A Bathing Ape, or BAPE, is a Japanese clothing company that was founded in 1993. The company offers jackets, shirts, pants, shoes and other accessories. Due to the popularity of the BAPE clothing items, the company website warns consumers to only purchase through authorized retail stores or online at us.bape.com to prevent purchasing replicas. There are a few tricks to identifying authentic BAPE products and avoiding fake items.
Check the size on the clothing items. BAPE clothes only size up to 2XL and sizes above XL are hard to find. If you find a seller with several large clothing sizes, be suspicious that the product may not be authentic.
Look closely at the diamonds on the BAPE logo. Authentic BAPE logos will have diamonds spaced equally on the logo and the diamonds will be touching the letters. The diamonds will also be of equal shape and size and will not look rough or uneven.
Check the zippers. Authentic BAPE clothing has hidden zippers. You should not be able to see the zippers on the front of the item.
Locate the tag. Authentic BAPE items will have two tags, one with camouflage and one with the BAPE logo, and both should be attached by a leather string. If the item is missing a tag or is attached with plastic, it may not be a real BAPE.
Look to see how the item is sold. BAPE items come in a plastic bag with a white tag that indicates the size. If the clothing item does not come in a bag, it is probably fake.
Be aware that there are no authorized BAPE wholesalers or distributors. Only purchase BAPE items through authorized BAPE retail stores to ensure an authentic item.