19 Tips That Can Help You Spot a Fake Item

In 2013, counterfeit goods worldwide accounted for $461 billion. Nike is the most counterfeited brand globally, and Ray-Ban, Rolex, Supreme, and Louis Vuitton are the most copied brands worldwide. And while some copies look almost identical to the originals, there are slight differences we think you should know about.

At Bright Side, we want you to know how to recognize a fake product and the differences between originals and counterfeits in some of the most popular brands.

1. Nike shoes

\Nike Air sneakers have a texture that counterfeit manufacturers cannot imitate. This is because their materials are different, and so are their devices. Thus, in authentic Nike shoes, you will notice a hardness in the leather that will be missing in the counterfeit ones.

You will also need to examine the symmetry of the sneakers. If something looks asymmetrical, then it may be a counterfeit product.

2. Ray-Bans

• Authentic Ray-Ban lenses with plastic frames are made in one whole piece. If it’s a metal frame, then the central part must look neat and can have small details but no protruding points.
• Most often, the lenses are made of real glass, but some can be made of plastic. To know if yours is one of them, go to the manufacturer’s official website.
• In the upper right corner of the right lens, you can find the inscription of the Ray-Ban logo. It is engraved on the surface of the lens, so it is impossible to erase it.
• On the outside of the temples, there should also be an inscription detailing the manufacturer. In addition, the item’s serial number is usually on the left side and the country of manufacture on the right side.

3. Fila shoes

• If you look at the letter “F” on your Fila shoes, you will notice that there is some irregularity in the stitching. This is perfectly normal on all original Fila shoes. What is not normal is for the letter “F” to be really sharp on the top two edges. On the fake shoes, these edges almost touch the square surrounding the logo, which should not be the case.
• Next, look at the details of the toe cap, especially the holes in the front. There should be the same distance between each hole, but if not, you probably bought a fake pair of sneakers.
• In addition, the heel logo may be completely different. On the original sneakers, that logo is the same as the one on the tongue.

4. Burberry scarf

• The authentic scarf always has well-defined lines and a dense texture.
• The fringe yarns in a scarf should be well rolled and spaced apart, they do not fall apart when touched.
• The brand name on the label attached to the article must be written in capital letters. Also, the label must contain information about the country of manufacture and the composition of the scarf.

5. Gucci handbags

• First, you should examine the two “G’s” on the front of your bag. The serifs of the G’s should be long and sleek looking and not thick. Also, the rounded part of the G should be a perfect oval and not pointed. If the logo looks blurry, it is probably fake.
• Look closely at the stitching, as a genuine Gucci bag will have even stitching. If the stitching on your bag looks uneven in places or is a different color than the bag itself, then you should assume it is a counterfeit.

6. Supreme sweatshirt

• On the collar of this brand’s hooded and non-hooded sweatshirts, there are two dark red labels. On the first, larger, is written the name of the brand with the letter R in a circle. On the second, you’ll find the country of manufacture: Canada. There should be a recommendation not to iron the item on the inner label, where you can find the care instructions. Manufacturers of replicas often forget this detail.
• On sweatshirts with embroidered logos, the location of the letters on the red part should be uniform, and the distance between the two should be adequate. If you turn the authentic sweatshirt inside out, you will see a fine mesh of white threads on the back of the logo.
• Supreme complements the hoods of its sweatshirts only with flat laces, which are carefully tied at the ends. Round laces, burned at the ends, or laces with different types of terminations are a sign of counterfeiting.

7. Adidas Yeezy tennis shoes

• First, you have to check the wave pattern on the original Yeezy, which should be sideways with irregular wave prints.
• Next, you can check the tongue of the sneakers. The original Yeezy’s tongues are more curved, while the fake ones look much straighter.
• Check the inside of the shoes and see if the Adidas icon is the same size on each shoe. On some occasions, you may notice that their size differs.
• The stitching on the inside should also be checked, as it may look suspiciously amateurish.

8. New Balance sneakers

• New Balance sneakers have brand symbols on the back, tongue, the side of the sneaker, and the side of the sole, on the sole itself, and the insoles. The logo in the shape of the letter N on the side of the sneaker is made in the form of a patch.
• The original slippers have a soft sole, made of foam material, easily compresses and quickly returns to their original state. The sole protector is made of rubber. The insoles of authentic New Balance shoes have a perforation, logo, size, and information about the model.

