Dooney and (&) Bourke bags were once a staple of American quality and fashion, but like many other fashion designers, they have gone the route of manufacturing cheaper through Chinese labor. And this can create a lot of confusion for the buyer. The shopper buys a Dooney bag, takes it home, slings it over her shoulder, and it looks great! Then he looks inside and starts fiddling with the inside zippers etc, and stumbles upon a little tag that says those three little words: Made in China. What? Dooney’s supposed to be made in the USA, right? The shopper then begins to panic, assuming he had been fooled by a fake bag. But, in fact, it is a genuine Dooney and it was made in China.

So for the record, a D&B that says made in China doesn’t mean it’s a fake bag. Many of the newer bags are made in China. However, all vintage D&B bags should say made in the USA. Coach has also made this switch from the USA to China.

What about the fakes?

After checking where the bag was made, check the plumbing. The trim refers to the rounded edges of the bag, and this feature will be a high-quality leather. The seam lines associated with the pipe will also be of high quality. There should be no crooked or uneven stitch lines along the edge of the leather trim. Any evidence of sloppy and rushed stitch lines resulting in wobbly or lopsided seams is a major red flag.

Always check the hardware. Dooney & Bourke uses high quality brass for all of their metal accents. A good way to inspect hardware for real or fake brass is to look closely for evidence of silver-plated areas. This would represent nickel in many cases. This is a cheap metal used by counterfeiters that is colored to look like brass and replicate the authentic brass that Dooney would implement. Real brass will have an aged look and fake brass will have a shiny, superficially cheap look.

Here are some quick steps you can take to remove some of the fakes, and it’s not a complete guide to all the necessary tips, but it will provide some insulation from many of the fakes on the viral market. Good luck and safe shopping!