Kapital - hippies, Japanese farmers and post-apocalypse survivors

[Valfunde]

Kinda getting paranoid after seeing some pieces on qualityreps. Knew there were some fakes out there but damn there are some pretty damn good fakes like the 7g knits. What are the chances this juban jacket has fakes? Got one off grilled years ago and looks legit but I'm not sure now haha. The only secondhand piece I have.

 

[peachfuzzmcgee]

I have one gaudy sweater that I like a lot and looks perfect but since I traded for it, I assume that it's a fake. I just assume everything not bought from the store direct is fake at the moment

 

[Conclusive]

Kapital just has so many variables that make it difficult to determine if something is genuine. Different color labels, different looking labels, old Capital, new Kapital, etc. They don't always have the shiny washtags, and some of the Kapital I've had have had no washtag at all. The list goes on and on.

That and the likeness of replicas is inching closer and closer to the genuine articles.

God Bless Kapital Man for being the most flagrantly fake, though I have seen a couple get passed through Yahoo Auctions and Grailed for retail or near retail prices.

 

[hoodog]

I love Kapital Man. Such a great line and so much better than mainline Kapital.

 

[Conclusive]

I love Kapital Man. Such a great line and so much better than mainline Kapital.

'Scuse me, "Kapital pour Homme" is what we prefer around here.

 

[KamoteJoe]

Anyone proxying secondhand Kapital via Mercari or Y! is taking on the risk of buying a fake. Most listings will not have enough detailed pictures and the most tell-tale sign will be the hand of the fabric which most folks will not be able to verify until receiving it. Just bear that in mind and consider buying directly from Kapital or legit retailers if authenticity matters to you.

 

[Conclusive]

Might as well toss in my 2 cents here.

It's possible to find good deals on authentic Kapital clothing on Yahoo Auctions/Mercari Japan if you can get reliable photos of the usual indicators, as Joe mentioned.

I've only had 1 obvious fake (my Ainu Kesa Cardigan might be a 2nd, if it ends up being fugazi) purchased through Yahoo Auctions and Mercari, and they were these cow-pattern rain smile slip on shoes. Photos have been added to illustrate the rubbish quality you can receive (and a healthy dose of schadenfreude) if you're not careful.

Atrocious quality aside, I was out around $180 after shipping to the U.S. There's no real way to get reimbursement, so here are some things to look for in auctions to help you avoid the heartache:

1) Most of the 1 Yen start auctions are fake. They repeatedly sell the same item (The 7G Kachina Gaudy Sweater, the Alpine Ring Coat Timbaland was looking for, the bandana crewneck, the bandana cardigan, the 5G distressed Cross Sweater, the 5G Smiley sweater, the Sashiko Dogi Fleece zip, and the No. 4 Army Rucksack backpack are the ones I see most often) with the same descriptions between several accounts. They recycle the same "in-hand" photos between listings. All of these accounts usually have around 100 to 300 positive reputation, with little to no negative feedback.
2) If a listing only has one photo or only Kapital's stock photos, assume you will receive a fake. The shoes I purchased were listed with only stock photos, and I naively purchased them after seeing the positive feedback for the account (rawmorst19, as a warning for any of you lurking through auctions). Other recent dubious sellers include buzzxii, woodcooy, and mukonku, but I have no solid proof so purchase from them at your discretion. I assume they constantly farm positive feedback from one another, and they're always making new accounts, so be wary.
3) The best indicators I've found for authentic Kapital (those the fakes may catch up eventually) are the alignment of text on the care tags, the sewing surrounding the tags (particularly the larger Kountry labels), and the quality and likeness of the size black size tags with gold/yellow lettering. More often than not, the text or font will be off on one of these. Always cross-reference the tags of what you're buying with listings on Grailed, which has proven to be a substantive archive of sold listings that are typically genuine.
4) Other subtle details can indicate whether or not something is genuine. Examples include the stitching for the washtag and size label on the Nordic Fleece anorak -which has the bases of the tags hidden with the seam for the genuine coat and exposed on the fakes that I've seen- and the YKK zipper on the woven Keel Vests, which have a squarer shape on the genuine ones and a rounded one on the fakes. Again, cross-referencing is your best friend here. Anytime you are making a substantial purchase, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE scrutinize the photos as much as you can. I've saved myself more than once by not bidding in the final moments of an auction I chanced upon because I noticed discrepancies here and there.
5) Rarity and recency aren't great indicators of the availability of fakes. I think there are already fakes of the new souvenir jackets circulating, so there's that to look out for.

