Chloe Paddington Hangbags

I am 153 Chloe Paddington's sold.  That's a lot!

I don't think I've answered so many questions about padlocks and keys!  To be honest, I didn't think so many questions could possibly exist!

So someone sent me this picture and wanted this colour in the Paddington handbag.  It's a very pretty colour and yes, I do have it, but this is not a good replica.

It's actually got a name, this kind of replica.  No, it's not called "shit".  It's actually called "5 star replication".

Do you see it?  Do you see what is "wrong" right off the bat?  It's those mock adjustable strips of leather located on the far left and far right sides of the bag.

See 'em?

This is what a good Paddington replica is supposed to look like.  See how the side mock adjustable buckles are on the side of the bag and not on the top of it?  To some this is a small detail, however, it is a major thing.  You don't want to be selling bags like this when you are claiming to be selling 7 star replication.  See how the first, lighter coloured bag cannot be called "mirror image"?  Those studs which hold the mock adjustable buckles are studded into the leather and so they don't swivel to the top of the bag and then swivel to the side.  Even if they did swivel on the replica to try to get the look they needed, they sure don't swivel on the original bag.

Now why is it called "5 star replication"?  Well, everything else on this bag is golden.  It's very good quality leather that resembles the same leather as the original bag.  The hardware is good.  It matches in look, weight and in feel to the original bag's hardware.

The specs of the bag are also usually bang on.  The length, width and height measure up. The differences, and sometimes there are several, is that something (in this case the mock adjustable buckles have the wrong placement) doesn't match up.   The real problem becomes when a retailer/reseller tries to sell the 5 star replication for 7 star prices.  That is truly the shameful part and that is what makes customers wary.  To be t somewhat fair, sometimes a retailer/reseller doesn't know.  He/she just isn't aware that grades of replication exist and to some extent what those grades are.  My personal opinion on that matter is that no claim should be made then.  Don't say it's 7 star replication if you're not sure, right?


See if a 7 star replication bag of the Paddington costs around $250.00 then it goes to say that a 5 star replica should run you no more than around $150-175USD.  And that makes sense, price wise.  Not everyone is as detail oriented and some of us are on a budget.  We want something that says Chloe on it but we don't necessarily want to pay Chloe prices.  Actually all of us that visit a replica site shares that sentiment!

The question then becomes :

Why does 5 star replication even exist?  Why would all factories not just upgrade to 7 star replicas?

Well, see this is where it's more an economic issue than a replica issue.  The factories set up extensive and EXPENSIVE runs of various bags and hundreds of styles.  It's all trial and error to get it right  You'd think it's more scientific than that but it's not.  Incidentally, if you read on a replica's sites "About Us" page that they actually buy the real bag, then painstakingly take it apart to copy the original pieces one at a time,..stop right there and have a laugh.  Seriously?  You run a several hundred million dollar factory and you get your ideas from buying one Chanel or LV bag and dissecting it?  Huh?  No, no one does this because this is not how business is run on a large scale and I'm sure a factory that needs to keep producing in order to be efficient  and profitable does not have time to run out to the Chanel boutique to take apart bags!  All design and replication is now done in programs like Autocad and industrial cutting machines then controlled by computers. 

When they are first copying the bags, and making replicas, the bags are never perfect.  Something always in the end, never matches up.  Some lines, for some factories, get improved because they are in demand (LV and Chanel are good examples) and so the factories get to make them over and over and thus practice each time and produce better quality replicas.  Some lines at some factories don't get improved.   It's therefore cheaper for the factory to keep producing the 5 star replicas because someone (*cough* Canal Street vendors *cough*) will buy them!

So you then get:

Hahahaha - see the studs on the lock??!!??  Where did that come from.

But all laughing aside, if you were to feel the leather and smell it and touch it, it would in fact feel like a real Chloe Paddington handbag.

When you should have:

 Any questions?  Write me.

Happy Shopping!