How To Spot a Fake Burberry Scarf: 6 Ways to Tell Real Scarves

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In the early 2000s, the London-based fashion brand, Burberry, went through a positive transformation that helped their iconic products explode with popularity into the millennium.

It started when Christopher Bailey, a British fashion designer, joined the company in May 2001 as a design director. He is now the president of the company while Italian fashion designer Riccardo Tisci is the chief creative officer.

Naomi Cambell arriving at the BBC Radio 1 Studios in London on February 19, 2015 / Blake Lively at the New York premiere of “Blue Valentine” at The Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2010 / Mary-Kate Olsen arriving at the London Fashion Week Held at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London on February 23, 2010

These days, celebrities can’t seem to get enough of the brand’s notorious checked pattern. Staple items such as the trench coat and cashmere scarf have consistently been spotted on stars over the years.

A true symbol of high-end fashion, stepping out in classic Burberry’s classic checked pattern never fails to turn heads. Our favorite way to showcase the bold design is by wearing a scarf.

Where to Buy Burberry Scarves

The official Burberry website has a “store locator” tool which lets you search for authorized retailers near you. If you’re buying a scarf from a brick-and-mortar store, this is an easy way to make sure you’re getting authentic products.

Billie Eilish made a style statement in Burberry at the 2019 American Music Awards

When online shopping, it’s best to stick to well-known and established retailers, such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, and of course the official Burberry website.

Since there are many fine details you need to check in order to make sure the Burberry product is authentic, make sure the seller has included multiple, high-resolution photos of the product itself as well as the tags and packaging.

Lily James wears her favorite Burberry scarf with a black baker boy style cap as she meets fans after All About Eve performance in London’s West End on February 11, 2019

The seller should also include a product number. Ask for more pictures or information if anything is missing before making a purchase!

If you’ve come across a great deal online, be sure to check out our tips on how to quickly tell if a site is real or not.

The top online retailers to shop for Burberry scarves are:

1. Burberry (Official)

2. Nordstrom

3. Saks Fifth Avenue

4. Matches Fashion

5. Mytheresa

The classic Heritage Nova Check pattern, or any of the other glam styles from the brand, adds the perfect amount of color to any outfit, which these celebs highlighted flawlessly.

Brandy doing a Q&A with radio station The Beat 100.3 and DJ Janita “Applebaum” Styles in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on October 3, 2008/ Kelly Osbourne at Christopher Bailey and Mario Testino Burberry Beverly Hills Store Re-Opening in Beverly Hills on October 20, 2008/ Demi Lovato spotted outside her Manhattan hotel in New York on January 1, 2009

Unfortunately, some of those positive changes the company underwent for the millennium, including expanding production internationally, caused an increase in the creation of counterfeit products and knock offs.

They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. While these gorgeous closet-staple products certainly deserve the compliments, consumers also deserve to know they’re getting the real deal.

Queen Latifah outside Cinespace nightclub in Los Angeles on December 3, 2008/ Carolyn Flack arriving for dinner in Soho London on January 8, 2015 / Lindsay Lohan heading to the gym post-rehab in Los Angeles on January 4, 2011

If you’re interested in jumping on the Burberry bandwagon, there are a few tips you should consider to make sure you’re not being duped by one of those pesky knock offs.

Spot a fake Burberry scarf with these six simple checks:

1. Check the Price

Perhaps the most obvious indicator of true Burberry scarves, is simply how much they cost. Authentic Burberry materials are of the highest quality and are produced with extreme care.

The price should always reflect this. Real scarves sell for anywhere between $175.00- over $500.00. If you’ve discovered a scarf that’s significantly cheaper, it should raise some eyebrows.

Burberry’s gorgeous scarf collection for 2016

2. Check the Tag

The tag itself is also a good place to look for authenticity. Each official tag will feature a firm and evenly-printed “Burberry” on the front, and the inside should contain information including the materials, product number, style of scarf, the color, and the size.

Pictured below is the inside of a Burberry scarf tag. In the top left corner, you can see the equestrian knight logo, and to the right, there is a square block that depicts the pattern and style of the scarf purchased, in this case, it’s Giant Check.

