Why Do People Buy Fake Designer Bags Or Fake Designer Anything?

[dangerouscurves]

But Cubic Zirconia is not made to claim it self as a real diamond. Yeah, probably I'm too shallow to think that I'm a better person for carrying an authentic bag than those who carry fakes, I feel better because I don't have to feed the greed of the irresponsible people who use child labour, support terrorism and infringe the copyright of legitimate designers.

 

[Inishmore]

sorry, but no. Actually fashion is not a luxury game. Couture may be a luxury game but fashion is everywhere. Contrary to popular belief, designer luxury items do not make one "fashionable" or "stylish". That is something that comes from within. I can't tell you how many women i see piling on every designer piece they can, and end up looking (to me at least) like clowns. You can look fashionable whether your clothes came straight from a parisian atelier or wal-mart. It's all how you put it together.
So what some people are saying by using this logic: "if you don't have the chips, do not bother, play another game" unless you are personally able to grace the pages of w and vogue, then fashion doesn't apply to you. So i'm guessing then that everyone on this forum is 5'11", a size 4, 24 years old, lives in a major fashion capital, is chauffeured around or drives a luxury vehicle, is dating a rock star and lives in a penthouse apartment?
Fake bags are fooling authenticators, boutique employees and the like. Don't even try to tell me people can "tell" - they can't anymore. There is a reason the authenticators here on tpf ask for date codes and hologram stickers and zipper pulls. You can't tell just by looking at the bags. Yes, some are horrible, like gucci canvas on a coach design, but look in the bottega forum, the fakes are being made with lambskin and suede interiors. The only "tell" is the authenticity tag is off. Check out the bal forum, same thing. Unless you have x-ray vision, i find it hard to believe any of you can tell a fake from across the street. *if you have such capabilities, i'll bet the government would love to offer you a position.
Saying these "made in china" bags looks like they are falling apart is insulting to the manufacturing sector in china. I have a cheap a$$ mossimo stretch linen blazer that i bought at target five summers ago and i'm still wearing it. Not a stitch has come undone. Made in vietnam.
C'mon now, everyone - and i mean everyone now - knows that these luxury designer items cost about 1/10 of their retail price to manufacture.
Personally, i don't need the "boutique experience" to feel like i'm somebody. I have no issues ordering a scarf online from hermes and having it shipped to me. I don't need to feel the "prestige" of walking down the street with an orange bag. I know i'm friggin' fabulous and that's all that matters. If the woman sitting next to me at lunch has a fake speedy it doesn't make me feel anything about my authentic speedy. I don't need to glare at her or give her the "look" like i know her bag is fake. It doesn't make me think that the other people in the restaurant might think my bag is fake or that other people in the restaurant think i'm loaded. It doesn't make me want to flaunt my authentic bag in her face as i sashay past or hold my head a little higher as i leave. What it does do however, is make me feel like a shallow b!tch for thinking such a thing.
Why some people do a lot of things is beyond me. Why do women buy cubic zirconia earrings? 'cause they can't afford $10,000 diamond studs?
Am i disgusted by them trying to look like something they're not? Not one bit.

ita

 

[.:Sprigged:.]

Sorry, but no. Actually fashion is NOT a luxury game. Couture may be a luxury game but fashion is everywhere. Contrary to popular belief, designer luxury items do not make one "fashionable" or "stylish". That is something that comes from within. I can't tell you how many women I see piling on every designer piece they can, and end up looking (to me at least) like clowns. You can look fashionable whether your clothes came straight from a Parisian atelier or Wal-Mart. It's all how you put it together.
So what some people are saying by using this logic: "if you don't have the chips, do not bother, play another game" unless you are personally able to grace the pages of W and Vogue, then fashion doesn't apply to you. So I'm guessing then that everyone on this forum is 5'11", a size 4, 24 years old, lives in a major fashion capital, is chauffeured around or drives a luxury vehicle, is dating a rock star and lives in a penthouse apartment?
Fake bags are fooling authenticators, boutique employees and the like. Don't even try to tell me people can "tell" - they can't anymore. There is a reason the authenticators here on TPF ask for date codes and hologram stickers and zipper pulls. You can't tell just by looking at the bags. Yes, some are horrible, like Gucci canvas on a Coach design, but look in the Bottega forum, the fakes are being made with lambskin and suede interiors. The only "tell" is the authenticity tag is off. Check out the Bal forum, same thing. Unless you have x-ray vision, I find it hard to believe any of you can tell a fake from across the street. *if you have such capabilities, I'll bet the government would love to offer you a position.

