Jean LEVI'S: 5 tips for recognising a counterfeit

Levi's jeans are a very popular item of clothing and, depending on the model and year of production, can fetch high prices on the market. They were widely used in the late 19th century by miners for their tough, durable denim. Unfortunately, this means that these iconic jeans are often subject to counterfeiting on classified ad sites such as LeBoncoin, Facebook or Vinted, where they appear as originals and can easily fool you, given their well-realised imitation. Whether you buy jeans from an official, second-hand or unofficial retailer, it's always worth looking out for suspicious signs. Our tips will help you identify whether your LEVI'S jeans are genuine before you buy, and help you avoid fakes!

The tongue

First, pay close attention to the little red tab :

• It is always present on one of the back pockets of the jeans.
• Make sure the label seam is clean and uniform. Counterfeiters sometimes remove the label from genuine jeans and sew it onto the fabric to make it look like a real LEVI's.
• The "R" must be circled, indicating the registered trademark
• In the case of fake jeans, the letters of "LEVI'S" are misaligned or the "R" is missing.

Also check the letter 'E' on the tongue of the jeans. All jeans prior to 1971 had a capital 'E'. If a model is claimed to be from a year after 1971 and the letter 'E' is in upper case, the jeans are counterfeit. It is not uncommon for counterfeiters to still make this mistake.

On the left a fake LEVI'S tongue, on the right a genuine LEVI'S tongue.

Buttons and rivets

Observing these details is an excellent way of checking the authenticity of your jeans. Such details remain exclusive to the original brand and are mainly omitted during the imitation process. Therefore, a fake pair of LEVI'S jeans would have no such details.

The main button

The jeans' main button closure is copper or silver and will not wear out over time. What's more, the three- or four-digit LEVI'S jeans model number is always printed on the back of the button.

Rivets

The rivets that hold the jeans in place on the pockets are all detailed with the company's initials on the inside and outside. LS & CO-SF (standing for Levi's Strauss and Co. San Francisco) must therefore be mentioned on them. This detail is of course omitted when reproducing a fake pair of LEVI'S jeans, allowing you to check their authenticity.

On the left a fake button, on the right a real button

The label on the back

The material

The back label of an original pair of LEVI'S jeans has a certain texture and a very soft material and should be slightly worn. Run your hand over the label to feel the weave and softness of the label. For guidance, some counterfeiters use cheap leather or imitation leather as a substitute. The label then has a hard texture and looks like plastic.

Alignment and colour

The text on the model, size and leg measurements on the label of authentic LEVI'S jeans is perfectly aligned and black in colour. This is because the counterfeiters first create the stock label and then print these details on each pair of jeans. This allows us to see that even when the text is slightly misaligned or in a different shade of black, it is a counterfeit. Spelling mistakes also indicate that the jeans are fake.

On the left a fake LEVI'S jeans label, on the right a real LEVI'S jeans label.

Quality

Pay particular attention to the overall quality of your jeans. If there are flaws in the seams or on any of the metalwork, there's a good chance it's fake. Genuine jeans are made up of thick, tight seams that make them strong and durable. It is not uncommon to find irregular seams on counterfeit jeans.

Buy your LEVI'S jeans securely with Obvy!

The LEVI'S brand is synonymous with quality. The products are best known for their stability and durability. Despite this, buying a new pair of LEVI'S jeans is not cheap, but it's a good investment in the long term, with the added advantage of being a timeless and essential piece in your wardrobe.

Buying your LEVI'S jeans second-hand seems like a good alternative, because thanks to the durability of LEVI'S, even second-hand jeans will have the same or similar quality to buying new. And above all, at a lower cost. It's possible to get an iconic pair of jeans at an unbeatable price.

To avoid buying a pair of fake LEVI'S jeans without being able to trace the seller, we advise you to use Obvy for every transaction. Specially designed for purchases and sales between private individuals, you have a secure payment system, impeccable transaction traceability and all the information you need about the seller. In the event of any unpleasant surprises or attempted scams involving the model or payment, Obvy gives you the option of going back to the purchase stage.