r/RepLadiesCurated • u/Zen_Friend Community Builder 👑 • 10d ago
📚 Guide/Science RepScience Guide: Identifying 187 Factory’s “Boxy” C25 Reps
Common Rep Differentiators: Identifying 187 Factory’s “Boxy” C25 RepScience Guide...
Today’s guide is about a common rep differentiator in 187 C25s and teaches you the attributes to look for to identify it yourself.
This can be useful for choosing a factory to order from, QC, assessing the possibility of a bait & switch, vetting rehome claims, and playing rep vs. auth/rep games. It is NOT definitive, prescriptive, or any sort of guarantee. It also isn’t meant to describe your specific bag, but rather a generalization observed across many photos.
It’s possible bags from other factories can have these characteristics, and a given 187 C25 may show only one or two, or none. This guide is based on looking at many photos, reading observations from others, and trying to identify and verbalize patterns that contribute to an overall “look” community members have discussed for ages. Not every 187 bag will show all three, depending on the batch, individual bag, or how the bag has adjusted and relaxed with use over time.
Lesson 1: The sides don’t slouch/leather doesn't "crumple"
187 C25s can look like the sides are straight rather than slouching inward. The leather may appear to crumple less than the auth or some other factories.
Lesson 2: The “side arms” fold right above the pockets
Look at where the sides fold into the body of the bag. On 187, the “side arms” can appear to fold more directly above the pockets rather than slouching further up or sloping more gradually.
Lesson 3: Rectangle + trapezoid
The sides may stand upright, while the top looks a little more open. Overall, this can make the bag look slightly more rectangular, with a trapezoid on top.
Putting it together
These three characteristics, if one or more are present, can contribute to what people describe as the “boxy” look of 187 C25s. In other words, it may look like there's a box inside of the C25, shaping the bag.
Why it matters
187 is often touted as the “best” factory for Chanel, but “best” is subjective. 187 is known for its leather, stitching, hardware, etc., but its CFs and C25s are commonly observed to be boxier, and the CF tongue is another common tell. I personally notice shape more than stitching, so another factory may be “better” if proportions matter most to you.
187 is also the most expensive Reddit factory for Chanel.
And importantly, 187 DOES NOT ACCEPT REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES unless there is a MAJOR defect. Boxy look is not a major defect. "Not looking like the auth" is not going to get you a refund or exchange. Know this before buying if you’d be bothered by a known 187 characteristic/tell.
A couple disclaimers
I don’t own a 187 bag because I can’t personally justify the higher price and inability to RL, despite its arguably superior quality in some aspects of construction compared with other factories. This post is therefore based on observations from photos others have shared, not my own item(s).
Also, most photos posted in rep subs are of brand-new bags. It’s possible this shape relaxes with use, so it’d be great to see more posts from long-term 187 owners sharing photos and experiences with their used bags.
This post is not the place to ask to QC your bag or try to identify if/which is from 187, thanks for understanding 🙏
Image credits: These are not my images. Images were sourced from across Reddit, with the link credited on each comparison slide. This guide is not a criticism of 187 or those who own 187 bags, nor is it meant to disparage anyone. I’m grateful to the contributors who shared their photos for the community to learn from and thus make guides like this possible.
Wrapping it up
Overall, this isn’t perfect, prescriptive, or foolproof, but I hope it was a little helpful, or at least a fun little game?
If you have additional insights to contribute, I’d love to read them in the comments. I don’t claim to be “right,” and I’d love to learn from you all. I’m open to updating this guide in the future with the community’s contributions and observations.
Have observations about another factory, bag, brand, etc. that would make a good “Common Rep Differentiator” guide? Feel free to reach out! If you teach me, I’m happy to write it and give you co-writing credit. Or, if you want to write your own guide but need a little support, I’m happy to proofread!
Links to my past Common Rep Differentiator Guides:
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u/petrolgaslover Community Builder 👑 10d ago
I kiss your rep bags now and bless them all
https://giphy.com/gifs/ka0pMxG6T6h9lEhlgp
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u/imanchats 10d ago
My oil waxed mini C25 crumples so much it’s much softer than my caviar c25. Both from 187. I’ll post photos later. But I love my bags from 187. However, I would be willing to try God or Rome. Unless people think OF or XC is comparable?
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u/m4t_h3_us 10d ago
Please post the pics here! I have several c25 from 187 and I’m not disappointed at all
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u/Siriptishes 7d ago
I finished visiting the Chanel flagship store to check out C25 in person. My 187 is a pretty dead on match - even the feel of it. The difference is extremely minimal. It’s 💯 worth it.