Brava!!

 

[Tomsmom]

I actually read every post in this thread and I must say I understood the point of view with every post but one.

I want to add that i know a lady who loves fake bags. She is almost 60 years old and has no idea how to dress lol but anyways she has a son in a private school, owns their house, steady job etc. its not that she cant afford the real thing she just spends her money on other things like entertaining and getting her hair done etc. Thing is she is actually very depressed, she has a HUGE chip on her shoulder and always feels like people are judging her. She always has this "im better than you" look as she wants to feel better about herself. to her its like she wants to show off the life she wishes she had or something?!? i buy nice bags because I want them for myself and I like them, i dont care if no one else likes them or compliments me on them but shes always waiting for someone to say nice things about her. She actually complained to my mum that no one ever tells her what a great house she keeps, how good she looks for her age, how hard she works blah, blah, blah. when the op posted about the one lady who said she cant afford the real thing so anyone who can should just give the money to her, or designers should make these bags more affordable because I cant afford them. it made me think of this lady. Its all about how the world is worst to them. they are always the victim. bloody hell, if you cant afford them why pretend you can?? who do you think your fooling?? just move on already. designer bags are not a tool to survival nor are they a way of thinking you are better than anyone else because you have what they dont. people work hard to get what they have and want it doesnt just come to you because you think you should have it.

I know we cant stop others from owning or wearing fake designer items but i just cant understand how they make these people happy?!? how are you happy living a life of denial?? thinking you "deserve" the real item but shouldnt have to pay for it?!? WTF?!?

and how can someone say they cant afford the authentic item so brands should lower the price :lolots: thats the idea, if you want a bag thats not as expensive dont look at brands with quality, history, reputations, craftsmenship etc. its not a reason to buy a copy of it its just a reason to look at other options.

Lastly I just have to say the post i didnt agree with was about if you earn under $50k and have a $3k bag it must be fake. im sorry but WTF???
-what if you bought the bag when you were earning over $50k and no have cut down your work??
-what if they were gifts??
-what if your a SAHM who doesnt work but your parten does??
and even if you earn under $50k how would anyone know how much money you actuall HAVE?? how much you earn actually have very little little to do with how much you have. some may take home 5k per week but if you pay a mortgage, 3 kids school fees, medical bills, car repairs etc whats to say you can afford more than a $5 bag?? Some people save for bags and others have crdit card debt, what are you saying, because you earn x you can buy y?? you need to think of the big picture imo

Rant over

I really enjoyed your post!

 

[doreenjoy]

But Cubic Zirconia is not made to claim it self as a real diamond. Yeah, probably I'm too shallow to think that I'm a better person for carrying an authentic bag than those who carry fakes, I feel better because I don't have to feed the greed of the irresponsible people who use child labour, support terrorism and infringe the copyright of legitimate designers.

Sure it is! It's meant to look like a diamond, especially if you aren't looking at it with a loupe.

 

[heather123]

I'm amazed that some people still think that WEARING fake equals BEING fake! Most people I know would never dream of paying big money for things like handbags and everyday clothes. And those people are professional women with good jobs and able to afford expensive frivolities. Some of them carry knockoff bags but I'm sure they often don't even know what the original looks like. Their bags are just nice things to carry at an acceptable price. There's really no insightful deduction to be had from scrutinizing people's bags and clothes, just pretentious and misplaced judging. I don't carry fake bags myself but what other people carry is none of my business.

 

[tiggycat]

I agree with the person who said how much money you make doesn't indicate what you can afford to buy.

