The Chloé Paddington is one of the most iconic bags of the 2000s. Designed by Phoebe Philo for the Spring 2005 collection, its oversized padlock and slouchy, bohemian silhouette made it the must-have accessory of the time. Celebrities from Kate Moss to Sienna Miller carried it, waitlists stretched months, and at the height of Paddington mania, Chloé was producing 8,000 bags a month.

With fame, of course, came fakes. The Paddington quickly became one of the most counterfeited designer bags in history. Today, it’s a sought-after cult vintage piece but the second-hand market is still full of replicas.

Due to it’s 2025 comeback. I thought I should do a guide which uses my own authentic Paddington (shown in the photos) to walk you through the details to look for, year-by-year quirks, and the common myths that trip up buyers.

Quick Authentication Checklist (if you do not have time to read in full)

Super thick, heavy, grainy, soft, imperfect, calfskin leather. I cannot stress the word heavy and soft enough.
Heavy brass padlock with leather wrap + engraved keys. Also the lock actually works! Again, the key word is heavy.
Hardware: matte/brushed finish, solid domed studs
Zippers: YKK or blank (both authentic depending on batch)
Beige cotton twill lining - again imperfect. The direction of twill does not line up from piece to piece.
Heat-stamped “Chloé / Made in Italy” with correct é accent
Structured slouch (never floppy or hollow) the thick seams and piped edging give it structure.
Neat stitching - but also sometimes slanted, sometimes straight - but always neat

Sat at my laptop authenticating and researching with my 00’s pout to camera

Before you get started, read my review of the bag here.

The Overall Look and Shape of the Bag

Authentic Paddingtons are made of buttery pebbled calfskin, thick, weighty, and textured with natural grain variations. If you run your fingers across it - it feels very soft, counterfeits can feel hard, stiff, plastic like and overly grained. Weirdly with Chloe the imperfections and inconsistencies are what make the bag real.

Handles are padded and round, not flat or hollow. They feel spongy when you squeeze them.
With age, the leather creases and develops a soft patina, but remains substantial.
The Paddington has a “structured slouch”it is relaxed but is reinforced with a sturdy base and strong piped seams. It does not feel flimsy it has a little heft to the bag!

Serial Number

One of the biggest myths about the Paddington is that the interior code will “prove” authenticity. In reality? Chloe’s coding system was inconsistent at best (to be very, very kind). Here’s what you need to know:

Based on long-time collector knowledge (and the inconsistencies Chloe was famous for):

Format varies:
Some authentic bags show a date stamp like mine 02 - 06 - 53, others a longer serial number like 01-06-51-5267. Separators can be dots or hyphens, depending on the batch.
Placement varies:
The tab can be found on either the left or right interior pocket, and it’s not standardised. I would say in most cases the back of the tab is unfinished leather - rough and untreated.
Not always present:
Some genuine Paddingtons don’t have any serial/date code at all.
Why so inconsistent?
Collectors, OG bloggers and forum writers think either poor quality control/poor operation systems or a deliberate tactic by Chloe to avoid creating a single “staple” feature that counterfeiters could easily copy. My take…I think they didn’t care, why should they care? They can make the bag however they want and if you want to be 100% sure it is authentic buy it from Chloe. So, perhaps I am leaning into the Chloe wanted to stamp out counterfeiters camp.

Key Point to Note: Serial numbers and date stamps alone cannot authenticate a Paddington or any other bag. They should be judged in combination with everything else (leather quality, padlock weight, hardware, logo stamp, lining, stitching). This is the biggest key with Chloe - its everything together, all at once that tells you if a bag is real or not.

Reading my bag:

Format: 02-06-53 is one of the shorter codes, this is typical of the hyphen-separated date codes Chloe used in the mid-2000s.

First numbers (02): Usually relate to the style/model code rather than the year.
Middle numbers (06): Often interpreted as the year of production, 2006.
Last numbers (53): Believed to relate to batch/production line information
I cannot stress enough, the inconsistencies are WILD. But, that’s how I would interpret my bag.

