How to Identify Fake Supreme Tees, Bags, and Hoodies

Avoid getting scammed with this comprehensive guide

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: May 7, 2024 Fact Checked

There are few brands out there that are more instantly recognizable than Supreme. That red and white logo is a staple of the streetwear scene, so if you spend a pretty penny on a Supreme piece, you’ll want to know your investment is safe. That’s where we come in! From the classic box logo (aka “bogo”) hoodies to the printed tees, we’ll show you how to separate the fake from the real. Keep scrolling to learn how to identify fake Supreme gear based on the logo, tags, stitching, and more.

1

Height of the Letters

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All of the “Supreme” logo letters should line up perfectly at the bottom. On the typical box logo (aka “bogo”), the letters will line up perfectly. Like, extremely perfectly. Take a ruler or spirit level and line it up with the bottom of the word “Supreme.” If everything is aligned perfectly, you may have the real deal on hand.^{[1]
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- The bottom of the “p” should stick out below the bottom of the word, and the top of the capital “S” should stick out above the top of the word.
- Fake Supreme logos often have a floating “e” at the end of the word. The “e” will either be too high or too low when compared to the letters “uprem.”
- This applies to all bogo products, including bags, hats, hoodies, and Ts. The logo will never change.

2

Letter Spacing

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Authentic Supreme logos will have equal spacing between each letter. Measure the gaps between each letter with a measuring tape. On authentic Supreme products, the gaps will all match. ^{[2]
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- In typography, this is known as kerning.
- This applies to all instances of the bogo. Check all of the tags and the packaging! If any of them are off, you’ve got a fake on your hands.

3

Divots in the Letters

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On real Supreme items, there are clear divots at the top of the “p,” “r,” and “m.” Pull up an official copy of the logo online. Note the shape of the bends in the top of the “p,” “r,” and “m.” These little crooks should all match. It’s often difficult for fraudulent manufacturers to get these details right, and if the divots appear off, it’s probably a fake item.^{[3]
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- Pay special attention to the opening inside of the “p.” It should be egg-shaped. Sometimes, the opening in the “p” will look like more symmetrical or circular on the fake items.

4

Print Quallity

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On printed products, the colors should be vivid and the images sharp. On the non-bogo and non-embroidered items, the quality of the print tells you a lot. Any coloration should be bright, sharp, and clean. Supreme often uses popular album colors or photos on their clothing, so pull the original image up online. Compare the color and vividness of the two. On real Supreme clothing, the original print and the clothing should be functionally identical in color, sharpness, and clarity.^{[4]
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- If anything peels off of the print, it’s 100% a fake. Supreme doesn’t use cheap vinyl printing.
- This applies to any printing on Supreme hats, as well.

5

Neck Tag

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A real neck tag will have the Supreme font and logo in red. On sweaters and hoodies, there should also be a smaller “Made In” tag a few millimeters to the right of the main tag. You know you’ve got a fake garment on hand if the two tags overlap or aren’t perfectly parallel. That mini tag should also line up with the top of the lowercase “upreme” lettering you see on the main tag.^{[5]
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- Products made after 2020 should have a “Supreme” watermark on the tag. Hold a flashlight up to the tag to see if you can spot it!
- Where the product is made can vary. Some tags will say “Made In USA” while others might read “Made In Canada” or “Made In Japan.”
- On graphic tees, look at the stitching on the neckline. There will be a thicker band of fabric on top of the tag, with two parallel single stitches on each side of the band. The fake products often use double stitches or use a basic T-shirt neckline.
- The tag on products made before 2000 can vary dramatically, so don’t rely exclusively on the tag to determine if the product is real or not.

6

Wash Tag

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Real wash tags should be inside the garment near the lower back. Real Supreme clothing will use a single stitch to connect the wash tag to the cloth. Fake products either skip the wash tag entirely, stick it up near the neck with the other labels, or use a stitch that matches the main logo stitching.^{[6]
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- The wash tag should also contain the “Supreme” lettering and logo.
- There should be a model number starting with RN on the wash tag, as well.

7

Stitching

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For embroidered products, Supreme’s stitching is high-quality and uniform. If you’ve got an embroidered bogo shirt or hoodie, inspect the stitching. Supreme uses a very distinct cross stitch to attach its logo. If you see single-line stitching, the product is almost certainly fake.^{[7]
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- On printed products, the stitching on the neckline will be single-line, but that’s it.
- On hoodies, the stitching at the bottom of each arm should line up horizontally with the stitching on the bottom of the body.
- This is one of the best ways to spot a fake Supreme backpack. They all use single stitching and all writing will be embossed in the leather—not stitched in.^{[8]
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8

Back of the Logo

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Flip the product inside out to see if the logo is spelled backward. On embroidered products, the stitching should be white most of the time, although this isn’t always the case if you have a less “standard” bogo garment. You should be able to see the inverse of the lettering, too. If the embroidered logo is resting on top of the garment and it doesn’t show on the other side, it’s fake.^{[9]
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- This is one of the more common scams. People will buy fake Supreme patches and then manually sew them onto blank sweaters.

9

Drawstrings

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Supreme hoodies have very crisp and neat drawstring endings. Hoodies often have drawstrings where the ends are knotted and/or frayed. Supreme hoodies don’t have either of these features. Authentic hoodies will have clipped, square-shaped endings on each drawstring.^{[10]
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- Supreme also tends to use the flat-style drawstring, not the round braided strings, although there are a handful of exceptions.

10

Overall Quality

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If the shirt, hoodie, or bag feels cheaply made, it’s probably fake. Supreme’s clothing fetches a high price tag because it’s a high-end luxury brand, and that means it should feel like a high-end item. If the product just sort of feels cheap in your hands, it’s a huge sign that it’s probably not the real deal.
- For flat-brim hats specifically, look at the quality of the adjustable strap on the back. No fake hats will bother trying to replicate the fancy cloth or leather straps.
- If possible, only purchase Supreme products from the official Supreme stores or from their online shop.
- The big streetwear retailers, like Karmaloop or Hypebeast, will sell real Supreme products, but the less reputable sites and reselling sites are always going to be a gamble.
- Take the price into account, too. If it feels like the price is too good to be true, it probably is. You won’t find a lot of Supreme pieces selling for less than $100-200.