Our mortgage is paid off, we don't have kids, just one car, don't spend a lot on clothes, don't smoke, make our own wine, my only 'indulgence' is a couple of designer (not $3000 ones) bags a year - we do like to travel though and lots of people who make much more than we do don't understand how we can afford to go on a two or three week trip every year (even though they spend more than our trip costs on cigarettes and going out to bars).

If the thing a person wants most is a designer bag I think almost anyone can save enough for a pre-loved one.

 

[DiorDeVille]

] I feel better because I don't have to feed the greed of the irresponsible people who use child labour, support terrorism and infringe the copyright of legitimate designers.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but would like to point out (a) a lot of big design house "innovative designs" can be found in the indie/unknown designers' products from a season or two before, (b) the diamond trade also supports terrorism and many other shady industries (including str1p clubs in the U.S.) are used for human trafficking but many genuinely great posters spend money there while deploring fake bags, and (c) child labor is wrong, but for some children it's a choice between working OR scrounging for food unattended in the streets, begging, and being prey for predators and pimps.

It's almost impossible to interact with the world without in some way having your financial support trickle down to a less-than-desireable element. We are all so global anymore.

I'm amazed that some people still think that WEARING fake equals BEING fake! Most people I know would never dream of paying big money for things like handbags and everyday clothes. And those people are professional women with good jobs and able to afford expensive frivolities. Some of them carry knockoff bags but I'm sure they often don't even know what the original looks like. Their bags are just nice things to carry at an acceptable price. There's really no insightful deduction to be had from scrutinizing people's bags and clothes, just pretentious and misplaced judging. I don't carry fake bags myself but what other people carry is none of my business.

I think also there are a lot of people out there that don't even know the bag they are buying is a fake or copy of something. There are a lot of people I know have never even heard of Balenciaga or Miu Miu or Givenchy or MJ or whatever. The only bags they know are LV or Prada, as they are more mainstream, so they have no idea.

I agree. Most people who aren't into bags or labels only know of the mainstream bags. I know a few ladies who know jewelry inside and out and have no idea what a Bal bag is. They just buy what catches their eye - and sometimes it makes me cringe because I can see the design inspiration and know how much better it looks on the real Chloe. But they're happy and that's what matters.

 

[DiorDeVille]

Sorry, but no. Actually fashion is NOT a luxury game. Couture may be a luxury game but fashion is everywhere. Contrary to popular belief, designer luxury items do not make one "fashionable" or "stylish". That is something that comes from within. I can't tell you how many women I see piling on every designer piece they can, and end up looking (to me at least) like clowns. You can look fashionable whether your clothes came straight from a Parisian atelier or Wal-Mart. It's all how you put it together.
So what some people are saying by using this logic: "if you don't have the chips, do not bother, play another game" unless you are personally able to grace the pages of W and Vogue, then fashion doesn't apply to you. So I'm guessing then that everyone on this forum is 5'11", a size 4, 24 years old, lives in a major fashion capital, is chauffeured around or drives a luxury vehicle, is dating a rock star and lives in a penthouse apartment?
Fake bags are fooling authenticators, boutique employees and the like. Don't even try to tell me people can "tell" - they can't anymore. There is a reason the authenticators here on TPF ask for date codes and hologram stickers and zipper pulls. You can't tell just by looking at the bags. Yes, some are horrible, like Gucci canvas on a Coach design, but look in the Bottega forum, the fakes are being made with lambskin and suede interiors. The only "tell" is the authenticity tag is off. Check out the Bal forum, same thing. Unless you have x-ray vision, I find it hard to believe any of you can tell a fake from across the street. *if you have such capabilities, I'll bet the government would love to offer you a position.
Saying these "made in China" bags looks like they are falling apart is insulting to the manufacturing sector in China. I have a cheap a$$ Mossimo stretch linen blazer that I bought at Target five summers ago and I'm still wearing it. Not a stitch has come undone. Made in Vietnam.
C'mon now, everyone - and I mean everyone now - knows that these luxury designer items cost about 1/10 of their retail price to manufacture.
Personally, I don't need the "Boutique Experience" to feel like I'm somebody. I have no issues ordering a scarf online from Hermes and having it shipped to me. I don't need to feel the "prestige" of walking down the street with an orange bag. I know I'm friggin' fabulous and that's all that matters. If the woman sitting next to me at lunch has a fake Speedy it doesn't make me feel anything about my authentic Speedy. I don't need to glare at her or give her the "look" like I know her bag is fake. It doesn't make me think that the other people in the restaurant might think my bag is fake or that other people in the restaurant think I'm loaded. It doesn't make me want to flaunt my authentic bag in her face as I sashay past or hold my head a little higher as I leave. What it does do however, is make me feel like a shallow b!tch for thinking such a thing.
Why some people do a lot of things is beyond me. Why do women buy cubic zirconia earrings? 'Cause they can't afford $10,000 diamond studs?
Am I disgusted by them trying to look like something they're not? Not one bit.

