Polo Ralph Lauren: 6 tips to spot the real thing from the fake
Ralph lauren is a top-of-the-range American clothing brand that has been very popular since its inception. Polo shirts are one of its flagship products. It is part of the brand's DNA. But where there's popularity, there's plagiarism. Here are some tips on how to tell the difference between a genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirt and a counterfeit.
1. The logo
As with any authenticity check, first look at the logo on the item to see if it's a real or fake Ralph Lauren polo shirt.
The brand logo, which represents a polo player on horseback, is generally located on the top left of your polo shirt. Observe it in minute detail. On real polo shirts, it's always perfectly embroidered, with perfectly executed seams and a clean shape. Don't hesitate to compare the logo on your item with an official image you can find on the internet. A fake polo shirt has a logo with an approximate design, often glued on rather than embroidered, and with a poorly finished finish.
On the left, a real logo, on the right the logo of an imitation
2. The labels
Collar labels
An important and essential step: checking the labels. All Ralph Lauren polo shirts have two labels on the collar. The main one shows the brand logo with the words "Polo by Ralph Lauren", a second, smaller label on the right-hand side of the first, indicates the size of the item and finally a small, rectangular label, usually a little lower down on the collar than the first two, indicates the cut of the polo. If your item does not have these labels, it is an imitation. Make sure you check the font and spacing of the characters, as the writing must be easy to read.
On the left, a counterfeit, on the right, a genuine Ralph Lauren polo shirt.
Washing instructions
Also look at the label, which gives washing instructions. This is very important because it tells you whether the polo is real or fake. On an official polo shirt, the label shows an "R" in a circle, which means "registered trademark". The absence of this mark generally indicates that the polo is counterfeit.
On the left, the label of an original polo shirt, on the right, the label of a counterfeit.
3. The fabric
Check the fabric of your polo shirt carefully. Original Polo Ralph Lauren products are made from a delicate, quality fabric, whereas imitations are not 100% cotton. If you handle an imitation enough, you'll be able to tell by touch that the fabric is of poor quality.
4. Seams
Next, look at the seams. A real polo shirt has fine, even seams and the thread used for all the seams is the same colour as the polo shirt. Irregular stitching will indicate an imitation, so pay close attention to all these details.
5. Hemming
On a real Ralph Lauren polo shirt, you'll notice a difference in length at the bottom. The back hem is slightly longer than the front. This detail was specially designed for sportsmen in the 20th century, but it's still there today. So if both hems are the same length, you have a fake polo.
On this real polo shirt, the back hem is longer than the front hem
6. The buttons
Finally, on an original Ralph Lauren polo shirt, the buttons are cross-stitched with a thread of the same colour as the garment. Buttons fixed in any other way are the work of a counterfeiter. Also, if the buttons are engraved with an inscription such as "Polo Ralph Lauren" or similar, it is a fake because the buttons on a real Ralph Lauren polo shirt are not engraved.
The buttons on this original Ralph Lauren polo are perfectly fastened.
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