9. Toms espadrilles

• The first thing to check is the insoles of your espadrilles. If they can be removed, your footwear is likely fake, as the original insoles are sewn to the bottom.
• Next, you can check the back of the espadrille to look at the logo. The letters of the original brand are perfectly balanced and square. However, the letters of the fake brand are pointed and unbalanced (note the odd shape of the letter “O”). Also, the stitching around the label appears thicker on the fake ones.
• You can also check the sides of the shoes to see if any glue is discernible. A reputable brand would never allow something like this, but a copy would probably have glue all over it.

10. Michael Kors Handbag

• For its bags, the brand uses only cream-colored labels containing the primary information about the product: serial number, shade, material, parameters, the price in USD, and a unique bar code.
• All parts of the original bags are engraved with the brand name. It is applied to magnetic clips, handle rings, clasps, carabiners, and fasteners.
• The brand’s authentic bags are made from a dense material that does not deform even during shipping when the item is packed.

11. Guess handbags

• First of all, fake Guess handbags are not made of leather but are cheaper synthetic material. You can check this by pressing the fabric with your finger. If the wrinkles stay there and do not disappear, it is not genuine leather.
• Next, you need to check the lining of the bag. Original Guess bags have an apparent soft lining, while fake ones sometimes have no lining. And if they do, it is very thin, like a sheet of paper.
• Finally, you can check the metal of the bag. The metal applications of a genuine Guess bag are sturdy and shiny, with a smooth surface. Counterfeiters, on the other hand, use a cheaper material that may appear dull and even have surface marks.

12. Guess watches

• Straps for Guess watches are made of metal, silicone, or natural leather. A lousy product smell, uneven color, cracks, scratches, and wear on the strap indicate that we are dealing with an imitation.
• The back should contain basic information about the watch: a logo with the brand name, the material of the watch body (as a rule, it is steel), and data about the watch mechanism with the engraving Japan Movt (as Guess uses only high-quality Japanese mechanisms).

13. Hermès handbags

• First, check the inside printing of the leather and see how the letters have been printed. The French accent of the letter E should be very elegant and not chopped up, as in the fakes. Also, the letters F and R in the word “France” appear to be glued together, something that would never happen on a genuine Hermès bag.
• Next, you can check the leather strap of the bag and inspect the stitching. On a genuine bag, the stitching looks much more elegant and flawless. In contrast, the stitching on the fake bag is not as elegant and, in some areas, looks thicker than that of the original bag.

14. Lacoste polo

• The Lacoste crocodile is always made with clearly defined details. Its eyes, teeth, legs, and red mouth are clearly visible. The crocodile’s body is bright green, and the tail runs parallel to the back.
• At the base of the polo neck, there is a white label with the logo and a red number indicating the size. In men’s models, it is one number, while in women’s models, it is two.
• An imitation Lacoste polo shirt can be spotted because of a small detail: its buttons. Original Lacoste garments have mother-of-pearl buttons with two holes. They have no inscriptions. Replica manufacturers often forget that, so they use buttons with four holes.
• In the men’s models, at the bottom, on the sides of the polo shirt, there are small openings approximately 1/2 inches deep. In women’s versions, the manufacturer does not make any cuts.

15. Balenciaga shoes

• Balenciaga sneakers have a very recognizable protrusion on the heels. This feature is often missing in counterfeits, as their structure is much weaker.
• Not only that, but the front of the shoe has a much more prominent curve than the originals.
• Also, if you check the back of the shoe, you will notice that the brand name is not well centered. Also, not all the letters are the same size and height, and some appear more significant than others.

16. Pandora bracelet

• The color of the original silver bracelet is a bit dull, not very light or bright. In manufacturing, Pandora uses a blackening technique that gives them this unique tone.
• The new original bracelet keeps its perfect shape and virtually no bending, showing well-defined edges of its striated silver cord.
• The size of the clasp on the original Pandora bracelets is comparable to that of the charms. On the front of the clasp, you can see the engraving of the brand: the word Pandora with a crown above the letter “o.”
• There is a brand-specific fastening in the clasp: a clover in the form of a small screw with four heads that serves to fasten the bracelet securely. In addition, the clasp must bear the quality seal of the metal (indicating its purity) with a mark of origin, the initials ALE.
• Pandora charms have an inscription with the name of the brand and the acronym of the metal they are made of. Since 2011, S means silver, and G is gold. Murano glass charms are free of cracks, broken parts, and air bubbles inside.

