Chloe Paddingtons are hot right now and many of the ones for sale on the Internet are fakes. To save yourself a lot of heartache and grief, you need to know how to spot a fake before you buy.

1. Leather - One of the first things you'll notice about a Chloe Paddington bag is the soft, supple leather. The fake ones usually have stiffer, patterned leather, not the soft slouchy kind.

2. Metal accents - real Chloe Paddingtons have matte brass accents. Most of the imitations use shinier gold-colored metal.

3. Zipper - The zippers on an authentic Paddington are silver, but on some fakes, they're gold/brass.

4. Date Stamp/Serial Number - Both 2006 and 2007 Paddingtons have a leather tab with either a date stamp (02.06.53) or a serial number (01-06-1234) on it. This leather tab is sewn into one of the pockets.

5. Lining - The lining of the Paddington is a heavy cotton twill in either a matching shade or complimentary one.

6. Padlock - If you lay the padlock down with the Chloe stamp facing up and the round part of the keyhole points down, it's a fake.

7. Hanging Tags - Your bag should have a round hanging tag on when you purchase it. This tag will list the serial number, the what the bag is made of, and the color of the bag. It's normally written in English and French, but sometimes just French. Fake bags often list the wrong color name on the tag, or leave it off completely.

Lists of points to spot a fake CHLOE bag:

1.  Fakes have their names on the inside of the bag too. As a matter of fact, there are some really good fakes out there, even the salespeople behind Neiman's can't tell the difference,.

2. You can also look inside of a purse, to discover the real thing or fake. Most real bags have they're names on the inside pocket.

Your Chloe Paddington bag is a big investment and something you'll cherish for a long time. Take a little extra time to make sure the one you fall in love with is authentic.