Since 1921, when Guccio Gucci founded the House of Gucci in Florence, Italy, the company has been known for its high-quality leather goods. Gucci has expanded its product line over the years to include not only handbags and other leather products, but sunglasses, fragrances, jewelry, scarves and hats. Because of its reputation for luxury and well-made items for both men and women, Gucci has been copied far and wide. Spotting a fake Gucci hat can be challenging, because there are so many good counterfeit products on the market.
Find a current price list for your Gucci hat style online or call a local retailer. Prices generally run in the hundreds of dollars. It you see an advertised special for a ridiculously low price, you can be almost certain the hat is a fake.
Look at the workmanship. Check the hat’s stitching to see if it is even and has no loose threads. All materials used on the hat should be real and the hatband should be straight. If anything doesn’t look right or the hat has a cheap feel to it, it’s most likely an imitation.
Check for misspellings. Peruse all labels carefully. Real Gucci products contain a tag made from the same material as the product. The tag should say "GUCCI" in capital letters on the first line, and "Made in Italy" on the second line. The hat's style number and serial number are printed in clear type on the back of the tag; each hat has its own unique serial number. You can verify serial numbers with a Gucci store.
Look for the hat's dust bag with a Gucci logo.