Let’s waste no time and see how to tell fake Bape hoodies.
How to tell if a BAPE hoodie is real
You can tell if a BAPE hoodie is real by checking the neck tag’s inscriptions and stitches. A fake hoodie has extra threads and multiple font-weights for the text.
1. Neck tag
We’ll compare a few different colorways to make everyone happy.
1.1. Space Camo
Authentic:
Stitching: Tight and high-quality especially on the neck tag.
Text: Slightly bolder with well-defined gaps inside letters like “A” and “a”.
Ape Icon: Well-defined and detailed.
Additional Icon Details: Consistently shaped and cleanly designed.
® Symbol: Properly spaced from other elements.
Ribbon Line: Straight and even.
Letter Spacing: Uniform and readable.
Print Consistency: All elements (like the “i” dot) are consistently placed.
Secondary Text (“1993 to 2093”): Proportionally spaced and sized correctly.
Letter Clarity: Clear and distinct, even between similar letters like “A” and “R”.
Stitching: Consistent across all parts of the tag.
Size Denotation: Aligned properly on the side tag.
Fake:
Stitching: Often loose or of lower quality, especially on hidden areas like neck tags.
Text: May appear less bold or have irregular gaps within letters.
Ape Icon: Lacks detail and precision.
Additional Icon Details: Might appear more “furry” or less defined.
® Symbol: Misplaced or incorrectly spaced.
Ribbon Line: Potentially wavy or uneven.
Letter Spacing: Inconsistencies, such as tight spacing between “t” and “h”.
Print Consistency: Minor errors, like misplaced elements or dots.
Secondary Text (“1993 to 2093”): Incorrectly spaced or slightly misaligned.
Letter Clarity: Possible misprints or lack of distinction between letters.
Stitching: Might show inconsistencies or lower quality.
Size Denotation: Possible misalignment or incorrect positioning on the side tag.
Finding it too hard? Reach out to our Bape experts:
1.2. Green Camo
Authentic:
Stitching: Neat and durable.
Bape Icon: Detailed and crisp.
Print Lines: Clear and sharp.
Text Placement: Properly spaced, e.g., “1993 to 2093” text.
Letter Alignment: Precise and orderly.
Letter Clarity: Easily distinguishable letters, e.g., “A” and “R”.
Size Font: Proportionate and standard, e.g., “XL”.
Fake:
Stitching: Commonly poor or inconsistent.
Bape Icon: Likely to lack detail.
Print Lines: Potentially fuzzy or irregular.
Text Placement: May be improperly spaced.
Letter Alignment: Could showcase misalignments.
Letter Clarity: Difficulty distinguishing between similar letters.
Size Font: Possible inconsistencies, like an oversized “XL”.
1.3. Blue Camo
Just to clear out any possible misinterpretations, any stitching that looks like the one pictured below is 100% a fake Bape hoodie.
1.4. Purple Camo
One last thing to be mentioned before we move on to the next tell is the fact that on the other side of the side tag, one should find this Bape logo — pictured below.
1.5. Collection map
The neck tags we’ve attached above are the ones that Bape started using after 2010.
Below is a curated list of:
2000 to 2005 Bape neck tags
2005 to 2007 Bape neck tags, and
2008 to 2010 Bape neck tags
Replicas aside:
Most hoodies pre-2010 are not replicated because there’s not enough intel on them.
Hence, replica manufactures don’t want to fake an item they don’t know much about.
The goal is to get it as accurate as possible, and when there’s not enough information about a product, you simply can’t achieve that goal.
If they are replicated somehow, they’re obvious fakes that you can tell out by using the other points described above.
2. Wash tag
2.1. Best-quality replica
Wash Tag Stitching
Authentic: Dense and even.
Fake: Likely inconsistent.
Font Thickness
Authentic: Thin and refined.
Fake: Typically bolder.
Unique Character
Authentic: Bullet-like symbol.
Fake: Standard asterisk.
2.2. Lower-quality replica
Moving on, here’s another example of the less dense stitching found on the fake Bape wash tag (or care tag).
Left Example:Clearly sparse and inferior stitching.
