Best Ways to Tell if a Denim Tears Hoodie is Legit or Fake

Denim Tears is one of the hottest streetwear brands of the moment, but popularity comes with a rise in counterfeit products. If you recently purchased a Denim Tears hoodie from a third-party seller, it’s a good idea to inspect it so you know if it’s legit. Below, we break down obvious and subtle signs a Denim Tears hoodie is fake. Plus, we'll explain how to avoid buying counterfeit Denim Tears.

Quick Signs a Denim Tears Hoodie is Fake

The cotton wreath pattern is patchy in color, smooth, or overly puffy
The wash tag is missing the thick black bar at its top
There are typos or missing information on the wash and neck tags
There are multiple cotton wreaths on the inside of the hood

Section 1 of 6:

Checking the Print on a Denim Tears Hoodie

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A legitimate Denim Tears hoodie features embossed cotton wreaths that feel slightly rough to the touch.^{[1]
X
Research source} A fake hoodie usually features smooth cotton wreaths because they’re made with a cheap, alternative printing process.
On a real Denim Tears hoodie, the cotton wreaths are a solid white color. A knock-off hoodie’s cotton wreaths may be patchy or faded, indicating they were screen-printed.^{[2]
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Research source} Additionally, the wreaths on an authentic hoodie are only slightly raised off the fabric. If they look super puffy and marshmallow-like, it could be a sign they’re fake.

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Check that one cotton wreath continues under the hood. Real Denim Tears hoodies have a single cotton wreath that goes from the top outer edge of the hood to the inner head with no stitching or gaps.^{[3]
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Research source} If there’s stitching between the outer and inner part of the cotton wreath, or the cotton wreath cuts off on the outside of the hood, it’s a sign your hoodie is fake.^{[4]
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- Some shoppers claim that early Denim Tears hoodies have a cotton wreath that cuts off on the edge of the hood and extra cotton wreaths inside the hood, but this is unverified.
Turn the hood inside-out to check for extra cotton wreaths. An authentic Denim Tears hoodie only has one wreath on the inside of the hood, continuing from the outside. A counterfeit may have random extra cotton wreaths around the inside of the hood.^{[5]
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Section 2 of 6:

Inspecting the Hoodie’s Wash Tag

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Check for a large black bar at the top of the wash tag. Under the seams that attach the wash tag (the white tag with care instructions) to the inside of the hoodie, look for a large black rectangle.^{[6]
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Research source} The rectangle may be slightly covered by the seams. If the rectangle is absent, thin, or a different color, it’s a sign the hoodie is a knock-off.^{[7]
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- If there’s no wash tag inside your Denim Tears hoodie, it’s a fake. The FTC requires manufacturers to attach a wash tag to garments that includes care instructions, the garment’s materials, the country of origin, and the manufacturer’s identity.^{[8]
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  Trustworthy Source
  
  Federal Trade Commission
  Independent U.S. government agency focused on consumer protection
  
  Go to source}
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Look for spelling errors or missing information. Counterfeit product tags often have typos and leave out information that’s found on the tags of their authentic counterparts. There are two main types of Denim Tears wash tags, one with “DENIM TEARS, LLC” at the top and one with “DENIM TEARS” in a blocky, outlined font at the top. Here’s some of the information to look for on each type of wash tag:^{[9]
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- DENIM TEARS, LLC Wash Tag
  - MADE IN PORTUGAL
  - 100% COTTON
  - MACHINE WASH AT 30
  - WASH WITH SIMILAR COLORS
  - COLD IRON
  - DO NOT IRON PRINT
  - BLEACH, TUMBLE DRY
  - FABRIQUE AU PORTUGAL
- DENIM TEARS Wash Tag
  - 100% COTTON
  - MACHINE WASH COLD
  - GENTLE CYCLE
  - TUMBLE DRY LOW
  - DO NOT IRON
  - DO NOT DRY CLEAN
- Collaborations between Denim Tears and other brands may have differing information on the wash tag.
- Some shoppers claim early Denim Tears hoodies were manufactured in the USA, not Portugal, but there’s no confirmation that this is true. Recent Denim Tears hoodies are made in Portugal and reflect this on their tags.
Make sure the text on the wash tag appears uniform in color, thickness, fonts, and capitalization.^{[10]
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Research source} If one word, letter, or symbol looks too dark, too light, or otherwise different from the rest, it could be a sign that the tag and hoodie are fake.

