Yes I can. If you buy it in Chinatown or in an alley it is a fake. Designers put signatures in their products that fakes don't bother to copy because most people don't know that they are there. Usually the crafting of the product is off, the leather doesn't smell like leather and they use gold plate instead of gold. With shoes, top designers do not attach the heel, the heel is part of the bottom of the shoe seamlessly. Designers also use special labels for the different levels of their brand. Unless you robbed a Laurent delivery truck there is no way some random person would have access to them.
I don't really care but I don't think it is exactly fair to the original designer.
Ashleigh, great thread. Fakes are flooding out of Asia right now. FLOODING. It is definitely in clothing. So both Nicki and Aragon are right.
I write letters of authentication on certain commodities and it is getting crazy how many fakes are being made of all kinds of things.
Besides, there is nothing like real, natural, properly hand made materials, be they woven cotton, wool, silk, porcelain, or what have you.
If I need classy clothes, I'd rather buy one good suit or leather jacket, than an infinity of lesser materials manufactured every way possible, regardless of the toll on human life. If you just use your senses, you can spot garbage a mile away. If you put it on, ...oh never mind.
Big-haired Bitch/Personality Hire
Yes. But counterfeiters are really getting better at what they do.
But I only buy directly from retailers. Anything that's too good to be true usually is. And I understand that everyone has to make a living, but I could never knowingly support a counterfeiter.
And all the ethical stuff aside, the quality just isn't the same. I've seen friends with knock-offs that rival my originals, but the leather peels. The zippers break. The thread unravels. The makeup isn't as rich or pigmented...or doesn't last very long. The perfume smells slightly off...and wears off quickly. It just isn't good stuff. It may look the part, but time is the biggest determining factor...and these things wear out pretty quickly.
░P░U░S░S░Y░ ░I░N░ ░B░I░O░
I have a weakness for watches - and have a few I have bought in HK.
I bought one in South America some years ago as a fake but it works like an original, only the case seems to be cheap and is showing signs of wear. I have had one battery replaced and it is going fine.
I stay away from fakes. I always have. I can't understand why someone would take the chance and wear fake perfumes or cosmetics. I would be afraid of what it would do to my skin. That is just beyond me. I love my bags, shoes and designer wear; but, what I love most is quality. That's what I pay for and I have a good eye for it--even before I was able to afford it. I love the way some things are made and the details that makes that particular line or item unique. In that way, I'm a collector. It's getting harder and harder to spot fakes. I used to be able to spot a fake purse from across a room. I don't judge though. I'm just not the type to take any pride in pretending I have something that I don't. I've never needed that type of attention.
Personally, I do not find fakes appealing. Then again, I've never wished to own anything from Gucci or LV because right from the beginning the fakes have ruined the brand for me. Though I will admit that Paris Hilton may also have had something to do with it.. Anyways, I much prefer other brands than those who they often make fakes of. Not saying that there aren't fakes out there of those brands too (Acne, Tiger of Sweden, By Malene Birger and so on), but I don't come across them very often. You wouldn't get the same feeling when you buy something fake compared to when you but something real that you know you have paid full price for and that will last for a long, long time if you treat it right. If you can't afford it, save up money for it, dream about it and make it come true by buying the real deal instead of a fake. And feel good knowing that you most likely (sadly it happens that big brands also fall into this category) haven't supported child laboring, or people working day and night under awful conditions. I think it's worth thinking of those people too, because they don't deserve what they get. I've been to both India and China, where a lot of these fakes come from and this is a very big problem. There is no way in hell I'm willingly and knowingly going to support those who run that business. There are plenty of ways to spot a fake and there are a lot of good tips out there on how to do it too, so at least one should take time to get some reading done to be more aware of it all.
I've bought fakes before, not for the label, just because I wanted something that I liked the look of for a reasonable price. I appreciate that the quality might not be as good as the official product, but that's to be expected.
I appreciate that there is the consideration of the ethical side of buying these products, but honestly when I'm struggling for money myself as much as I'd like to think of the fact the people that are making these things are considerably worse off than me, it's easy to put myself first. That is probably really selfish and I might think about it a little more in the future.
I can't spot a fake. But if I see someone with a fake bag or something or if I know someone who does buy fakes, I wouldn't really care.
Although personally, I would never buy one.
I can spot a fake but I'm scared of using the authentic brands on a daily basis. I never cared about designer labels but I do now after being scared to death of street robbers.