Right Example:Better, yet still insufficient stitching quality.
And last but not least, make sure you give the wash tags a read.
In the image below, we have pointed out at a fake hoodie that has two text flaws, but please keep in mind that these two flaws were made even on the authentic 2015-2017 Bape items!
Authentic:
Generally, no typing errors or misspellings.
Consistent and correct spacing between letters.
Fake:
Typing errors like “it nside out” instead of “inside out”
Mistakes such as “Slight shrikage” instead of “slight shrinkage”
3. Gold tag
Every Bape item comes with this thing that we call a “gold tag”. What it consists of is a small tag with the Bape logo printed in reflective, golden material.
Authentic: All Bape items include a gold tag.
Purpose: The guide isn’t exclusive to hoodies to ensure wide applicability for various Bape items.
All Bape hoodies come with this gold tag, thus we didn’t want to limit the scope of the guide to hoodies only.
4. WGM text
The “WGM” patch stands for World Gone Mad, one of Bape’s famous slogans.
4.1. WGM Logo #1
Let’s start with an equal pink camo real vs pink camo fake Bape hoodie comparison.
Authentic:
Consistent, even lettering details without imperfections.
Fake:
Despite being a high-quality replica, pay attention to letter production quality.
Spots on ‘W’ and ‘G’ betray the use of inferior machinery in fake production, resulting in uneven details.
A bolder ‘M’ is visible, which is a flaw even in replicas that fix other common inconsistencies.
4.1. WGM Logo #2
Authentic:
Letter Quality: Even detailing with no observable imperfections.
Consistency: Authentic Bape items won’t display uneven details or anomalies in font boldness.
Fake
Manufacturing Issues: Despite its high quality, be wary of how letters like ‘W’ and ‘G’ are crafted.
Imperfections: Two spots on ‘W’ and ‘G’ hint at the use of subpar machinery in replica production.
Font Boldness: The ‘M’ letter appears noticeably bolder, distinguishing it from genuine items.
4.1. WGM Logo #3
Authentic:
Letter Outline: Smooth and consistently shaped without unexpected bumps or irregularities.
Spacing: Adequate and uniform space between distinct letter structures, like the pillars of ‘W’.
Fake:
Irregularities: Watch for extra bumps, especially observed in the fake “G” in highlighted instances.
Spacing Issues: Sometimes the space between the ‘W’ pillars can be too narrow.
Inconsistencies: Almost always, letters may exhibit extra bumps, loose threads, or other discernible imperfections.
4.1. WGM Logo #4
I’ll just attach one last picture showing another inconsistency for a replica Bape hoodie since some of them vary wildly.
4.1. WGM Logo #5
Very few fake hoodies might come with almost proper stitching, like the one below.
I’d argue even the one below is not perfect but notice please how the “G” letter is not properly aligned.
Authentic:
Letter Alignment: All letters are positioned on a consistent line, maintaining even alignment throughout.
Fake:
Misalignment: Notably, the “G” letter is sinking or misaligned compared to the other letters.
A quick mention:
The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
The next few steps are still reliable methods…
… but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
5. Zipper (YKK)
Bape uses YKK zippers, which are one of the (if not the) most popular types of zippers across the world.
However, YKK zippers are also replicated.
As a consequence, they will jam often or simply not work as smoothly as they’re supposed to.
People who have bought the counterfeit versions have confirmed that sometimes these zippers break after a couple of uses.
Authentic:
Zipper Number Size: The “5” on the zipper is of a standard, identifiable size.
Zipper Bottom Shape: Consistent and specific shape adhering to brand standards.
Fake:
Size Discrepancy: The “5” on the zipper is smaller than it should be.
Shape Variation: The shape of the zipper bottom displays a slight, but noticeable, difference.
6. Sleeve tag
On this specific fake tag, we can point out:
The lack of the ® symbol
Different stitching was used
Any Bape sleeve tag that’s missing the ® symbol is automatically a fake.
6.1. Sleeve tag #1
Authentic:
Thinner stitching.
Present “®” symbol.
Fake:
Thicker threads.
