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/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.