Under these images, you can see a list of the trademarks and copyrights, and then you’ll see a sticker containing the name and specific product information of the particular item.

3. Check the label

An authentic Burberry scarf will have a sewn-on label that is evenly sewn onto the fabric. The middle will not be attached, creating a loop of fabric.

• Centered in the middle of this rectangular label, “BURBERRY” will be sewed in capital letters that are of equal height.
• Beneath the brand’s name, there will be varying details, depending on when the scarf was made, where, and which type of scarf it is.
• Many scarves will have the detail “London” sewn somewhere underneath the brand, and most will also include where the product was made. The fonts of these location details might vary a little with each scarf, they will either be sewn in the same standard Burberry font, or in a thinner, cursive style like the one pictured below.
• While some Burberry scarves are produced in England, Scotland, and France, most scarves are now produced in Asia. Burberry has factories throughout the world including China, Poland, Romania, India, Spain, Italy, England, even some in the US.
• Many scarf labels will also include the materials the scarf was made from and the instructions to “dry clean only.”

Official Burberry scarf tag

4. Check the Logo

The official symbol for the company is a clearly-printed “Equestrian Knight” character that is shown on the tag of each scarf sold. Oftentimes, knockoff scarves will try to pass a barely-visible rendition of this logo, so you need to make sure to examine the image closely.

This knight will be left-facing and on the inside of the paper tag. It should be printed clearly and centered with no smudged edges.

The below photo is of the packaging of a Burberry product. If you purchase a Burberry scarf from an authorized retailer, it will likely come rolled up in a thick canister with a bow, and this equestrian knight logo embossed on the front in gold.

Burberry’s equestrian knight

5. Check the Font

The font of all Burberry products might be the single best way to sniff out a knock-off. Each time “Burberry” is written on the scarf, its tags, or packaging, the font should always be the same, and the letters should be capitalized.

True Burberry R’s will have pointed ridges that resemble a bicycle’s kickstand, and the trail will curl slightly outwards, like in the below-left photo. If the letters on the Burberry scarf in question are straight with no ridges or pointed edges, like the right photo below, there’s a good chance it’s fake.

The two photos below were taken from sellers on eBay. While they are both a little out of focus, if you look closely at the tags, you can see that the Rs do not curl outwards, but instead move outward in a straight line.

When buying from eBay, always ask the seller for more detailed and clear photographs before purchasing!

6. Check the Check

All Burberry scarves with the trademarked checked pattern will have perfectly symmetrical stripes. If the scarf you want to purchase has any line out of place, it’s probably not real.

Specifically, on all of the Nova Check designs, all black lines run across the fabric in sets of three; each equidistant from the next. A thin red line will cut through these dark lines at a crisp, perpendicular angle, creating perfect square blocks.

Burberry’s distinctive Nova Check pattern

Where Are Burberry Scarves Made?

While Burberry’s global marketing campaign revolves around “Britishness” and being a “luxury brand” with a distinctively British appeal, most of the company’s products are now produced outside the United Kingdom.

While some trench coats are made at a manufacturing site in Leeds, a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, some Burberry scarves and other products are made in China.

Burberry’s classic cashmere scarves are made in Scotland at two historic mills in the towns of Elgin and Ayr. Each scarf is worked on by 18 artisans and undergoes 30 different production processes.

The fabric is washed in local spring water and carefully brushed with teasels for a super-soft finish. Many of Burberry’s more affordable scarves are made in other countries. For example, the popular rib-knit wool collar scarves are made in Italy.

Burberry Classic Cashmere Scarf, $470 at Burberry

Burberry’s classic cashmere scarf in check is made at a 200-year-old mill in the Scottish countryside

In 2007, several hundred workers lost their jobs when the company closed down its 70-year-old factory in Treorchy, a village in Wales.

Also, make sure to check out the below video showing 10 super easy ways to wear the classic Burberry scarf with style.

Credit: WENN / Mario Mitsis / Will Alexander / Daniel Deme / FayesVision / Hugh Dillon /
Credit: Ivan Nikolov / Burberry / eBay / Adriana M. Barraza / Claytons