Are you looking for a designer brand at an attainable price point? Fossil is a brand beloved for its understated luxury and classic silhouettes. It’s an authentic American brand with a special place in our hearts.
Fossil is an American brand that draws inspiration from vintage American style (Credits: Ulf Wittrock / Shutterstock)
Fossil is famous for drawing inspiration from vintage American style, infusing it with contemporary fashion trends. No handbag collection is complete without a Fossil piece.
We’re deep diving into the Fossil brand, showcasing the most popular Fossil bags and answering the most frequently asked questions about the brand.
Introducing Fossil: A Legacy of Timeless Style and Innovation
Fossil launched in 1984 as Overseas Products International. The brand focused on importing retail goods from East Asia, particularly fashion watches priced at a moderate price point.
They curated a collection of retro-inspired watches before venturing into leather goods in 1990 after changing the brand’s name to Fossil.
The brand had already gained a successful following by the early ‘90s, including opening a pop-up store in Macy’s.
Fossil started as a watch brand and later expanded into a leather goods, clothing, and jewelry company (Credit: TY Lim / Shutterstock)
In 1995, Fossil launched its first sunglasses and opened its first outlet store. Handbags joined the company’s line-up in 1996 at the height of its growth. Clothing and denim collections came in 2000 before launching a jewelry range in 2007.
While Fossil is most famous for its watches and licensed watch production, its handbags are made with the same high-quality materials. Fossil remains one of the most popular brands of leather goods.
Decoding the Luxury of Fossil: More Than Just a Designer Label
While Fossil is not a ‘luxury’ brand, it is known for its high-quality goods. Fossil has a design studio in Switzerland near the Rolex studio.
The American brand lives by the ethos that “when timeless design meets the power of innovation, everything is possible.”
Fossil is considered an upper-tier premium brand because of its top-quality materials and timeless designs (Credit: Macky Albor / Shutterstock)
The Fossil brand has grown to become the Fossil Group, focusing on creating licensed watches for other mainstream fashion brands. Its range of brands includes DKNY, Emporio Armani, Michele, and Michael Kors.
Crafting Elegance: Discover the Global Journey of Fossil Bags
Although Fossil is an American-based company, its bags are not made within the United States. Fossil has several manufacturing facilities, including in China. Their watches are designed in Switzerland, with its high-end ‘Fossil Swiss’ watches manufactured there.
Although Fossil bags are made in China, the brand has distribution centers in Asia, Dallas, and Germany.
Fossil’s Signature Style: Where Retro Charm Meets Modern Elegance
Fossil is primarily known for its retro-inspired watches and classic leather handbags. Their designs combine timeless American design with contemporary trends for a chic look.
Fossil is known for its retro-inspired watches and classic leather handbag designs (Credit: Sorbis / Shutterstock)
The brand sits at a comparable price point to Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Dooney & Bourke. It’s an ideal choice for an entry-level designer handbag.
The Evolution of Fossil Materials: From Real Leather to Eco-Friendly Alternatives
While Fossil has previously used genuine leather, the company is shifting its focus to vegan and eco-leather. Most popular styles are available in a non-leather alternative.
Fossil is now shifting to vegan and eco-leather to help reduce carbon footprint (Credit: TY Lim / Shutterstock)
Fossil’s eco-leather is made using manufacturing methods that help to lower the leather’s carbon footprint and water usage. You can choose whether you want a genuine leather bag or a vegan alternative.
Mastering the Art of Spotting Authentic Fossil Bags
The popularity of Fossil means that it’s not unusual to find counterfeit Fossil bags on the market. These fake Fossil bags are usually sold at a fraction of the price of genuine bags.
If you’re buying a Fossil bag online or second-hand, you want to know how to authenticate a Fossil bag. It’s not uncommon to find Fossil bags on websites like Depop, eBay, or Vinted – but they’re not all the genuine deal.
1. Examine the material
Most Fossil bags are made using leather. It should feel smooth and supple to the touch. If a supposedly leather bag feels stiff, it’s a sign that it may be a counterfeit.
Authentic Fossil bags are made of supple leather
2. Check the leather tag
If your Fossil bag has a leather tag, it should be sewn across all four sides. You should also see a serial number at the bottom of the fabric tag.
Real Fossil bags have an interior logo tag sewn across all four sides
3. Branding Font
Fossil typically uses subtle branding. You should see ‘Fossil’ embossed onto any hardware on the bag. Look for any signs of poor embossing, incorrect spelling, or sloppy printing.
Fossil bags boast a clean and correctly spelled embossed logo on the front
4. The Fossil Key
One of Fossil’s signature design motifs is its key fob. The Fossil key fob comes in several designs, including leather, wood, and brass.
If a bag is missing the key fob, it may be a fake. It’s also worth checking with the seller as these key fobs occasionally come off with normal use.
Fossil bags come with a key accent that’s usually made of leather, wood, and brass
The biggest indicator of whether or not a bag is authentic will be the overall quality. Look out for any signs of poor stitching or cheap faux leather.
Fossil commonly offers sales and discounts, so you could wait to buy a bag at a cheaper price point from an authorized retailer.
Fossil’s Hall of Fame: Exploring the Top 4 Iconic Handbags
Fossil has hundreds of bags for men and women. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when scrolling through their website and checking out the latest styles. We’re sharing the most popular Fossil handbags to help you find the right one for you.
1. Liza Camera Bag, $180
Fossil’s current best-selling bag is its Liza camera bag. This compact crossbody bag is available in several colors, from earth-toned neutrals to pops of pink. It’s made using Fossil’s eco-leather tanned using a resource-efficient process.
Inspired by vintage camera bags, the Liza style is the perfect on-the-go bag that can fit your essentials, including your iPhone 13 or Samsung Galaxy S22
The Liza camera bag is the perfect size to hold up to an iPhone 13 and includes three credit card slots for a day out on the town.
2. Kier Vegan Cactus Tote, $284.99 to $485 on Amazon
Fossil is famous for its work totes. The Kier tote is a bag that will take you from the office to your next vacation and everywhere in between.
Made from vegan cactus leather, the Kier tote has a removable zipper pouch and is spacious enough to fit all your office and travel needs
This bag uses vegan cactus leather and can fit up to a 15-inch laptop. You can choose from a variety of understated neutral shades.
3. Jolie Baguette, $149.95 at Zappos
The baguette silhouette is one of the most popular current trends. The Jolie incorporates the distinctive baguette shape and gives it a classic look with eco-leather and recycled polyester.
Featuring the classic baguette silhouette, the Jolie bag has a shoulder strap, a detachable crossbody strap, metal hardware, and interior and exterior pockets
4. Buckner Backpack, $200 to $330
If you commute to work or are a frequent traveler, you want a backpack that can do it all. Buckner is a leather backpack that can fit up to a 15-inch laptop and comes with a variety of pockets and elastic loops for extra organization.
The Bucker Backpack can fit a 15-inch laptop and comes with a back luggage strap for easy travel
Fossil is one of our go-to brands for understated and classic backpacks that will be right at home in a capsule closet. You can find out more about Fossil bags by visiting the brand’s official website.