Short answer
Most fake Dior bags use one of four materials: polyurethane (PU) coated fabric, PVC-backed canvas, split-grain leather with a PU top coat, or bonded leather. Real Dior bags use lambskin, calfskin, patent calfskin, or a jacquard-woven cotton-blend canvas. The two groups look close in photos. They differ in thickness, edge finish, weight, and how the surface ages.
What real Dior bags are made of
Dior lists the material for each style on its product pages. The Lady Dior comes in lambskin and calfskin. The Saddle comes in calfskin and in Oblique jacquard canvas. The Book Tote is cotton canvas with embroidery. Hardware is gold-tone metal or a palladium finish over a metal base.
- Lambskin: soft, thin, fine grain, marks with a fingernail.
- Calfskin: thicker, tighter grain, holds shape.
- Patent calfskin: calfskin with a plastic top coat and a mirror finish.
- Oblique jacquard: woven cotton blend. The pattern comes from threads, not ink.
What fake Dior bags are made of
Factory listings for replica Dior bags name the same words as the real listings. The material behind the word is different.
- PU leather: a fabric backing with a polyurethane film. The film runs 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm thick. It peels at fold lines.
- PVC-backed canvas: a printed polyester or cotton face with a vinyl backing. The print sits on top of the weave.
- Split-grain leather with a PU coat: the lower layer of a hide, sanded flat, then coated and embossed with a grain pattern.
- Bonded leather: leather scrap mixed with binder and rolled into sheets. It tears at stitch lines.
- Microfiber suede: polyester fibers, used for linings that copy suede.
Hardware on fakes is zinc alloy with gold electroplating. Plating depth runs about 0.5 micron to 2 micron. Real hardware uses brass or a heavier base with a thicker finish. Weight is the fastest check. A fake Lady Dior Medium often weighs less than the real bag, and the rings feel light in the hand.
Material checks at hand
- Press a fingernail into the surface. Lambskin keeps a mark that fades. PU film springs back with no mark, or stays dented.
- Look at the cut edge. Leather shows a fiber cross-section. PU and bonded leather show a foam or fabric layer.
- Turn the canvas to the back. Jacquard weave shows the pattern reversed. Printed canvas shows a white or gray back.
- Rub the hardware with a cloth. Plating that transfers to the cloth is thin.
- Check the smell. Leather has a hide smell. PU has a plastic smell that fades over months.
Wear over 12 months
PU and PVC crack at stress points. Corners and handle bases split first. Split-grain coats lift at the edges. Jacquard canvas holds shape, but the print on a fake fades at the corners. Lambskin scuffs and darkens. Calfskin keeps grain and takes polish.
Legal note
In the US, selling counterfeit goods is trademark infringement. It carries civil liability and criminal charges. CBP seizes counterfeit handbags at ports of entry and publishes annual seizure data. Buying a counterfeit for personal use is not a federal crime, but the item can be seized at import.