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Balenciaga Classic City Bag Fake vs Real Guide 2025: How to Know if a Balenciaga City is Real?

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Balenciaga Classic City Bag Fake vs Real Guide 2025: How to Know if a Balenciaga City is Real?

The Balenciaga City/Motorcycle bag made its debut at Nicolas Ghesquière’s 2001 runway show and a star was born. As of 2021, Balenciaga updated the shape of the well known and much loved classic City bag. The Neo Classic, the bag is no longer a true rectangular shape, but rather is wider along the base than at the top opening, creating a pyramid shape. With its incredible popularity, Balenciaga has become one of the most copied brands in the world. How can you tell a fake Balenciaga Classic City Bag? Do all Balenciaga bags have serial numbers? Remember to do your due diligence before buying a secondhand bag only from a trusted source. In this Balenciaga Classic City Bag fake vs real guide, I'll tell you how to spot a fake!

Cover Photo:farfetch.com

1. The Overall Look of Balenciaga Classic City Bag

1) The now much loved City Bag dates back to its 2001 debut, originally dubbed the“Motorcycle City Bag.” Ghesquière was the creative genius at Balenciaga who saw a hole in the handbag industry for a softer, unstructured, carefree silhouette. Balenciaga Classic City Bag was so different from any other popular bags on the market as its complete lack of any structure.

2) Balenciaga has made a wide variety of Motorcycle Bag styles, from the original City Bags to a City tote style. Even within each Motorcycle Bag category, there are different hardware options, sizing options, leather and fabric options – and more.

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Source:balenciaga.com

3) When you try to fold your bag, you don't need any extra power for doing so as the authentic bag is made of smooth leather that is pretty easily foldable. The genuine bag has a larger underside with straight and flawless edges, while the replica has some issues with size and detail accuracy.

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2. The Material of the bag

1) Balenciaga bags feature characteristic distressed leather, which ages well and only gets better as it ages. Since Fall/Winter 2007, the production has switched its bags' material from goatskin to lambskin material. These two leathers are thin, soft, lightweight, and distress with age.

2) All Balenciaga bags have a trademark veining- which can be felt and might develop some white marks. Usually, fake bags will use a shinier or stiff leather that doesn't wear in the same way as the authentic bags as there is NO softening nor matte quality to the textile.

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3) Over the years, many styles were produced in several different leathers, but for serious collectors the very early Firsts and City bags, made of the luxurious chevre leather, are the most coveted.

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3. Leather or Silver Interior Label of Balenciaga City Bag

1) The inside label of a Balenciaga is a true indicator of age and authenticity. Some have etched metal nameplates, while others are stamped on the leather.

2) With the exception of the City, First, Work (since 2005) and Weekender, all Balenciaga moto bags have leather tags only. These four styles will have silver tags only if they have classic (also known as regular, or RH) hardware. The silver tags were manufactured out of genuine silver until F/W 2008, with the “925” silver stamp in the bottom right corner. Currently, they are made of nickel.

3) From 2001-2004, the label should read "Balenciaga_Paris", as for after the year 2005, it should read "Balenciaga.Paris". So pay close attention to the underscore or the period.

4) The stamping on a real Balenciaga bag is clean and crisp. The stitching of Balenciaga is black irrespective of the colour or style.

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4. Logo Font on the Label

1) Both the fonts and styles of the labels have changed more than once over the life of the moto line. Changes were made in various years. The first few seasons Balenciaga used the serif font on their tags. In F/W 2004 the font changed to sans serif.

2) From 2001-2004, the label should read "Balenciaga_Paris", as for after the year 2005, it should read "Balenciaga.Paris". So pay close attention to the underscore or the period.

3) In 2011, the “made in italy” heat stamp on the leather tag back was changed to the upper case “MADE IN ITALY”. In 2012 the season/year letter was added to the tag back, making season identification much easier. In 2014, the tag front was restyled and “FABRIQUÉ EN ITALIE” was added to the tag back, although this seems to have been removed for the F/W 2017 season.