17. Levi’s

• The arched design on the back pockets of Levi’s jeans might be the brand’s most recognizable feature. It is either a simple bow or a diamond-shaped arch in the center of the pocket. This feature is often copied remarkably incorrectly on counterfeit jeans.
• In addition, the color of the stitching is traditionally orange on original jeans, while many fakes use white thread.
• The third sign of a fake pair of Levi’s jeans is the red tag on the back pocket. An original pair has “Levi’s” written on the red label, while a fake pair has a plain red tag with the letter “R.”

18. Timberland boots

• The sole has a caramel color, but if you look at it closely, it seems slightly transparent. The company logo and the brand name are printed on them, and the sole is uniform. The heel part does not protrude, but forms a continuous line.
• The logo is located on the outside, at the bottom of the boot above the heel. Its print is uniform and well-defined, located strictly vertically.
• The eyelets on the boots are perfect hexagons, which are ideally rounded on the outside. In men’s models, there are 7, in women’s models, 6.
• All seams on the boots are made with white thread. If there are several seams close, they are clearly parallel to each other.

19. Nike t-shirts

• The first thing to examine is the Nike logo. In most cases, it does not have exactly the same proportions as the original. Its angle and inclination may be different.
• Next, the label inside the T-shirt should be checked for misspellings. The original brand would never misspell words, but counterfeit products may have one or more errors.
• You will also need to look at the labels inside the shirt, near the bottom. Nike’s usually have two or more labels sewn in, while the fake ones usually have only one.

Have you ever unknowingly bought a counterfeit product? How did you recognize that it was not a genuine brand? Could you tell the difference, or did you have to ask an expert?

I Noticed Something Strange About the Chef at My Friend’s Dinner Party – What I Found in the Oven Left Everyone Stunned

It was a perfect evening with fine wine, soft jazz, and dinner at my best friend’s place. But something about the chef she’d hired felt wrong. He kept stealing nervous glances at the oven, never letting anyone near. When I somehow opened it, what I found inside turned the evening into a nightmare.

The candlelight flickered across crystal glasses, casting soft shadows on the meticulously arranged china. Jazz whispered from hidden speakers, a delicate backdrop to an evening that promised sophistication and celebration. I watched my best friend Clara, radiant in her emerald silk dress, her eyes sparkling with the pride of her recent promotion to law firm partner.

But none of us knew that beneath the surface of this seemingly perfect evening, something sinister was waiting.

A woman holding a glass of wine | Source: Pexels

It was 9:45 p.m. The dinner party hummed with elegant conversation, crystal glasses clinked, and soft jazz played in the background. But there, in the kitchen, something felt different. And wrong.

I’d known Clara for years, and I’d seen countless dinner parties. But this was different.

The private chef she’d hired moved with an intensity that didn’t match the casual celebration. His slightly salt-and-pepper long hair was perfectly combed, his white chef’s coat crisp and immaculate.

But beneath the professional exterior, something else simmered. He was acting quite… strange.

A chef in the kitchen | Source: Pexels

My hand trembled slightly as I held out the wine glass. The chef’s fingers brushed mine. Cold. Unnaturally cold. A shiver ran down my spine.

“More Cabernet?” he asked, his smile not reaching his eyes.

I nodded, unable to look away. When he poured the wine, his hand didn’t shake. Not even a millimeter. He was too perfect. Too controlled. But something felt very, very wrong.

Clara’s distant laughter echoed through the room. The sound seemed to trigger something in the chef. His eyes kept flicking to the oven like a nervous tick. Not just a glance. It was a full-body twitch that screamed something was wrong.

Whenever a guest drifted too close to the kitchen, he’d slide into position like a human blockade and stop them from entering.

An oven | Source: Pexels

Another guest approached for a drink. He bolted to the kitchen and immediately blocked them, muttering a vague excuse I couldn’t hear. Maybe he thought nobody would notice. But I did.

