Let's face it, we've all been there, you spot a shirt you have been after for decades, the price seems too good to be true, this shirt needs some investigation, so what are the common things we can look for when authenticating shirts online or after delivery?

This is a quick example of how to spot either subtle or glaring differences between authentic football shirts and fake ones. So to start, what does the shirt look and feel like?

This may seem obvious but you can often spot a fake by the colour, weight and material feel. Other visual indicators are quality of stitching, manufacture logos and club/team crests.

See some spot the difference examples below:

Much lighter colour of material used for fake shirt.

Not only is the anniversary stitching missing but you can clearly see the difference in quality with the stitching of the crest.

No NikeFIT logo to lower hem.

Different sized borders and a bolder typeface used on the fake shirt.

Incorrect typeface and material for MUFC logo.

A strong indicator in this example is the quality, size and placement of the size and manufacture neck print. Another example of quality of stitching here too with the stripe to the back of the collar.

Some brands have made authenticating a little bit easier by adding unique product codes to their labels, a quick google of this code should let you know if you have grabbed a bargain gem or a pricey lesson. Above is an example of a Nike tag (287615-403) which can be found in the inside lower hem. Adidas also provide unique product codes, these can be found in either the inside lower hem or the inside of the collar.

It is not always easy to spot fake shirts particularly with modern manufacturing, but it is our hope that this guide will save you from fake shirt misery in the future. At Cult Kits all of our shirts go through rigorous checks at multiple stages to check legitimacy and we only sell 100% original and authentic football shirts.

Browse our latest authentic shirt drops HERE