents this flaw:
Well, the answer is none, because that’s a fake coat.
The coat from above is supposed to be a Chelsea replica, but the replica manufacturer messed up the inscription on the wash tag, and yes, this does happen sometimes on fake Burberry products.
An authentic Burberry coat will have the same model inscriptions on the neck + wash tags.
Here are some other authenticity-check tutorials for you: Burberry scarf, RayBan sunglasses.
These differ from one release to another, but the word that is always written on these is the “BURBERRY” text logo, and that’s what’s always flawed on the fake coats.
That’s just the way in which the logo of the brand looks on a real coat: with smaller, boxier letters.
Yes, all Burberry coats have “Burberry” on the buttons. The brand’s logo should use the San Serif font in capital letters on every button.
You’ll often see fake Burberry coats missing the “Burberry” logo engraved into the buttons.
Keep in mind that the genuine Burberry coats are always made with fine materials, therefore needing to have this buckle made out of metal instead of plastic.
On the other hand, the real Burberry coat’s stitching on this patch looks bigger and a tad bit wider, as it is generally just thinner than the fake coat’s stitching.
That is because the real Burberry coat’s same hardware detail is less shiny, hence why it reflects less light.
Let’s look at the coat’s behaviour when water is poured on top of it.
The Burberry trench coat is supposed to cover you from rain, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be waterproof.
To better understand this, have a look at a quote from Burberry’s official website:
Our Heritage Trench Coats are not waterproof, the Heritage Trench Coat is designed to protect the wearer against rain and made from water-repellent cotton gabardine, a fabric invented by Thomas Burberry in 1879. The innovative cloth is woven from fine, compacted cotton in a structure that prevents water from permeating the fabric.
Is the Burberry Trench Coat waterproof?
The picture with the hangers from the fake vs real Burberry coat image above shows you how:
A real Burberry hanger would necessarily have its “BURBERRY” text looking smaller, thinner and perfectly visible, since it isn’t faded.
There are situations, where you may be unable to go through each detailed step, explained above when you need to authenticate your trench coat.
That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to authenticating your coat.
If you need help with the authentication of your Burberry coat, we’ve got you covered.
All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Burberry coat and we will get back to you with the results within 24 to 48 hours.
The results will also come with a report on why we believe your coat is fake or authentic.
Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.
Get a fully-detailed report for why you have a real or fake item. Takes less than 48 hours!
Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.
Thank you for reading this,
Ch Daniel and Ch David
