Read my full review of the Prada Crochet Tote here and how I found my first rental experience (I rented the bag from Hurr): Part 1 and Part 2.

The Prada Crochet Tote has become one of the brand’s most recognisable summer hits. Its charm lies in the mix of laid back crochet and bold luxury branding but that also makes it one of the most copied summer bags on the market.

Now then, I know for a fact - to quote the sellers description “Prada-Style Crochet Totes’…note the word ‘style’… are kicking around on the reputable sites. The cost £269. I have to say the weaving and construction of the bag, pretty bang on, and lets face it materials will be the same, as Prada is using Viscose. Pretty good for £1230 less than RRP, (I think the seller is crocheting these herself, so hilariously, more artisanal work has gone into the making of this bag than the Prada - at least people aren’t being exploited like with most counterfeit production) ANYWAY my issue is people buying these and then trying to sell them on as the real deal.

So, here’s what to look out for on the resale market.

The Overall Look of the Bag

The genuine Prada is made from raffia-effect yarn (actually viscose), giving it a soft sheen (slightly, ever so slightly, shiny, I did a double take thinking it was plastic at first) compared to the dry, fibrous look of natural raffia used by brands like Loewe or Celine.

The body of the bag is crafted in an open crochet pattern, light and airy, while the central logo panel is stitched in a tighter, more uniform crochet. This contrast is deliberate the open weave keeps the bag summery and flexible, while the solid patch ensures the logo is displayed neatly.

On an authentic bag, the crochet is perfectly consistent: no loose threads, no uneven tension, no sloppy knots, and no uneven sized squares (I measured 2cm edge to edge of the crochet square). Fakes often show irregular loops, irregular size gaps or frayed ends where corners have been cut in production.

The below is taken from the Prada website and a great starting point. Measurements are Queen when determining if you bag is real or not.

Product details

Product code: 1BG393_2C2T_F0018_V_OOO

Height: 38cm
Width: 36cm
Length: 3cm

How the Prada Crochet Stitch is Built (I got Google to give me a lesson in Crochet)

The Stitch Style

(I actually found a video on YouTube, if you want a super deep dive)

Basic Construction
Prada’s totes are made in a grid-like crochet pattern: long vertical stitches crossed with horizontal bars. It’s basically a variation of a double crochet and chain stitch, repeated row after row to create that open, airy square mesh you see in the close-up.

Pattern Consistency
Each little square is two chains wide by two rows high, framed neatly by double crochets. On an authentic Prada, the repeat is spot frickin on — every square is the same size, every line runs straight. On fakes, the “squares” start to wobble into rectangles or drift off pattern.

Think of it like building a fence
(Not that I’ve ever built one in my life, but stick with me, I have seen enough make over shows.)

The posts (double crochet stitches): these are the strong vertical “bars” that frame each square. On the real thing, they’re straight, even, and perfectly spaced.
The gaps (chain stitches): between each post are two little chain stitches, creating that open “window” look.
The crossbars (the next row): then comes another set of posts stacked neatly on top, with chains linking across.
The lattice effect: when the whole bag comes together, you get a perfect checkerboard. If the holes look wonky or stretched, you’re almost certainly looking at a fake.

Quick 5 Second Tip: If you run your finger diagonally across an authentic Prada crochet tote, the squares should feel like a perfect net: quite firm and rigid, and springs back into position, it doesn’t become misshapen or lose the tension of the crochet. On fakes, the yarn may twist or the holes won’t stay square, they’ll move with your finger and not spring back - this is because the person making it hasn’t got the tension of the yarn right.

The Prada Logo

Prada measures 15cm in length

Milano measures 9cm in length

The most important detail on this bag to identify if it is a dupe, is the embroidered “PRADA MILANO” logo, stitched directly onto the triangular crochet patch. This triangle emulates Prada’s iconic enamel plaque from their leather goods.

On the real bag, the embroidery is dense, very crisp, and slightly raised. You cannot see any pink peaking through.
The “R” in PRADA has a clean, straight leg not a blob or curve. Most importantly, the R is in proportion check out the fake below and look at the R. The top of the R is too big for its legs.
Both “A”s have sharp, even crossbars and don’t bleed into the stitches around them.
The spacing between PRADA and MILANO is perfectly aligned and centred within the triangle.
But, whats really interesting and exciting is Prada have made the ‘MILANO’ look messy and uneven, like it was handwritten - if that makes sense. The L is positioned lower than the ‘I’ and the horizontal line of the L is on a slant upwards.

In contrast, counterfeit versions often give themselves away with:

Thin or uneven embroidery where the main colour of the bag shows through the letters.
Off-centre placement of the triangular patch.
Letters that look squashed, curved, stretched, or inconsistently spaced.
The Milano is written straight without the ‘L’ slightly below the ‘I’ and slanting upwards or downwards - its never straight and uniform

2025 onwards (we’ve got a more ‘handwritten style’ and inconsistency with the lettering across bags)

Prada have changed the density of the lettering slightly. The R and D go thinner at the tops of the letters.
The lettering is not uniform and is differing bag to bag.

All the Below Are Real!

Back of the Logo

Turn your bag inside out, because remember counterfeiters don’t care about the parts of the bag you can’t see. Look at how it is stitched at the back.

The bag inside out to show the back of the real logo

The Dupe

The Triangle

The triangle is positioned 5 squares down and 8cm from the top of the bag.

The triangle measures 24cm across the top x 18cm along the slides.

Milano is positioned 6 lines/rows up

Prada is positioned one single row edging down and one compact row crochet down. If you scroll up a look at the dupe again, notice how its missing a row,

The Interior Label

We have three things going on here:

There is a small ‘MADE IN ITALY’ tab. It is material and the thread if an off white/chalk colour - not bright white. You can see the black through it. This is positioned in the centre of the pink leather Prada tab.
The pink leather tab has PRADA MILANO lightly embossed on it. It feels padded, but isn’t if that makes sense? The leather is just quite thick and folded over. 9 Stitches either side of the tab.
The pink leather tab is secured by a popper looking magnate? I think? to the white tab which has an RFID microchip inside.
Prada have been quietly adding RFID microchips to their bags for a few years now, usually hidden inside a little white fabric tab like this one. The chip is paper-thin and sealed inside, so you won’t see it but you will feel it. It feels like pliable laminate if you move and bend it with your fingers? thats the best description I can give you.
But just because a bag has this feature doesn’t automatically mean it’s real. Counterfeiters have started stitching in fake flaps, sometimes with nothing inside them at all. On an authentic bag, the pocket is sewn neatly and feels secure, not like an afterthought.
Think of it as one of many clues a genuine Prada crochet tote will have the RFID pocket, but you’ll still need to check the stitching, materials, logo details and overall quality before you can be sure.

A Few More Measurements

The shoulder straps measure 2.5cm wide
The sides and bottom of the bag measure 4.5cm wide if you go from bottom row of crochet to bottom row of crochet. (see photo and where I started the silver tape measure from)

How to Spot a Fake Prada Crochet Tote Bag