One piece of clothing that never seems to go out of fashion is the Fred Perry polo shirt. Just because it’s popular, though, doesn’t mean it’s cheap – the high-class make is still affordable at full price or with discounts from http://www.jdsports.co.uk/, but you can’t be paying £4 for one. Here’s a quick guide to spotting fakes that allude to being the real deal.

A classic Fred Perry polo offers the same quality, as well as a stylish men’s fashion alternative, to Ralph Lauren or Lacoste. This means there is a huge counterfeit market. Four things mark out the real from the poorly-manufactured: laurel embroidery, the neck label, buttons and inside wash labels. These steps will help you ensure you don’t get some cheap knock-off.

The fake laurel logo is perhaps the easiest to spot. Fakes are usually misshaped, too small or too big, and often wonky. The genuine laurel is straight and should be positioned perfectly over the left breast. However, bear in mind that colour of the laurel does not always have to match that of the collar tips.

Meanwhile, it is similarly easy to spot a fake neck label. Fred Perry only uses dark blue neck labels in polos, changing from their trademark green label in the 90s. The laurel needs to be positioned over the letters FRE and not the middle. The size is on the bottom right corner on the same line as the Fred Perry brand. Only letters are used to describe size (L, M, XL, etc). Buttons, meanwhile, must be the same colour as the polo. All polos also engrave the brand into the button.

Finally, inside wash labels will be a good final test. They are made in either China or Portugal and are 100 per cent cotton. The address references its offices in Covent Garden, WC2H 9NA – this will help you find out if you’re onto a winner or not!

So, arm yourself with this knowledge and buy from reputable dealers to make sure you get exactly what you’re looking for – a classic, constantly fashionable piece of kit.