How to Spot Fake Tommy Hilfiger

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Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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Quality Inspection

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Logo and Tag Check

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Avoiding Fakes Online

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Video

It can be tricky to recognize whether a Tommy Hilfiger item is authentic, but by paying close attention to a few key things, you'll be able to spot the fakes from the real items. The best ways to quickly identify if it's a real Tommy Hilfiger is to examine the logo and tags⁠—uneven stitching and cheap-looking materials are signs that it's a fake. By looking at other aspects of the item, like buttons and seams, you'll know whether the Tommy Hilfiger is real or not.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Quality Inspection

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1
Search for uneven seams to indicate it’s a fake. Flip the clothing inside out to look at the seams. If you spot any messy looking sewing or pieces of thread that are loose or unraveled, it’s likely a fake.^{[1]
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- Real Tommy Hilfiger seams will be clean-cut and uniform.
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Look to see if the stitching is poor or unraveling. Examine the stitching along the outside and inside of the shirt. If you notice it's uneven or there are some threads that are already loose, it's likely not an authentic Tommy Hilfiger item.^{[2]
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- A real Tommy Hilfiger will have tight, uniform stitching and no loose threads.
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Feel the material to make sure it's high-quality instead of cheap and thin. Real Tommy Hilfiger items are often made of cotton, khaki, madras, or seersucker. These materials are thicker and more durable than cheaper materials that fakes are often made from, such as polyester. If the material feels super thin or like it wouldn't last in the washing machine, it might be a fake.^{[3]
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- Check the tag to find the list of materials that the piece of clothing was made from.
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Check the thickness of the washing tags for hints as to whether it’s a fake. Real Tommy Hilfiger clothing has washing labels made of high-quality, matte tags. There will be several tags with lots of information on them, explaining how to wash the item in several different languages. If it’s a fake, the tags will be made of a shiny, cheap material, and there likely won’t be more than 2 or 3 washing tags.^{[4]
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- Real tags will also have clear, easy-to-read letters that don’t smudge.
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Examine accessories or jewelry to find their serial numbers. If the Tommy Hilfiger item is real, it will be assigned its own unique serial number that's used by the stores to keep track of each item. Look at your bracelet, watch, hat, or other accessory to find its serial number, which will be a series of numbers.^{[5]
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- The serial number may be printed on a tag attached to the item or on the packaging or item itself.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Logo and Tag Check

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1
Check that the brand name is spelled correctly. Very cheap fake Tommy Hilfiger items will misspell the brand name, which is an easy indicator that the item isn't real. Before you purchase something that you think is a Tommy Hilfiger, examine the lettering closely to be sure everything is spelled correctly.^{[6]
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- Check to be sure "Tommy" has 2 'm's and "Hilfiger" only has 1 'l'.
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Look for the red, white, and blue stripes in the Tommy Hilfiger logo. The official Tommy Hilfiger logo has a white rectangle right next to a red rectangle, along with a navy blue stripe on the top and bottom of both rectangles. Sometimes the word "Tommy" goes across the top navy blue stripe and "Hilfiger" goes along the bottom stripe, both in bold lettering. If the logo on your item doesn't look like this, it's likely a fake.^{[7]
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- The edges of the rectangles and stripes are all even with one another, creating one large rectangle.
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Study the logo stitching to make sure it’s even and sharp. A real Tommy Hilfiger logo will have perfect stitching with even red and white sections. A fake item of clothing will likely have uneven stitching, with jagged lines and long navy blue stripes that don’t fit along the red and white sections.^{[8]
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- If the logo stitching looks irregular or like it was quickly done, it’s most likely a fake.
4
Examine the tag lettering to see if it’s uneven and cheap-looking. A real Tommy Hilfiger tag, found right at the back of the neck, will either be a Tommy Hilfiger label that’s sewn into the clothing, or a regular clothing tag with professional-looking lettering. A fake sewn-in label will be uncomfortable with harsh edges and cheaply sewn letters, while a fake tag will have little information on it besides the size.^{[9]
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- Look at a sewn-in label closely⁠—if the sewing looks even and the material feels smooth, it’s likely real.
Dana Thomas, Veteran Fashion Journalist

When evaluating Tommy Hilfiger purchases, closely inspect logos, tags, and labels for meticulous stitching, properly aligned bars, matching serial numbers between care tags and inner labels, and the signature fabric triangle. Check for loose threads and fabric inconsistencies. If details deviate from Hilfiger's strict quality standards, you likely have a counterfeit.
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Look for the authentic triangle stitch if it’s a Tommy Hilfiger polo. If you’re trying to spot a fake Tommy Hilfiger polo, turn the shirt around so you’re looking at the back. A real polo will have a triangle stitched right at the neck, while a fake one won’t.^{[10]
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- The triangle is stitched using thread that’s the same color as the shirt, so look carefully when you’re checking for it.
- A triangle of fabric is often stitched under the label inside the item of clothing as well.
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Inspect the buttons to make sure they’re engraved with the brand name. Real Tommy Hilfiger buttons, such as the ones found on shirts, are engraved with the Tommy Hilfiger name on them. If it’s a fake, the buttons will be plain without any engravings.^{[11]
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- Real Tommy Hilfiger pants buttons will also be engraved on the back of the button or the metal part found inside the pair of pants.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Avoiding Fakes Online

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1
Look for websites with a padlock symbol to ensure your personal data is safe. The padlock symbol next to the website address shows that the website is safe to use and your information won’t be compromised. Another indicator that a website is safe is if it has “https://” in front of the web address.^{[12]
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- If you don’t see https:// or the padlock symbol, your personal data, such as your credit card information, isn’t protected if you purchase fake Tommy Hilfiger items.
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Steer clear of websites that don’t have many contact information options. If you’re hoping to buy Tommy Hilfiger products from a website but notice that the website doesn’t have ways to contact them, this is a sign that the website isn’t legitimate. Check to make sure the website has a phone number, email address, and any other necessary contact information to help show that they’re real and reliable.^{[13]
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- Look for other things like a physical address or P.O. box under their Contact page.
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Use caution before buying heavily discounted Tommy Hilfiger items. Tommy Hilfiger doesn’t often offer their products for sale online with large discounts. If a website offers a Tommy Hilfiger article of clothing or accessory for something like 40% off, it’s likely that the products are fake.^{[14]
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- The best way to find real Tommy Hilfiger sales is to search their own website.
- If a website advertises a Tommy Hilfiger item as overstock or overruns, this is another sign that it’s a fake.