High-end designers such as Burberry manufacture ties for men. Unfortunately, it is sometimes questionable whether or not the Burberry tie you just purchased is authentic. The most obvious way to ensure that the Burberry tie you are purchasing is authentic is to buy it directly from Burberry or an authorized Burberry retailer, such as Saks Fifth Avenue or Barneys New York. If you buy a Burberry tie at an estate sale, yard sale or online, you run the risk of purchasing a counterfeit tie, which is illegal and may aid in the funding of terrorism. Anytime you question the authenticity of a Burberry tie, you need to have it authenticated.

See that the stripes on the Burberry pattern are exactly horizontal and vertical; uneven stripes not in a perfectly straight line indicate that the tie is a counterfeit.

Check for bleeding. The colors of the material on your authentic Burberry tie will not bleed onto other colors. Bleeding colors is a major sign of a counterfeit bag.

Look at the tag on the back of the tie. The back of the tag should say “Made in Italy” and have an alphanumeric code consisting of four characters underneath. The front of the tag reads “Burberry” with the word “London” underneath. In addition, the stitching of the label is clean and even all the way around.

Look at the tag that comes with the tie. An authentic Burberry tag is blue with a silvery white color used for the letters “Burberry London.” The bag of the tag provides information on the tie.

Take your Burberry tie to your local Burberry boutique if you are still unsure. There are dozens of boutiques in various locations throughout the United States. The Burberry website lists stores across the country for your convenience. (See Resources.)

Inform a Burberry sales associate that you want to find out if your tie is authentic or counterfeit, and provide him with the tie. Wait while he researches the tie and informs you of its authenticity.

Contact Burberry by phone at 800-284-8480 to speak with a Burberry representative if you do not live near a Burberry boutique. The representative will direct you to the nearest Burberry-approved retailer to have your tie authenticated.