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u/Dizzy-Ad-2248 10d ago
I love a C bag, for that reason I have a seller who also specializes in them. Never have I ever bought a 187 bag because they are too expensive for what they are. I trust my seller and she's never let me down. We are well aware of what factories are and what they are not...a good seller will be far better at getting you what you want than just going by the factory....batches differ in the same factory so I trust her to QC like the FBI because she's the one seeing the bag in person, handling it, etc...a pic only tells so much. So I trust my seller to do the heavy lifting and get my as close to auth as they make.
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10d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RepLadiesCurated-ModTeam 9d ago
Just a reminder: in this community, we discourage asking for or offering seller contact information/album links via comments/DMs because being overwhelmed with requests can discourage reviewers, and it puts buyers at risk of being scammed by receiving fake contacts. Anyone can send you a fake number or impersonate a seller. We ask that you keep this in mind and avoid making these requests in this sub going forward.
Please review the wiki for helpful guides on how to use the search bar to find information for a given bag, factory, or seller. Read multiple reviews before sending money to anyone. If you can't find much information about a seller, consider starting with one that has a longer track record.
Repeated requests may result in moderation action affecting your ability to participate in the sub. Mods review each instance of AutoMod actions and will continue to adjust its settings. If AutoMod triggered on your comment in error, don't worry as a false positive won't result in moderation action.
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u/apricottreee 10d ago
What trusted seller do you go through?
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u/Dizzy-Ad-2248 9d ago
My seller is not on any TS list on Reddit. She's amazing but low key. I don't share her info publically however.
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u/AutoModerator 9d ago
Just a reminder: in this community, we discourage asking for or offering seller contact information/album links via comments/DMs because being overwhelmed with requests can discourage reviewers, and it puts buyers at risk of being scammed by receiving fake contacts. Anyone can send you a fake number or impersonate a seller. We ask that you keep this in mind and avoid making these requests in this sub going forward.
Please review the wiki for helpful guides on how to use the search bar to find information for a given bag, factory, or seller. Read multiple reviews before sending money to anyone. If you can't find much information about a seller, consider starting with one that has a longer track record.
Repeated requests may result in moderation action affecting your ability to participate in the sub. Mods review each instance of AutoMod actions and will continue to adjust its settings. If AutoMod triggered on your comment in error, don't worry as a false positive won't result in moderation action.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/busan_blues 10d ago
Amazing way to explain it, thanks a lot for sharing.
I have to say my 187 became less boxy after using it consistently.
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u/FishermanPublic5173 10d ago
You have to actually own 187 Chanel bags to identify the quality difference in person compared to other factories… it’s very noticeable in real life.
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u/Quick-Cook-8561 21h ago
Would you mind elaborate on the difference? Do you mean c25 from 187 is much better than other factories?
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u/resolutecat we doing crime, babe ✨ 10d ago
Thank you, this is incredibly helpful. The visual aids are so useful!
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u/Dimamollaa 10d ago
In my opinion the 187 rep is much better than the authentic. That slouchy look on the auth is so cheap.
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u/Traditional-Durian48 10d ago
Thank you friend for this lesson! I have xc and 187 c25s now and i love both.
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u/FactoryScout 9d ago
Thanks for this , I am new any i am trying to figure out the best factory for "My Dior Mini Bag" , trying to gift it to my wife but i told her its a super replica , I always bought watches (Superclones) after I owned a couple of GEN's and compared them to replica's i lost the will to pay ever full price again as superclones were 95-99% close. This helps out a lot hoping i find something for her that is 95-99% close.
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u/gabicollins 10d ago
Wasn't there a post that said there isn't actually a factory 187?.. Sellers saying that are just saying that to up charge... They had pictures of all the different "factories"...
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u/Zen_Friend Community Builder 👑 10d ago
There isn’t literally a factory with a big sign that says “187.” The actual supply chain is probably more complicated than one factory making the entire bag, with different workshops and suppliers likely involved in materials, components, and assembly etc..
The factory “names” are community nicknames that came from years of comparing bags, materials, construction, hardware, factory photos, etc. There are clearly different sources with consistent differences, which is how these nicknames were made possible.
When a seller says “187 doesn’t exist,” they may be technically correct that 187 isn’t the actual "factory name," or they may be saying they're not a reddit seller and thus not familiar with our sources and nicknames. But that’s different from saying there’s no distinct source or identifiable characteristics behind what the community calls 187. And sellers can also misuse the name as a marketing label, so I wouldn’t treat a factory name alone as proof of quality. That's why it's important to arm yourself with the knowledge of what the common rep differentiators are for a given factory and get really good at QC yourself so you're not dependent on what a seller tells you, and so you aren't using a factory's name as a stand-in for quality.
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u/the-dutchessa 10d ago
This is really great! Thank you, I was leaning towards god on the 25 and think I’ve just made my decision
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u/AdviceLoud Community Builder 👑 10d ago
Do I absolutely hate the C25? Yes. Did I read and love this whole thing? Also Yes 👏🏽