The subreddits for reps (QualityReps, QualityRepsBST, FashionReps, FashionRepsBST) are good resources for identifying what products have been replicated, but they're not comprehensive. That being said, it's never a bad idea to do a quick search of some keywords (Reddit's search engine is notoriously abysmal) to see if something you're buying has been replicated.

Sad that it's come to this for a brand that flew under the radar for reps in yesteryear, but here we are. The staples of buying things online apply here as well, so if a price is to good to be true... yada yada.

I'm no authority on Kapital, I'm just a fan of the brand and have purchased a LOT of their stuff over the last few years. I can't volunteer the whole thread, but I've never had a bad time posting here asking for input from other Kapital enthusiasts.

 

[Timbaland]

Damn never realized there were so many fakes around now, I guess my paranoia and germophobia of used clothing that comes in direct contact with your skin (tees, tops, and pants) isn't bad then. I haven't bought anything secondhand other than 18 east in the past 6+ years.

@Conclusive when you say Grailed items are typically genuine is it because they are pretty good at verifying the authenticity themselves? Or is it more of the sellers on there being legit?

 

[Conclusive]

Damn never realized there were so many fakes around now, I guess my paranoia and germophobia of used clothing that comes in direct contact with your skin (tees, tops, and pants) isn't bad then. I haven't bought anything secondhand other than 18 east in the past 6+ years.

@Conclusive when you say Grailed items are typically genuine is it because they are pretty good at verifying the authenticity themselves? Or is it more of the sellers on there being legit?

From what I've seen, a lot of Grailed listings tend to be legitimate, albeit with a few items slipping through that are suspect at best and "Kapital Man" at worst. The best way to use Grailed is as a database; it can be annoying, but you should cycle through the current and sold listings for an item to compare. More likely than not the majority will have consistent features and washtags, whereas the fakes will be outliers. It's definitely not a perfect system, but it's a flashlight in the dark cavern of online shopping.

 

[hoodog]

So I've decided to let my blanket RC go because I just can't come to terms with the smaller size than what I am used to. Such a bummer since this is truly an awesome piece and so rare... ?

I'll offer it here before going to Groiled etc. Send me a DM if you're interested!

View attachment 1713424 View attachment 1713425

Bump. Going on other sites probably tomorrow. Any SF takers? @Hellanormcore you want another go at it?

 

[Lovemybed]

Is the Grailed user SunmanOO legit? Has a bunch of Kapital listed. Seems to have his/her own proxy website too.

Any information will be much appreciated.

 

[Hellanormcore]

Bump. Going on other sites probably tomorrow. Any SF takers? @Hellanormcore you want another go at it?

Would love to but the bank account says no The quilted ring coat also fits in that niche now and am still trying to figure out how it all fits in. I'd imagine there would be plenty more takers though, GLWS!

 

[hoodog]

Pretty cool jacket just released

ムラ染め速乾ツイル　P-ヤッケ

www.kapital-webshop.jp

 

[clemente21]

Does anyone have experience with this piece? Or seen any photos of it being worn?

14W SULFUR DYED CORDUROY 1st JACKET - BEIGE

* Outer - 100% Cotton / Lining - 100% Satin / Boa - 100% Polyester*Snap Button Front*Oversized Fit*Back Cinci*Made in Japan 3$4.00PIT TO PIT25.25"28"BODY LENGTH24.8"25.6"SHOULDER24"25"SLEEVES22.85"23.4"

mhny.nyc

 

[bows1]

Does anyone have experience with this piece? Or seen any photos of it being worn?

14W SULFUR DYED CORDUROY 1st JACKET - BEIGE

* Outer - 100% Cotton / Lining - 100% Satin / Boa - 100% Polyester*Snap Button Front*Oversized Fit*Back Cinci*Made in Japan 3$4.00PIT TO PIT25.25"28"BODY LENGTH24.8"25.6"SHOULDER24"25"SLEEVES22.85"23.4"

mhny.nyc

Damn thats pretty.