Awesome post. Totes agree 100%.

 

[grietje]

I generally have no issue with a person who carries a replica/fake. It's a matter of choice and owning the consequences or judgments or whatever--the same as carrying a designer bag.

The issue is copyright infringement. And in reading this old thread I see little comment about that. it's like someone stealing your paper, claiming your work as theirs, saying the recipe you gave them is their own. That's not right. And women who knowingly buy a fake are condoning that. And that to me is disappointing more than anything.

 

[DiorDeVille]

I generally have no issue with a person who carries a replica/fake. It's a matter of choice and owning the consequences or judgments or whatever--the same as carrying a designer bag.

The issue is copyright infringement. And in reading this old thread I see little comment about that. it's like someone stealing your paper, claiming your work as theirs, saying the recipe you gave them is their own. That's not right. And women who knowingly buy a fake are condoning that. And that to me is disappointing more than anything.

It is completely disappointing. But I think there's a wide spectrum of responses between feeling disappointed that someone would stoop to that and completely discounting them as a human being of worth, substance, and potential good qualities, KWIM?

 

[Tinagirl11]

I believe the #1 reason why people carry around fakes is because they simply cannot afford the real ones. If people had millions of dollars to spend frivolously on bags, why wouldn't they buy the real thing? The main issue to be addressed here is why 'fakers' necessarily believe that being fashionable and rich equals to plastering a huge (fake) designer tag on your forehead. If you're carrying around your designer purses to show everyone how well off you are without even appreciating the aesthetic, craftmanship or whatever sentimental value the item has for you, then you are no better than those people carrying fake ones.

 

[alicegan70]

This is one of the best and most fabulous posts I've read in a LONG time. Rock on, girl!

I am totally agreed with u. I cannot differentiate my friend's fake LV vs. mine even putting them side by side.......except we don't look at the tag. I can made one conclusion. You are the brand not the bags. My pretty friend is 5ft6, tone & slim (with a teenage kid....wow), >40 years old......she can wear something costed >$30 but u would think she is wearing Chanel. Independant financially but married with wealthy husband......no one on earth believes she's carrying fake. She told them is fake but they think she's just being humble. So, she told me........she is 'Hermes'

 

[babybebe]

Whatever the reason, whether u can't afford real ones or u chose to buy fake coz it looks real anyway, I still think its wrong to buy and use fake. Better go with no-brand options.

 

[DiorDeVille]

I believe the #1 reason why people carry around fakes is because they simply cannot afford the real ones. If people had millions of dollars to spend frivolously on bags, why wouldn't they buy the real thing? The main issue to be addressed here is why 'fakers' necessarily believe that being fashionable and rich equals to plastering a huge (fake) designer tag on your forehead. If you're carrying around your designer purses to show everyone how well off you are without even appreciating the aesthetic, craftmanship or whatever sentimental value the item has for you, then you are no better than those people carrying fake ones.

I've seen the occasional intern come in with a fake that she tries to pass off as real. Doesn't mean they're not hard workers. Does mean, usually that they do appreciate the aesthetic, craftsmanship, etc. of the original - but opted not to spend as much for it. I completely agree with the copyright / legality issues that people have with this - it makes me uneasy on the grounds that it's not particularly legal, and non-legal activities have a way of funding shady elements (although perhaps terrorism is a bit strong in many cases).

But I think some of the "a person is a better person if ... "comments are dismissive and highly uncalled for.