Designer Bag Directory : Louis Vuitton Date Stamp Codes

You may have noticed that most Louis Vuitton bags and wallets have a series of numbers and/or letters imprinted somewhere on the inside. Louis Vuitton handbags have "date codes" stamped either on interior tags or directly on the interior linings. These date codes simply serve to identify the manufacturing location and date for a Louis Vuitton handbag, not to verify it's authenticity. All authentic Louis Vuitton handbags since the early 1980's have date codes. Date codes are a series of numbers and letters that represent the date the bag was made and the factory where it was made. These date codes are all font specific. This means that they are all done in a font specific to Louis Vuitton. Let me share with you what those letters and numbers mean.

If there is no date code found anywhere on the inside of your Louis Vuitton bag or wallet, there may be two reasons for this. Firstly, the item could have been manufactured before 1980's, when there was only ‘LOUIS VUITTON’ stamping instead. Or, secondly, if the inside lining is of a soft material, the date code can be worn off.

Early 1980s



Louis Vuitton started stamping some bags in the early 1980s. A date code from this time period could consist of 3 or 4 numbers. Three numbers with the first two numbers representing the year and the last number(s) representing the month of manufacture. As per example above, we know that the date code represents  manufacturing occurred in 1983 of the 4th month of the year.

1980s



For some 1980s and for all bags 1987-1989, the date code will be 3 or 4 numbers followed by 2 letters. The first two numbers indicate the year and the last number indicates the month. The two letters indicate the factory or location of where the bag was made. Please refer to the country codes below for corresponding letters.

Example, the date code in the above picture reads 8907 VI. This date code stands for 1989 in the 7th month of the year. The bag was constructed in France, as VI represents a factory located in France.

1990-2006



From 1990 to 2006, date codes are 2 letters followed with 4 numbers. The letters represent the factory, the first and third numbers represent the month and the second and fourth number represents the year. 

Using the image above as an example, FL1003 stands for United States due to the FL. 10 represents the 10th month (October), and 03 stands for 2003.

2007-Current



Two letters followed by four numbers. The letters indicate the factory. The first and third numbers indicate the week of the year and the second and fourth numbers indicate year of manufacturing.

Using the above example, CA4171, we know that this item was made in Spain, due to the CA. And, it was constructed in the 47th week of the year 2011.

For our reference, let's look at the LV Country Code Letters.

Louis Vuitton Country Code Letters

France - A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS, AH, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DR, DT, DU, CO, CT, ET, FL, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SA, SD, SF, SL, SN, SP, SR, TJ, TH, TN, TR, TS, VI, VX

Italy - BC, BO, CE, FO, MA, PL, RC, RE, SA, TD

United States - FC, FH, LA, OS, SD, FL

Spain - CA, LO, LB, LM, LW, GI

Switzerland - DI, FA

Germany - LP

Louis Vuitton introduces new country codes over time. If your bag dates are very much newer, there is a highly likelihood that the country code may not be updated in the above list. Then, you may need to check with LV Customer Service for more details. 

Designer Bag Directory : Louis Vuitton Handbag Size

If you are a Louis Vuitton (LV) fan, you'll notice that LV always refer to acronyms and sometimes a number system to size their bags. To complete our full understanding in LV Handbags, I will share with you what the acronyms - BB, PM, MM, and GM are.

Neverfull Bags in PM, MM, GM.

Speedy Bags in 25, 30 and 35.

1. BB - Bebe Bandouliere (Baby Shoulder)

 

BB bags are the smallest compared to their counterpart PM, MM, and GM bags. Most BB bags are slightly larger than a 10 inch classic Chanel double flap bag. This baby is the right size for day use, yet small enough to double as an evening bag, with a removable strap that can be worn bandolier-style.

For example, the Alma BB is approximately 9 x 7.5 x 4.3 inches and can easily hold a small-medium wallet, sunglasses, keys, phone, tissues, and several pieces of makeup.

2. PM - Petite Modele (Small Model)

 The next size up from BB is PM, which stands for "Petite Modele." It means "small model" in French. However, many PM bags can be medium to large-sized.

  

For instance, the Alma PM measures 12.6 x 9.4 x 6 inches and is considerably bigger than an Alma BB bag.

An Alma PM bag can easily hold a medium to large wallet, sunglasses, phone, keys, tissues, full-size lotion, water bottle, snacks, small notebook and many more! Not all PM bags are around this size. Some PM bags with long shoulder straps will look significantly smaller.

3. MM - Moyen Modele (Medium Model)

Next size after PM is MM. MM stands for Medium Model. The MM and PM are the most popular sizes for Louis Vuitton handbags. PM is popular among bags with handles and without shoulder straps whilst the MM seems to be the most popular for most shoulder tote bags like the Neverfull. Some MM bags like the Lockit MM and Totally MM can even support small laptops.

For example, the Alma MM is 14.2 x 11 x 6.7 inches and is bigger than an Alma PM or Alma BB. An Alma MM bag will hold about the same amount of stuff as a Celine mini bag. It can comfortably hold a large wallet, sunglasses, phone, keys, tissues, full-size lotion, water bottle, snacks, small notebook and even a huge DSLR camera!

4. GM - Grand Modele (Large Model)

Finally, the largest size of them all is the GM. Some GM bags can be considered as an extra-large bag. And, some GM bags can even be used as light travel bags due to their huge capacity to hold.

Example, the biggest Alma, the Alma GM handbag measures 15 x 11 x 7 inches and is larger than the BB, PM, and MM Alma. An Alma GM bag can hold a large wallet, sunglasses, phone, keys, tissues, full-size lotion, water bottle, snacks, ipad, small laptop, shoes, camera and a change of clothing for an overnight stay! 

Side by side comparison of Alma Bags in BB, PM, MM and GM.

 

Well, in my opinion LV make huge bags, so the largest size (GM) is always really big for me. That's why I always opt for the smallest size (PM) as I am petite myself. I also think that PM is not that small size at all. I think it's perfect for all sizes. However, it all depends on on how tall or large you are and how much stuff you need to carry. LV also don't make all three sizes in all bags, thus, sometimes you don't get this much of choices. So ladies, which size suits you best?