Marithé + François Girbaud or simply Girbaud is probably one of the most knocked-off brands especially its jeans. François Girbaud, who is considered as the ‘Godfather of Denim,’ introduced stonewash jeans. There was a time when stonewashed jeans are everywhere, but not all of them are Girbauds. Girbaud caters to the premium denim market, which means the goods are sold with hefty price tags. Don’t fret though because you can still buy original Girbauds at cheaper prices through buying them wholesale.
How to know you are buying 100% original wholesale Girbaud
The brand has come a long way since Jennifer Beals wore a pair of Girbaud jeans in ‘Flashdance’ movie. To ensure that you are buying authentic items, that is, after finding the wholesaler of your choice, you may request a sample of a pair jeans or other items such as wallet to be sent to you. Usually, the shipping costs are shouldered by the wholesaler.
Determining the authenticity of the product essentially depends on the item that you are buying. For example, real Girbaud wallets are made from pure yet soft leather. The craftsmanship is evident on first glance with solid stitches and unscratched embellishments. The original wallets are easy to touch. Before you buy whole Girbaud wallets, make sure there are no ‘extra’ compartments. Girbaud wallets don’t have any coin compartment inside. Gather images of original Girbaud wallets and compare, so you’d know you are buying genuine wallets.
Now let’s discuss what Girbaud is most famous for – the jeans. Before, it is easy to spot fake jeans because they don’t bore the ‘M+FG’ with hologramic effect of the words “Marithé + François Girbaud” or just “Girbaud” tagline on the straps. Even when some jeans do have, they often look sloppy and misspelled. Some jeans also have plastic buttons when, in fact, François had never designed a pair jeans with such. He uses metallic rivets and buttons with ‘M+FG’ imprint as well.
Aside from the straps and buttons, the real jeans often have an extra label on the fly and inside the belt loop areas that read ‘Le Jean Marithé + François Girbaud.’ There are jeans that have stitched patch or brown patch bearing the label. The logo patch is the brown object at the upper right hand corner at the back. Sometimes, the same patch design appears mid-part of the right hind pocket.
Further, you should also see a traceability label inside. The label usually includes information on the place of manufacturing, material, size and RN number, SKU or style number. T-shirts, jackets and coats have a label inside, too. You can always cross-check the traceability numbers to ensure that the wholesaler is selling the real deal.
So if the dealer sent you a sample without the straps, with straps but misspelled tagline, with plastic buttons and without any label, don’t bother buying wholesale Girbaud products from it. It’s time to look for another wholesaler in your list.
Inspecting for authenticity further
Designer items are a favorite among resellers because of their high resale value and high earning potential. If you are planning to be reseller, you must learn the skill of discerning authentic designer jeans from fake ones, for instance. While sometimes it only takes good judgment, you cannot compromise. Anyhow, the more you see real Girbaud products, the more you’d know which are fake.
Selling high-end items at $80 or higher a piece is difficult. Your customers put a premium on the items you sell, so you should too by vouching for their authenticity. So before you list Girbaud items on your site, it is your responsibility to inspect each item thoroughly even when they arrive in bulk. Some fraudulent wholesalers are selling authentic items as advertised, but only an item or two are actually original, and the rest are counterfeits. Beware!
Other than the factors noted above, you should always inspect the rivets. The rivets as well as buttons (some Girbauds has buttoned pockets) used must be consistent in terms of size, color and design. Inspect the zipper(s) as well. In most cases, the colors of the rivets, buttons and zips are the same.
Next, check the micro-stitching. Particularly, inspect the micro-stitches on the belt loop straps. They should be consistent also. The same goes with the micro-stitches on the tags and labels. There shouldn’t be any loose threads and they should not look like aluminum strips. The stitches should be straight and not sketchy. You must not notice where the stitch begins and ends.
Finally, examine the curves. Some Girbaud jeans have flaps on the back pockets. The flaps should have distinctive uneven curves. The curves of the pockets too should be smooth throughout. The look, size and shape of the front, end and hind pockets must be persistent other than being done purposely different from one another.
Not because you are buying wholesale Girbaud, you will give the wholesaler the opportunity to deceive you. You might not know it, but the small details that you overlook before can actually reveal the authenticity of the products. Just do your part, and everything will fall on its right place.