Sitting on the bus ride home yesterday evening - amongst a particularly loud and obnoxious group of city
folk - I couldn’t help but notice the number of large, screamingly fake bags surrounding me.
With hope, these gum-snapping, females knew that their totes were obvious rip-offs and did not pay more than a few dollars for them. However, it did get me thinking about designer fakes in general, and more specifically: would I be able to spot the difference between genuine goods and noteworthy knock-offs (if said knock-offs were better that the fakes that I see on the bus)?
Apparently the Bag Lady had a similar commute as I, because she stole my thunder this morning. She also helped me out, though. I was going create a game/quiz with a variety of pictures side-by-side of designer gear and their cheap look-a-likes.
Voila! Miss Bag lady, being the clever diva that she is, dug up the fancy “Spot the Knock-off Interactive Quiz” from Portfolio in July, 2007. Check it out here via The Bag Lady.
BONUS: Of the two photos on this page, one is a designer handbag costing $295; the other brags about being a good knock-off and is only $34. Click on each picture for the truth - the real one will lead to the designer’s home page; the fake will direct you to a blatant knock-off site.
My opinion, as brief as I can get it, on the whole subject of real vs. fake: If you want the designer look, pay the designer dollar. If you don’t want to spend several hundred for a purse, then buy something cute at a less expensive store. Buying fake goods is creative theft from the designer, can hurt our economy, and often supports criminals.