Missing “®” character.
6.1. Sleeve tag #2
Authentic:
® Symbol Font: Utilizes a specific, consistent font type.
Stitching Quality: Exhibits high-quality, precise, and consistent stitching throughout.
Fake:
Different Font: The ® symbol, while present, uses a different, incorrect font.
Inferior Stitching: The quality of the stitching tends to be inconsistent and of lower quality.
7. Shark face
This is the iconic detail on Bape’s hoodie.
7.1. Shark face #1
Authentic:
Eye Positioning: Adequate space between the eyes and the zipper.
Eye Size: Eyes are of a standard, larger size.
Mouth Shape: A specific, highlighted curve shape on the bottom side.
Tongue Positioning: Does not touch the teeth, maintaining a balanced space.
Fake:
Incorrect Eye Positioning: Eyes positioned too closely to the zipper.
Smaller Eye Size: Eyes are notably smaller than those on authentic versions.
Altered Mouth Shape: Lacks the authentic curve on the bottom side.
Tongue Issue: Occupies a larger area, touching both upper and lower teeth.
7.2. Shark face #2
Authentic:
Eye to Zipper Distance: Adequate space between the shark eyes and the central zipper, maintaining a harmonious design symmetry.
Fake:
Misplaced Eyes: The shark eyes are not only too close to the zipper but also improperly aligned, disrupting the balanced visual aesthetic.
8. Packaging
8.1. Green camo label
Bape hoodies come with some sets of extra tags.
Fake manufacturers manage to replicate them as well, but the tint of green used is significantly different.
Authentic:
Tag Color: The color of the extra tag maintains a consistent, brand-standard hue.
Fake:
Incorrect Tint: The additional tag possesses a notably incorrect, almost highlighter green tint, which deviates from the authentic tag color.
8.2. Ziplock bag
Moving on, sometimes the bag in which these fake Bape hoodies come are different from what they’re supposed to look like.
We’ve attached two authentic versions of the packaging bag on the left side and a fake packaging bag on the right side so you can use your judgment when authenticating this item.
And hey, here we are! The guide is officially done and will be constantly updated if better fakes hit the market.
Coming up next, we’ll address some questions that people usually have when it comes to the authenticity of Bape Shark/Tiger hoodies.
Where is Bape made?
Authentic Bape (A Bathing Ape) products are over 90% made in China and Japan.
What are Bape hoodies made out of?
Authentic BAPE hoodies (and most of their other items) are made out of cotton and silk.
Only 5% is usually made out of polyurethane.
Shortlist: Tell if a Bape is real (in 10 seconds)
Check out the wash tag for the asterisk/bullet point character
Analyse the neck tag for any loose threads or bold text
Analyse the WGM patches
Have a feel of the material of the hoodie
Feel the zipper as well, see if it moves smoothly
Check the zipper’s text on the back, and compare that “5” to the picture above.
If I had only 10 seconds to authenticate, I’d most definitely spot a fake Bape by looking at the WGM text patch — make sure the letters are properly aligned and without any loose threads of weirdly-cut-out outlines.
If I had to choose, though, and I had the choice of being able to look at the wash tag, I’d definitely go for that. The asterisk+bullet character is an instant giveaway.
Submit pictures of your Bape hoodie (or other clothing).
Wait no more than 48 hours.
Get a detailed report for why you have real or fake Bape clothing.
It’s really that easy. Get started today!
While the Bape (A Bathing Ape) brand is very replicated, yes, authentic pieces with camo prints are constantly released.
Bape has released multiple versions of camo, such as space camo, pink camo, green camo, blue camo and many others. Most of the aforementioned colours were observed in the real vs replica comparisons above.
The best way to know whether your Bape camo is legit or not? Follow the guide above and make sure you’re buying safely.
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About the Author
Ch Daniel is the co-founder and co-CEO of Legit Check By Ch, one of the world's leading companies in product authentications. Daniel's experience: 8+ years in the luxury industry, 7+ years in the authentication industry, 10+ years of business development. Currently, Daniel is overseeing the development of new products of Legit Check By Ch.