I was watching his every move.

My skin prickled. Something was hidden in that kitchen. Something he didn’t want anyone to see. Every few minutes, his eyes would dart to the oven. Quick. Nervous. A gesture that screamed something was hidden.

“Enjoying the party?” he asked suddenly, turning to me.

I simply nodded, gripping my wine glass harder as my knuckles turned white.

Something was fishy. Not the kind you can explain, but the type that sets your nerves on fire.

An anxious woman | Source: Midjourney

The night was young. And something told me this was just the beginning.

Just then, Clara’s phone buzzed, interrupting the tranquil atmosphere. She excused herself, mumbling something about an urgent work call, and retreated to a quieter corner.

Perfect.

I waited. Counted three heartbeats.

“I’ll just grab more wine,” I muttered to Terry, Clara’s fiancé, who barely acknowledged me, deep in conversation about some corporate merger with another guest.

I casually strolled toward the small bar area near the kitchen as the chef was engrossed in plating appetizers. He didn’t notice as I slipped closer to the kitchen, which seemed to shrink with each step. The oven loomed larger.

He didn’t hear me. Didn’t sense me.

A chef plating a dish | Source: Pexels

My hand reached for the wine bottle. But my eyes? Locked on that industrial-sized oven.

Something was in there. Was he hiding something? But what?

My heart raced. Sweat beaded on my forehead.

The kitchen gleamed like a sterile operating room. Stainless steel surfaces reflected my nervous frame. Everything was too perfect. Too clean. The kind of clean that screams something’s dangerously ominous.

The chef continued arranging the appetizers, unaware I was in the kitchen… his carefully restricted area. I moved slowly. Each step was measured. Deliberate.

The oven called to me. Not with warmth. Not with the promise of a delicious meal. But with a magnetic pull of something forbidden.

A nervous woman looking at someone | Source: Midjourney

One gentle pull and the door creaked open. The smell hit me first. Not roasted meat. Not herbs. But something acrid. Like something burning.

My breath caught in my throat. It wasn’t a meal.

“OH MY GOD… IT CAN’T BE!” I shrieked, coughing.

Crumpled envelopes smoldered in the oven. Some burned at the edges, others miraculously intact. Clara’s handwriting… those elegant loops and curves I’d seen a thousand times, peeked through the charred papers like ghostly whispers.

And there. Right in the center… was a jewelry box.

The one from her engagement party. The one Terry had presented with such drama and love all those months ago. It was now sitting among burned memories, its edges blackened and singed.

A woman flaunting her engagement ring | Source: Unsplash

My fingers hovered over the papers. One envelope remained, partially burned. Clara’s distinctive cursive script was still visible through the char.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” A voice cut through the kitchen like a surgical blade. Cold. Precise. Loaded with something deeper than mere surprise.

I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Instead, I turned slowly, my heart pounding.

The chef stood there, no longer the charming professional who had been entertaining guests. His eyes now bore the intensity of a predator caught mid-hunt.

“I think the better question is… what are YOU doing?”

A startled woman | Source: Midjourney

Behind me, the oven door hung open like a portal to secrets to something dark. Something that was never meant to be discovered.

The chef’s eyes darted, a sinister calculation racing behind those eyes. One wrong move. One wrong word… and everything would shatter.

“What the hell is going on over here?” I screamed, loud enough for everyone to hear. In an instant, the kitchen transformed into a pressure cooker of tension.

Puzzled guests pressed forward with a growing sense of something terrifyingly unknown.

An extremely startled woman | Source: Midjourney

Terry’s hand trembled violently, as he broke the silence, his finger pointing at the open oven.

“Is that… our engagement ring box?” he gasped.

Clara bolted inside and stood frozen like a statue.

“And those are my personal letters,” she breathed. “My private photographs. Why do YOU have them?”

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A laugh escaped the chef’s lips as he took off his apron and hurled it on the floor. But it wasn’t a laugh of humor. It was the sound of something gravely sinister.

“You don’t remember me, do you, Clara?”

The way he said her name. It made everyone’s skin crawl.

Clara’s eyes — those razor-sharp eyes that could dissect complex legal arguments in seconds — now looked fragile. Uncertain. For the first time, she looked small.

