Is it a Real Kate Spade or a Knock-Off? How to Tell!

While I enjoy shopping for all eras of antiques and other valuables, I tend to stay away from brand name items that are frequently “knocked-off”, like perfume and handbags. That said, if I come across something iffy but for a reasonably low price, sometimes I take the chance.

That’s what I did one late spring day when shopping with my sweet husband at a local townwide garage sale. I came across a really nice tote bag with Kate Spade attribution. For $4, I decided I liked it enought to use myself, but if research revealed its authenticity, I might sell it.

Let’s find out if this large, Kate Spade “Everything” Tote is real or not, shall we?

Table of Contents

Kate Spade History
I’ve Been Ripped Off Before
Elements to Look for in a Kate Spade Handbag
—> Logo
—> Fabric
—> Stitching
—> Tags
—> Hardware
Other Evidence: Care Instructions
Kate Spade “Everything” Tote Value
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Kate Spade History

Kate Spade and her husband Andy began their handbag business in 1993. The craftmanship and design quality of their products resulted in a worldwide following that shot the brand to the upper echolons of designer goods. But that was not without some difficulty.

In a lengthy article about Kate Spade, Swap Boutique mentioned the problem:

It’s no surprise that the brand has earned industry accolades like the CFDA’s Accessories Designer of the Year Award and the loyalty of fashion-lovers around the world. But with that popularity comes a common issue: counterfeits.

This fact, however, never seemed to affect the success of the business. It survived (and thrived after) buy-outs, first by Nieman Marcus, next by Liz Claiborne, and finally by Tapestry, Inc., which also owns Coach. The Spade’s divested themselves of business completely in 2006. Sadly, Kate died by suicide in 2018.

I’ve Been Ripped Off Before

My hesitation to buy and sell designer goods is based on a bad experience. Last year, when my sweet sister and niece were in town, we did some garage saling. We happened upon a different sort of sale, off the street in a small industrial setting. Right away we saw large quantities of potential knock-offs.

But we got to talking with the “nice” gentleman who seemed to be in charge. When we asked about specific items, he would tell us whether they were genuine or not. That seduced us into believing he was honest. The three of us each ended up paying $20 for different high end perfumes that eBay told us should sell for several hundred dollars each.

Needless to say, we began researching them as soon as we could and unfortunately learned they were indeed fakes. Lesson learned.

Elements to Look for in a Genuine Kate Spade Handbag

All that to say, when I came across the tote with Kate Spade’s name attached to it, I had my doubts.

But priced at just $4, this bag is very attractive, and I soon realized I’d be happy to keep it, if it proved to be a knock-off. Once I got home, I began my research and discovered that the bag is a large Everything tote. New examples contained a matching pouch, which mine is missing.

I also learned that there are several factors to consider when establishing the genuineness of a Kate Spade bag:

Logo

Kate Spade’s logo consists of the name in lower case: kate spade, with New York directly below in upper case: NEW YORK.

According to REAL AUTHENTICATION, the “N” lines up with the “t” above. The words should be perfectly centered on the tag. Like you see on this Kate Spade “credo”: a small leather patch on thie inside of the bag showing the maker name.

The logo on the spade-shaped purse charm appears exactly as expected: perfectly centered with correctly placed lines of text. Notice also the perfect stitching on the charm, always finished off on both ends rather than simply ending.

Fabric

Kate Spade uses only the best quality fabrics and leather in the manufacture of their handbags and totes. It should have no flaws at all and have a luxe feel to it.

Outside:

This Everything bag is made of a beautiful canvas, featuring navy flowers (made of spades!) on a white ground, that meets the Kate Spade standard of excellence. The trim and handles are made of quality leather.

NOTE: The materals are listed as “Italian jacquard fabric” and “smooth Italian leather trim”.

The fabric lining the bag is a crisp, navy blue “faille” that matches the outer fabric and would be easy to clean, if necessary. Faille is a soft woven fabric, usually of silk, sometimes of cotton or a synthetic blend.

NOTE: Notice also the attractive, gold fittings and, again, the perfect stitching.

Stitching

The stitching on any Kate Spade bag should appear almost perfect. Look for straight even stitching with no visible flaws–on both the inside and the out. The thread color should match both of the fabrics as well. Look for loose threads or crooked stitching as indications of inauthenticity.

Tags

(1) Logo/Country of Origin:

The Kate Spade logo, a spade (like you’d find on a playing card) should appear on a small tag sewn into the lining of the bag. This blue on white logo is perfectly shaped and centered as you’d expect with a genuine bag.

On the back of this tag it reads “Vietnam” one of the locations around the world where Kate Spade bags are made.

(2) Serial Number:

Look for the serial number on the interior below the logo. Apparently this serial number: S338, is very common and is often used in knock-off bags. It gave me a scare until I discovered the style number, below.

(3) Style Number:

After doing tons of research, which indicated there should be a style number tag, I started to panic because I couldn’t find one! I finally read advice somewhere that said to pull out the lining of the pockets, and I should find the tag inside one of them. And I did–phew.

The tag reads: PXRUB272, S1008, 12/20. The first set of numbers indicates the style number, the middle set is unknown, and the last, 12/20, indicates the manufacture or design date of the bag: December 2020.

Hardware

The metal hardware on the Kate Spade bags should be silver or gold in color with a beautiful, glossy finish. In addition, they should feel as though they have some heft to them.

The hardware on my bag ticked all the boxes. Note that repeat embellishments like these corner pieces should be identical. And notice how they’re held in place, not with glue, but with matching screws–a sign of quality.

Not all Kate Spade tote bags have metal feet but if they do, they should be short and round, never pointy.

Other Evidence: Care Instructions

Authentic bags come with a small paper booklet providing care instructions in several languages. I found the little booklet tucked inside one of the interior pockets.

Kate Spade Large Everything Tote Bag Value

Based on my research, it looks like this Everything tote retailed for $349. At present is is listed on eBay in new condition for anywhere from $200-300, and for a pre-owned example, $75-200.

A used example, identical to mine but with the small, matching pouch, sold on eBay on June 22, 2026 for $191(!).

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Final Thoughts

I conducted a lot of research to determine whether my bag was real or not. In addition, I checked eBay listings for this specific Kate Spade bag and was able to examine all of the elements from the photos provided for New With Tags (NWT) examples. This examination provided further proof that yes, my tote bag was a genuine Kate Spade.

We’re headed to South Carolina soon to meet up with friends for a much anticipated reunion, and I’ll be bringing this bag with me!

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Bye for now,

I’d love it if you’d pin this to your fave Pinterest board–thanks!