But, the big Red flags:

Blurry or shallow embossing.
Shiny leather
Random strings of numbers that don’t follow either format (XX-XX-XX or XX.XX.XX.XXXX).

Chloe Padlock and Hardware Plate

The oversized, heavy padlock is the Paddington’s signature feature and one of the biggest authentication points.

Weight: A real padlock is heavy, made of solid brass in 2006 (around 1–2 lbs in 2005, lighter by 2006). In 2006 it was no longer solid brass and instead - 50% brass 50% Zamac.
Interestingly, the padlock composition changed after the Paddington’s explosive success in 2005. Early locks were made almost entirely of solid brass, giving them a noticeably heavier feel. By 2006, with demand at its peak, Chloé introduced a brass–zamac composite a perfectly normal (I suspect cost-saving) step for designers scaling mass production. The result is that authentic 2006 padlocks can feel a little lighter than the 2005 originals, though still reassuringly weighty compared to any counterfeit.
My padlock measures 8.2cm (h) and just under 5.5cm (w)
Leather wrap: The leather band (2cm thick) around the lock matches the bag body perfectly in colour and stitching. Big Tip: slightly pull the leather band down and you’ll notice it sits in the groove of the padlock. The padlock metal is grooved inwards for the leather band to fit snuggly and flush into it. The leather wrap is finished with edging paint. The counterfeiters miss this step.
Leather wrap stitching - this can sometimes be straight, or slanted
Engraving: “Chloé” is cleanly stamped on the lock and on the keys. The accent on the é is always present and sharp. The Chloe is not positioned dead centre. It is 9mm from the bottom and 7mm in from the top.
Screws: Early locks (2005) used flathead screws on the base. By 2006–07, Phillips (cross top) screws also appeared. Both are authentic depending on production batch.
Keys: Brass keys stamped “Chloé,” attached to a leather tie, and they should turn smoothly in the lock. In order to close the lock you have to put the key back in. It does not lock automatically.
The hardware plate measures 6 cm wide by 3.5cm high. It features the Chloe etching on the front and back. Chloe is positioned 1.5cm in from the top and bottom and the Chloe measures 0.5cm high.

Fakes often: have lightweight padlocks, shallow or laser-etched logos, mismatched leather wraps, or non-functioning keys/locks.

Hardware

Finish: Matte or brushed - never shiny or mirror-like.
Zippers:
Again, wild inconsistencies with the zips. A real mixed bag (pun intended).
My zips are blank on the back but feature the zip sizing on the zip pull: 8 on the larger zips and 3 Y on the smaller interior pocket zip.
The zips were manufactured by YKK never Lampo.
The larger zips feature circular zip pulls that attach to the leather zip pulls. These circles flatten at the point of attaching to the zip. But the interior pocket zip pull is a D Ring.
The square Chloe buckles have Chloe engraved on the top side only. They measure 3cm wide, by 3.5cm high. The Chloe measures just under 1.5cm.
Fakes often: have thin or hollow hardware, shiny gold plating, or flimsy unbranded zips that catch.

Chloe Heat Stamp

Brand stamp: Inside you’ll find “Chloé / MADE IN ITALY” heat-stamped into leather trim surrounding the interior zip.
The Chloe is stamped 10 cm in from each side, and is roughly 3cm wide and roughly 1 cm high.
MADE IN ITALY is stamped under Chloe, perfectly centered.
The leather trim surrounding the zip measures 23cm across and 5cm high.
The é accent is critical fakes often use the wrong accent
Stamp shouldn’t be deeply imprinted. Chloe uses quite a light touch when it comes to imprinting the logo.

Fakes often: have polyester lining, deep stamps, or “Chloe” with the wrong accent.

Lining

The lining is a beige corduroy and has lines running through it (like a herringbone sort of look).

Apparently, the 2006 Paddington lining is thicker than the 2005 lining. .

Notice how the side panels come together.

I really hope this helps. This bag is beautiful and I think a vintage paddington is better than the 2025 re-issue,

Alice xxx

How to Authenticate a Chloe Paddington Vintage Edition