According to ads and (evidently paid) articles, replica items are the new budget-friendly hit. Why would you give $1000, when you can get the identical thing for just 1/5 of that money? Well, I guess somebody has to work on its definition of “identical” because I doubt fake Chanel and real Chanel could ever be compared. But, here, let me elaborate on that and give you more facts to work with:
According to some, there is a big difference between these two. Replicas or “inspired” bags usually feature the same style, design or print while fakes represent a mirror image of the real designer product. Now, I’m open to suggestions, corrections and further explanations on this because I really see no difference between these two. Especially these days when everything goes under the name “replica”. Cheap PVC bags that look nothing like the real deal are called replicas and are the pricy, supposedly leather ones.
The competitive price is undoubtedly the main reason why people decide to buy replica items. Why would you spend $1000 on the original Louis Vuitton bag, when you can get the one that looks the same for just $200? Well, the first thing you should have in mind is that, with replica items, you’re practically buying a “cat in the bag”. The most of these can be bought on the Internet only so you can’t be 100% sure you’ll get the item from the picture. So, are your ready to blow 200-400 dollars knowing that the only thing you can do if you get bad merchandise is spend days writing hate mail?
What about copyrights and trademarks? Now, I don’t know much about the rules abroad but here where I live, fakes are illegal. Now imagine the embarrassment of being arrested for wearing fake designer goods! Plus, the airport personnel has the right to detain you, take your fake goodies and inspect your luggage thoroughly to make sure you’re not transporting any others.
The math is simple! With designer items it’s 30% quality and 70% prestige. You will get the finest leather and the best craftsmanship, that’s for sure. Furthermore, you can count on every single detail to be perfect – no crooked stitches, no defects and sometimes, you’ll even get a lifelong guarantee on the purchased product. However, if all you want is a perfect, good quality shoe or a bag, you don’t have to buy YSL or Chanel. There are plenty of other, less expensive brands that use the same materials and pay a lot of attention to details. You will buy YSL, however, if you are interested in both prestige and quality. So, given the fact that fakes are called fakes because they are not real (LOL! DUH!), you can count off the prestige. All we have left now is those 30% that relate to quality. Questionable quality!
Your knockoff will never be as good as the original item, no matter what the company says. Some companies use real leather, some use leatherette and some regular, smelly, cheap PVC. But the materials they use are never as good as the original ones and the pieces are never sewn together with the same, original precision. Some designers prefer to use one, continuous piece of material, some carefully place a small piece of different colored leather into the inner seam. Designers know their creations are being replicated and they use both legal and creative ways to make sure nobody will ever be able to make an identical copy.
You have to be very into fashion to be able to find a replica that looks, feels and weights exactly as the original. Let’s say, for example, you get a fake Birkin and you go around insisting that it’s the real deal. Do you really think people will believe that? Okay, some will buy it, but the ones that know fashion well or at least keep track of that’s going on in the world of jet set know that there’s a 4 year-long waiting list for a Birkin.
Mac, Chanel, YSL, Helena Rubinstein make-up sets for less than 10 bucks? Yup, fake bags and shoes are not the only thing we have to worry about – our beloved makeup brands are being copied too! The package is, of course, original but the actual product (read: the stuff you put on your FACE) is not. So if the list of ingredients found on the package doesn’t match the eyeshadow, lipstick or foundation mixture inside, who can guarantee it’s safe? Did it pass the health inspection? Is there a health inspection willing to test a fake (illegal) product? And, more important, if they can get a Chanel’s set of 4 eyeshadows to cost just $3, what kind of ingredients are they cooking in those labs anyway?
Now, with all this been said, the only thing I can add is – say no to fakes. Save your money and, when you finally manage to buy a one real, you’ll wear it with pride and style. Do you agree with me on that? Do you think logos matter so much we have to settle for fakes if there’s no way to afford real ones? Would you ever wear a fake? Have you ever seen it on somebody?
Top Photo Credit: iirraa