“Who are you?” She shrieked, trembling.

A man smiling | Source: Midjourney

The man took a step forward. Then another. Each step felt like a countdown to something inevitable. Something that had been years in the making.

The guests held their breath as the air grew thick and suffocating. And nobody in that room was prepared for what was coming.

“Why do you have my letters? My photos?! Why did you destroy them?” Clara’s voice shattered the silence.

Timothy, one of the guests, leaned forward. His trembling fingers pulled out a partially burned photograph of Clara and Terry, caught in a moment of pure happiness during their engagement.

“He’s been stealing from you,” he said, the pieces clicking together like a grotesque puzzle. “These letters, these mementos… they’re yours, aren’t they?”

A man pointing a finger | Source: Pexels

Clara nodded. Her fury burned brighter than the smoldering papers in the oven. “Why? What the hell is this about?”

The chef’s laugh was like broken glass. “You really don’t remember me, do you?”

The room held its breath. Tension coiled like a snake ready to strike.

“I’m ADRIAN!” he revealed. “Your ex-boyfriend. The man you discarded. The one you thought was gone.”

Clara staggered back. “No. This can’t be. I heard Adrian died in an accident two years ago.”

“An accident YOU caused!” he roared, years of anger erupting in that single moment.

A terrified woman | Source: Midjourney

His finger pointed at her. Accusatory. Painful. “You left me. Broke me. I couldn’t function. Couldn’t breathe. And then came the crash that almost took my breath away.”

He touched his face. Traced the lines of surgical scars hidden beneath his professional chef’s demeanor.

“Skin grafts,” he whispered. “Surgeries. Numerous procedures. I’m not the man I was. But I’m here. ALIVE. My heart burning with a desire for REVENGE.”

The guests exchanged horrified glances, unable to process what they were hearing.

Terry stepped forward, his eyes boring into Adrian’s. “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded.

A stunned man holding his head | Source: Midjourney

Adrian’s smile was a knife’s edge. “CLOSURE. Clara moved on so effortlessly… a new job, a new life, a new love. Meanwhile, I’ve been left to rot. So, I decided, if I can’t have happiness, neither can she. Those letters, those photos, that ring… all symbols of her perfect new life. I wanted to burn them, just like she burned our past.”

Clara’s face was etched with pain, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Adrian, I didn’t cause your accident. Leaving you was the hardest decision of my life. You were… you were unbearable. I had to save myself.”

“Save yourself? And what about me? Did you even consider the consequences of your actions?”

A furious man | Source: Midjourney

“That’s enough,” Terry yelled, his patience wearing thin. “I’m calling the police.”

Soon, sirens wailed in the distance. And the night was far from over.

The red and blue lights painted the elegant dining room in a surreal dance of color. Adrian sat silently in the back of the police car, his eyes never leaving Clara. Not with anger. Not with hatred. But with a chilling intensity that spoke of something deeper. Unresolved. And ominous.

Clara collapsed into the chair, her designer dress pooling around her like a broken dream. The pristine white walls suddenly felt suffocating.

“How?” she whispered. “How did he find me?”

A confused woman | Source: Midjourney

Her hand trembled. I squeezed it, feeling the fragility beneath her usually rock-solid exterior.

Terry stood nearby, protective and still confused, trying to understand how someone from Clara’s past could infiltrate their perfect life so completely.

“He was patient,” I said softly. “Waiting. Planning.”

Clara’s eyes were distant and haunted.

Outside, the police car’s taillights disappeared into the darkness. Taking Adrian. Taking the immediate threat. But something told me that this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Police cars on the street | Source: Unsplash

The dinner party’s elegant setup looked like a crime scene. Champagne glasses. Half-eaten appetizers. Scattered memories. A celebration of Clara’s professional success had become something else entirely. A nightmare served on fine china.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the what-ifs. What if I hadn’t been curious? What if the oven door had remained closed? What twisted plan might have unfolded? What else had he come for?

Some wounds don’t heal. They wait. Patient. Dangerous. Ready to be reopened.

And some ghosts? They don’t just haunt memories. Sometimes… they cook your dinner, in disguise.

A woman lost in deep thought | Source: Midjourney

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.