When many people think of looking for fake Gucci shirts, the main concern is always an issue of quality. It's fake, you think, so, the quality must be jeopardized some how, right? We'll get to that. The second question that comes to mind is, will it pass for an authentic piece? As in, if you head to a club or a party or even a night with your friends, will "wow, god damn, look at you" be the first impression? A subtle admiration would be good, too.

(A fashionable dog hoping for a subtle admiration as his first impression when he goes out tonight.)

These are important to ask. Even if a fake Gucci shirt or any other designer that you're looking around for are only $25.00, no one wants to spend their money on something they can't wear. After all, there are plenty of things you could do with that $25.00 that you would do if you knew you were going to get something unwearable. So let's dive in. At the end I'll give you my recommendation of where to buy fake Gucci shirts and other designers, so keep reading!

How is the quality of a fake Gucci shirt?

There's an unspoken truth among the fabrics. If they could talk, the cottons would whisper about the polyesters. The cotton/polyester blends would gossip about the triblends. This is because we've all run into that cheap China feeling hoodie that we bought on a whim from wish or eBay. You remember, it took three weeks to ship, but it only cost about ten bucks. Not only do they feel too light weight, but after wearing them once, the wrinkles in the fabric stay in place. When you throw them in the wash they pill. After two or three uses they become unwearable. Poor quality garments are the ultimate joke of the fashion industry. You think you're getting a great deal, but often it can be too good to be true.

So what differentiates the quality? Most of the time if you're buying 100% cotton it's a pretty safe bet that you'll get a decent shirt. Polyester can be too thin. Rayon and viscose blends, while very soft, can be almost see through. But there is another thing to consider when purchasing online, and that's the process the company uses to input the design onto the blank garment. There's a few ways people do it. The truth is, the process that major brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Anti Social Social Club, Supreme, Palace and most all of the merch coming from musicians like Ye and Travis Scott use are done in one of these four most popular ways.

(a photo of a man working a medium sized print shop)

• Screen Printing. A process of pushing soft, plastic or water based ink through mesh screens into the fabric and then curing the ink at high temperatures around 320 degrees until it's hardened, is one way used by brands like Palace, Supreme, ASSC, Gucci, YSL and many, many others. It is a very old practice dating back to ancient China. Andy Warhol was one famous artist who utilized screen printing to produce art prints. It is a process which can be used many ways, and applied to many types of mediums.

• HTV or heat transfer vinyl. This process uses a hot press and vinyl material which is cut and layered onto the shirt. The vinyl comes in an array of colors, textures, weights and patterns.

• DTG or direct to garment printing. Essentially, this is a giant ink printer where instead of loading paper, one loads a shirt and the inks spray the design onto the fabric.

(A few examples of shirts with designs printed using sublimation.)

• Sublimation printing is able to merge colors, designs and patterns into the entire shirt by printing a design onto a certain type of paper, and then heating it until the inks turn to gas and merge with the fabric. It is to note that sublimation printing is recommended to only be done on 100% polyester fabrics.

All four methods are used by major multi-billion dollar companies to garage shops operated by one to two people. When it comes down to what the truth is about the quality of a product you're looking at, the best way to tell is by the quality of the company's customer service. Huge companies are more likely to sacrifice quality for cost efficiency. New shops can be your new plug to get quality, 1:1 replica gems.

So, are you really sacrificing quality when buying a fake? No and yes. Many people who are in the rep industry use the exact same blank shirts and the exact same process to put the design onto the shirt as the original brand. Supreme, VLONE  and Kanye West are notorious for using Gildan (a $2.00 shirt which construction workers and hype beasts both wear, knowingly or not) to print their merch with. Some brands pledge to follow eco-friendly practices and produce only on recycled materials. Some rep companies will still use the same practices and materials, but their company may or may not be dedicated as a whole to the culture, which is really what a person buys into when spending hundreds on a brand name.

(Anti Social Social Club hoodies are printed on blanks provided by Independent Trading Company. The authentic ones come with residue of the original tag still on the shirt.)

