How to Authenticate a Goyard Tote Bag and Spot a Fake

The Goyard St. Louis tote is prized by celebrities and royals worldwide. They are the epitome of understated elegance, durability, and meticulous artisanship. Unfortunately, the growing popularity of Goyard totes has led to counterfeits flooding the market. Learning how to authenticate a Goyard bag is critical to avoid getting taken in by a scam. It has been estimated that 80% of the Goyard St. Louis totes purchased on the secondary market are fakes.

Madison Avenue Couture is one of America’s leading dealers in authentic Goyard bags. We are dedicated to protecting our clients from counterfeiters. So, we’re pulling back the curtain on some of our techniques for authenticating these gorgeous bags. Learn how to know if a Goyard bag is authentic and how to spot a fake one. 

Understanding Goyard’s Craftsmanship

Goyard’s extraordinary artisanship is at the heart of the design house’s popularity, and a full appreciation of that quality is essential to learning how to authenticate a Goyard bag. 

We’ll provide specific details to look for, but the overarching message is this: unless every facet of the bag is constructed as well as it possibly can be, then it’s not an authentic Goyard. 

Goyard uses only the finest materials for their bags. The coated canvas is a proprietary blend of hemp, cotton, and linen known as Goyardine. This signature canvas is exceptionally durable and extraordinarily lightweight. Genuine Goyard St. Louis totes are far lighter in weight than fakes that cannot match the quality of the lightweight Goyardine. In fact, the quickest way to spot a fake Goyard bag is to weigh it. 

An authentic Goyard St. Louis PM tote measures 11” x 5.9” x 13.4” and weighs just 8.81 ounces. A Goyard St. Louis GM tote measures 13.4” x 7.9” x 15.7” and weighs just 12.35 ounces. 

If a St. Louis tote has different measurements or weighs more, as most do, it is not an authentic Goyard. 

Smooth calfskin leather finishes and reinforces the seams and forms the handles. This leather should be soft and supple with a luxurious feel to it. If the leather handles or the detachable strap connecting the matching pochette to the bag is thick, stiff, or has a plastic look or feel to it, it is a fake. They should have unfinished, unseamed edges and have the soft feel of natural leather. Many fakes use molded vinyl without a raw edge. The small leather ring that encircles the strap must be round and secured with a single stitch, with the ends meeting. 

Authenticity Details to Look For

Once you have evaluated the overall quality, the next step in learning how to authenticate a Goyard bag is checking the serial number and heat stamps. Every genuine Goyard bag has a serial number. While the location of the serial number varies with the model and year of manufacture, the number always consists of three letters followed by six digits. The Goyard serial number is heat stamped into the leather in a simple, sans-serif font, making a clean, precise, and discreet impression. Another quick way to spot a fake Goyard bag is by finding thick letters deeply stamped into the leather. 

The Goyard inscription reads Goyard Paris Made in France on three center-stacked lines. While most fakes get the wording right, the impressions made in the leather are far too thick, deep, and heavy.

The silver button on the pochette features the Goyard G in a serif font centered on the flap. The G should be perfectly vertical on an authentic bag. On the inside of the pochette, the reverse side of the button should read Goyard Paris and be exactly vertical. Fakes may read differently or the text may be crooked due to the careless placement of the button. 

Visual Verification

Learning how to identify an authentic Goyard bag is all about the details. The stitching on all authentic St. Louis totes is white except for the bags made from black Goyardine, which are stitched in black. Every stitch is small, neat, and precisely placed, anchored with a double stitch for added strength. The handle is secured to the exterior of the bag with five double stitches. 

On an authentic Goyard bag, the leather strap holding the D-ring to the back of the pochette is neat and discreet. It is slightly rectangular and held in place by four stitches by three. On a fake bag, this leather piece is far larger, with wider stitches, and a bit messy.

Other Indicators of Authenticity

Learning how to authenticate a Goyard bag uses more senses than sight. The bag is crafted from natural fibers, cotton, linen, and hemp, trimmed in genuine leather. There should be no trace of a synthetic smell or a plasticky feel to it. The handles and detachable strap should be soft and supple, like the quality natural leather they are made from.

The pointillistic pattern of interlocking Ys that form a chevron pattern is the signature eye-catching feature of any Goyard bag or tote. Originally hand-painted, the pattern is now crafted from painstakingly etching and multilayered dyeing. The dots are elongated and slightly irregular in three coordinating colors that lend dimension and a nearly 3D appearance. 

Because the Goyardine pattern is achieved through multiple layers of color, a genuine Goyardine bag feels pebbled, as you can feel the tiny raised bumps formed by each dot. A fake Goyard bag will be simply printed, leaving the leather feeling flat.

The St. Louis tote is also reversible to a solid white canvas — the unprinted back of the Goyardine. It should feel soft and luxurious to the touch. 

No counterfeit Goyard bag or super fake will invest in the exceptional materials used in the genuine article, and they cannot match the artisanship. While it may sound like we are fixated on tiny details, the overall look, feel, and even smell of an authentic Goyard St. Louis bag speak of sumptuous quality. Learning how to authenticate a Goyard bag is essential to avoid getting scammed. But owning one is pure joy.

Shop Madison Avenue Couture for Authentic Goyard Bags

Shop Madison Avenue Couture with confidence in our authenticity guarantee. If you’d like assistance in locating the bag of your dreams, please contact us. We would be delighted to help you. To learn more about the luxury handbags we all love, check in with our blog.