5. The Serial Number of Balenciaga Bag - Style/Season of Production/Color

1) The Serial Number on tags include both a season/year identifier and a style code. Balenciaga began using an uppercase letter of the alphabet to correspond to the season/year of production in F/W 2003.

2) The style number on the tag front will always match the style number on the tag back on an authentic bag. The rest of the code numbers are in-house information for Balenciaga and can be disregarded.There are no consistent codes for colors, although black is always 1000.

3) The alphabet has reset for Balenciaga codes, with the letters A through D being used for two different seasons/years. Here is a list of the letter codes:

A =F/W 2017

B =S/S 2017

C =F/W 2016

D = S/S 2016

E = F/W 2015

F = S/S 2015

G = F/W 2014

H = S/S 2014

I = F/W 2013

J = S/S 2013

K = F/W 2012

L = S/S 2012

M = F/W 2011

N = S/S 2011

O = F/W 2010

P = S/S 2010

Q = F/W 2009

R = S/S 2009

S = F/W 2008

T = S/S 2008

U = F/W 2007

V = S/S 2007

W = F/W 2006

Y = S/S 2006

Z = F/W 2005

A = S/S 2005

B = F/W 2004

C = S/S 2004

D = F/W 2003

6. The Details of of Balenciaga City Bag

1) This is also an important element in identifying a Balenciaga. For example, some aesthetic elements on the motorcycle bag would be the mirror, bag handles, as well as tassels on the zippers.

2) The bag's handles should be braided with sueded leather. Tassels have to be soft, and of the same quality of the bag. The underside of the zipper tassels should also have this soft, raw, suede feel.

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3) Most Balenciaga women handbags come with a mirror which is usually attached to the handle, stored inside the external pocket. The mirror has a leather frame around it, but when you get a new one, the mirror should be already attached, and not separately packed in plastic or a bubble wrap, stuffed inside.

7. The Strap of Balenciaga City Bag

A real Balenciaga City bag's shoulder strap should be made of one solid piece of material, with openings right at the end where the hardware is supposed to fit. The detachable shoulder strap should also be connected to the bag and not wrapped in plastic and tucked inside the bag.

8. The Hardware

1) Balenciaga's recent years' motorcycle bags are known for their edgy stud hardware, which comes in 3 different styles, classic, giant, and covered.

Until 2005 the rivets on Balenciaga bags were rounded and slightly convex (these rivets were on the early pewter hardware bags). Since 2005 (inconsistently in S/S, but consistently by F/W) the rivets were deeply notched. Many of the fake bags have shallow notches that are either squarish or shallow half moons.

The sizes of the hardware, typically referring to the studs of the bag:

G21- This is the largest hardware size. Has been discontinued now and replaced with the G12.
G21- The Mini Giant Hardware, which is smaller than the G21, but bigger than the regular hardware.
RGGH G21- Rose Gold Giant Hardware, now known as Giant 21 Gold City.
GSH/SGH G21- Now known as Giant 12 Silver City.
Remember that there has been no Balenciaga bag with rose gold hardware after Spring/Summer 2013.

2) The pulls on the zipper of Balenciaga bag should be soldered correctly, and they should have a marking of 'Lampo'. The zipper of Balenciaga bags mostly matches the rest of the hardware and should have rounded bales on the shoulder straps. The hardware on a fake bag tends to be too shiny.

3) The closures of the shoulder strap of the Balenciaga bag is an important feature of the bag. The bale, the metal piece of hardware at the end of the shoulder strap, should have a round and organic shape. The part of the turned bale should be smooth and flat. The bale with fake Balenciaga bags often looks like a pendant.

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Where To Buy Balenciaga Classic City Bag The Cheapest?

Balenciaga Classic City bags are available in Balenciaga boutiques worldwide and online. And you can also get a second-hand and vintage Balenciaga Classic City bag on some resale websites! Sign up at Extrabux.com, you can get up to 4% cash back on the second-hand Balenciaga Classic City bag purchase at these sites！

stockx.com (Up to 4% cashback)

farfetch.com (1.5-2% cashback)

neimanmarcus.com (2.5-3% cashback)

Secondhand Balenciaga Classic City bag

vestiairecollective.com (Up to $20 cashback)

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