Section 3 of 6:

Examining the Denim Tears Neck Tag

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Real Denim Tears hoodies have green neck tags and white text. If your neck tag is another color (entirely or partly) or has the wrong text color, it’s likely a counterfeit.^{[11]
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Inspect for typos or missing text on the neck tag. Authentic Denim Tears hoodie neck tags don’t have spelling errors—but a fake one might.^{[12]
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Research source} They contain the following information on the main part of the neck tag:
- AFRICAN DIASPORA GOODS
- DENIM TEARS (Text inlaid in a ribbon)
- EST. 1619 (There’s a flower in between “Est.” and the year)
- REG. TRADEMARK (Text is flanked by two “~” on either side)
- Made in Portugal (Appears on the right side before the size tag)
- Real Denim Tears hoodies have a small size tag coming out of the right side of the neck tag, with a capital letter indicating size (for example, “M” for medium).
All Denim Tears hoodies have their neck tag sewn slightly below the back collar seam, leaving a gap between the seam and the top of the tag.^{[13]
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Research source} If your Denim Tears hoodie’s neck tag is right below the bottom seam of the hood with no gap, it’s probably a counterfeit.

Section 4 of 6:

Other Signs a Denim Tears Hoodie is Fake

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While some early Denim Tears hoodies featured stitching along the edge of the hood as well as under the hood, most newer designs don’t have any stitching at the edge. Look along the edge of the hood to see if there’s a stitch there that doesn’t belong, especially if it’s interrupting the cotton wreath.^{[14]
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Compare the color of your hoodie to official product photos. Fake products often come in a slightly lighter or darker color than the legitimate product they’re copying. Fakes may even come in colorways that were never released. Look at photos of real Denim Tears hoodies on the brand’s official website and social media pages to verify your hoodie’s color is legitimate.^{[15]
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- You can also compare the tags on your garment to pictures of tags on real hoodies to check their authenticity, says vintage clothing reseller Patrick Klima.^{[16]
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  Expert Source
  
  Patrick Klima
  Vintage Clothing Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
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Inspect the hoodie’s material for detail and quality. Turn the hoodie inside-out. A real Denim Tears hoodie has visible texture and feels somewhat thick. A fake Denim Tears hoodie may appear smooth or fuzzy because it’s made of low-quality material instead of 100% cotton fabric.^{[17]
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- If you wash your hoodie a few times and the cotton wreaths fade, that’s a sign the hoodie is a fake made with low-quality materials.

Section 5 of 6:

How to Avoid Buying Fake Denim Tears

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Buy directly from Denim Tears or authorized retailers. While it’s tempting to shop for Denim Tears products from second-hand stores or third-party sellers to get a discount, the only way to know your hoodie is authentic is to buy it from Denim Tears or an authorized retailer. Use the official Denim Tears website. Or, visit one of the brand’s authorized retailers listed below:^{[18]
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- Denim Tears Flagship Store (New York, NY)
- Dover Street Market (London, UK)
- DSM Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
- DSM New York (New York, NY)
- DSM Beijing (Beijing, China)
- DSM Ginza (Tokyo, Japan)
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Beware of suspiciously low prices. Some deals are too good to be true. While not every Denim Tears hoodie on the second-hand market is a fake, if it’s listed for a very cheap price, it could be a knock-off. It doesn’t make sense for a reseller to sell products at a loss. If someone makes a fake hoodie from subpar materials, they profit even while selling it cheaply.^{[19]
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- “Normally what I tell people is if you're paying a price that's too good to be true on streetwear, it's fake,” Klima explains.^{[20]
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  Expert Source
  
  Patrick Klima
  Vintage Clothing Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
- Compare third-party prices to the prices on Denim Tears’ official website.
Look at reviews to see if customers have complained about receiving fake products, but beware that positive reviews can be faked by the seller. Research the seller to see if there are any official complaints filed against them. If you’re shopping online, double-check the website URL to make sure it’s spelled correctly and not a fake website pretending to be legitimate.^{[21]
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Section 6 of 6:

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is Denim Tears? Denim Tears is a streetwear brand founded in 2019 by designer Tremaine Emory. The brand tells stories of the African diaspora in its collections, and the name references the historic connection between denim (which is made of cotton) and slavery.^{[22]
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- Before launching Denim Tears, Emory worked at Stüssy.^{[23]
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  Research source} He also served as creative director for Supreme
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Why is Denim Tears popular? Denim Tears has been worn by celebrities like Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, Bella Hadid, and Lil Uzi Vert, boosting its popularity.^{[24]
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Research source} Customers also appreciate that the brand is Black-owned and committed to representing stories of the African diaspora.^{[25]
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Research source} Denim Tears has collaborated with brands like Marc Jacobs, Levi’s, Dior, Champion, and Stüssy, generating additional hype.^{[26]
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Is Denim Tears a luxury brand? No, Denim Tears is a high-end streetwear brand. Their products are more accessible than a luxury brand and available to the masses. However, they feature high-quality materials, original designs, and a higher price point, differentiating them from a regular streetwear brand.^{[27]
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Research source}
- The line between luxury and high-end continues to blur as luxury brands try to appeal to the masses.
- Denim Tears has done collaborations with luxury brands like Dior.

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Warnings

Differences in manufacturing between generations, collaborations, and styles mean these signs won’t hold true for every Denim Tears hoodie or product. A real product from an earlier collection may have a slightly different wash tag, for example.

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