Will people know that I'm wearing a fake Gucci shirt?

If it's well made, no. If it's coming from a company which is more concerned on cost saving ways than the satisfaction of their customers and the quality of their products, then yes, more than likely. Let's talk psychology for a moment. If you see someone get out of a nice car, and step out wearing Yeezys, a Gucci tee and clean, fresh looking pair of jeans, are you going to assume they spend a lot of money and make a lot of money or that they're fake? Chances are, if you admire their style and confidence you won't be asking to see if there are wash tags on the inside of their shirt. But the truth is, you and 99% of people wouldn't know if they spent $20.00 or $200.00 by looking at a good quality replica.

Confidence, after all, is something that belongs to you, that you make, it's not found in a box or a bag. Consider Dapper Dan.

(Above, some of Dapper Dan's bootleg Gucci fashion.)
Above, Dapper Dan (left) dresses rapper LL Cool J (right.)

(Above, left, Dapper Dan's original boot-leg fake Gucci creation. Right, Gucci's "fake gucci" knock off.)

Dapper Dan, infamous for introducing designer brands to the hip hop culture in the 80's made bootleg designer fashion. Out of his shop in Harlem, he originally bought designer hand bags and cut them up - re purposing them onto jackets, vests and bodysuits. He then proceeded to buy designer patterned fabrics from Korea. His shop was closed many times from being sued, but years later Gucci did a knock off of his knock offs, and hired Dapper Dan as their own designer.

Why Customer Service Matters When Buying a Fake Gucci Shirt.

You really want to know who you're buying from when you buy a fake because sometimes it can be hit or miss. Sometimes a company with a ton of great reviews and a great product may make a mistake and send you something that's not the best they can produce. This is why a dependable customer service team is essential. Say you order a shirt and when you get it, the letters of the design are crooked or faded. A company with a poor customer service base will take their time to respond to you, and make it complicated to come to an amicable resolution. They'll also take a long time to send it out you.

A company with a reliable team will be available and offer you a solution. You'll know you're taken care of when you reach out to them. They'll either replace the damaged item, refund you or cut you a deal on something else. Either way, you'll be taken care of. Think about it. What's a better deal? You being disappointed with the merch then getting pissed off at the store and being stuck with either a lousy fake gucci shirt or waiting for your money to be refunded, or you being treated like family and getting a fat discount on your lap AND an acceptable version of what you expected? The people behind the orders make a big difference, my friend. You want to keep that in mind.

Rep Suppliers

The go-to spot for fake gucci shirts and any other replica designer or brand is two or three common places. Etsy, eBay or Amazon. Ebay has the most well known reputation for this and Etsy is a close second. The only issue with Etsy and eBay is that selling fakes is prohibited, so reputable shops that make great products and get tons of five star reviews do not last very long. Though it's true they often come back under aliases, the search for a good rep on eBay or Etsy can be tiring.

Jacmelien.com
My personal recommendation is www.jacmelien.com. They're located in Atlanta, GA and print everything in house on USA brands using the same process and same materials as many of the original designer and streetwear brands on the market. They'll work out a deal with you on many of the designs they sell because they value loyalty. They have a solid reputation for producing quality time after time, and giving the best customer service on the market.

WeHustle.uk
A long time seller on eBay. They offer a wide range of replicated streetwear and concert tour merchandise. For US residents they are less convenient though, since they're located in the UK.

RareSupplyShop
was a store on Etsy noted for their quality, however they recently were removed from the platform and came back under the alias UndergroundmarketLA. If you're looking for a 1:1 Revenge hoodie, many people go to them. Before losing their first shop, they had a solid five stars from hundreds of people. Their prices are okay, between $40 and $65. Are they willing to bend those prices and get you a deal? Not sure.

So what are you waiting for? You're not still looking for fake Gucci shirts, are you? Check the links and find what you need.

Is bootleg culture is more authentic to the hip hop culture considering it's roots than buying the real deal? Let us know in the comments below.