Fakes and Dupes

[Boadicea1]

What's your thoughts on the above?

I'm not into fakes (Hermes handbags are huge at the moment. Everybody seems to have them) but definitely can say I've purchased dupes before; Headbands and 'silk' scrunchies for £2 on Ebay...

I'm at the thinking if you can't afford something designer the money you spend on a fake (Apparently these can cost a huge amount too) you could get something still nice and high market.

No judgement on those who do. I am interested to hear opinions. Let's discuss.

 

[Dizzy]

Same as the OP, I'm not into fakes and if you can't afford it or don't want to spend stupid amounts of money on designer there are plenty of fabulous quality unbranded items. I can understand why people buy fakes but honestly, it's a really bad idea for many reasons. Aside from being illegal, you're ripping off someone else's design without actually paying for it, the items are of far inferior quality and can sometimes be dangerous (obviously not talking about bags or scarves here!), the conditions in which people who make the items work are usually horrendous, it encourages the counterfeit market (supply and demand) and most importantly (for me at least), the counterfeit industry has very strong links and helps to support organised crime (drug trafficking, people smuggling, arms dealing). Lots of people, understandably, don't think or know about the far reaching impact of buying a "Rolex" on the beach in Tenerife or a "Louis Vuitton" on a market stall in Thailand but the reality is that the counterfeit industry is really damaging.

 

[Boadicea1]

Same as the OP, I'm not into fakes and if you can't afford it or don't want to spend stupid amounts of money on designer there are plenty of fabulous quality unbranded items. I can understand why people buy fakes but honestly, it's a really bad idea for many reasons. Aside from being illegal, you're ripping off someone else's design without actually paying for it, the items are of far inferior quality and can sometimes be dangerous (obviously not talking about bags or scarves here!), the conditions in which people who make the items work are usually horrendous, it encourages the counterfeit market (supply and demand) and most importantly (for me at least), the counterfeit industry has very strong links and helps to support organised crime (drug trafficking, people smuggling, arms dealing). Lots of people, understandably, don't think or know about the far reaching impact of buying a "Rolex" on the beach in Tenerife or a "Louis Vuitton" on a market stall in Thailand but the reality is that the counterfeit industry is really damaging.

This is so true.

I wanted to purchase a Burberry scarf and trench coat and my partner said to me What's the point as everybody will think you are wearing fakes. Lots of people wear fakes in my town.

Fakes taint brands.

Also agree on quality. My brother bought a RL fake tshirt and I compared it to my partners and the quality was so different. It wasn't until I bought him a few at Christmas he agreed there was a huge difference. The name does play a part into it but quality is usually there too.

I don't know what it's like in other countries but here it doesn't seem that regulated in terms of selling and buying fakes.

 

[Dizzy]

Yeah that's a huge issue for me - the quality of fakes is very very rarely comparable. That said, the quality of the real thing is sometimes lacking these days too. I bought an Anine Bing t-shirt from their online store and it was so thin and cheap looking.

Without getting all snobby about brands and appearance, I think being able to wear the real thing and people not immediately thinking it's fake is all about your overall look and what else you're wearing. If someone is head to toe in Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior (brands which are all faked on a wide scale) then chances are you're gonna look like you're wearing counterfeit but a Burberry coat worn with an understated outfit and no other loud labels will look great. I saw a lady wearing one the other day with a really simple outfit and she looked so good in it.

 

[Boadicea1]

Speaking on fakes and dupes when does it come to a point that a dupe isn't a dupe and it is something else, bordering on a fake? I'd be interested to hear thoughts on that too.

A brand called Totes Luxe UK came up on my IG and their handbags have some similarity to Hermes bags and they have even been featured in Vogue too.

Whilst Hermes came to mind immediately when I saw them, I would class them as dupes. They aren't trying to pass their bags off as Hermes and calling them that. (Also apparently some Hermes fakes are so good now that it is extremely difficult to identify them as fakes)

I get that everything in the fashion world, that at the top fashion houses, always trickles down into fast fashion and high street but fakes and dupes can come close together sometimes I think.

 

[Dizzy]

I think this is an example of where dupes and fakes collide! Whilst the bags shown here don't have any Hermes logos or stampings, they are clearly a copy of a Kelly. Tricky isn't it? Chanel for example - how many quilted bags and purses are there in high street shops and online which don't have anything saying Chanel on them but are clearly heavily influenced by the iconic Chanel look?

 

[Boadicea1]

Yeah that's a huge issue for me - the quality of fakes is very very rarely comparable. That said, the quality of the real thing is sometimes lacking these days too. I bought an Anine Bing t-shirt from their online store and it was so thin and cheap looking.

Without getting all snobby about brands and appearance, I think being able to wear the real thing and people not immediately thinking it's fake is all about your overall look and what else you're wearing. If someone is head to toe in Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior (brands which are all faked on a wide scale) then chances are you're gonna look like you're wearing counterfeit but a Burberry coat worn with an understated outfit and no other loud labels will look great. I saw a lady wearing one the other day with a really simple outfit and she looked so good in it.

Lol, so true. -Jeffree Star has entered the chat.-

Definitely get what you are saying. I live in a small rural town and fakes are everywhere. It's put me off buying some things to be honest. That and when you do wear something nice people call you stuck up. It happens to me all the time actually which is really off putting.

 

[panini]

Honestly I’ve never been too fussed with buying a fake. I like designer items for the quality and I guess the experience to an extent. I feel if I wasn’t in a position to buy the real thing, I would buy an equivalent from a more affordable brand.

Like I know I’ll never afford a Hermes Constance for example, but I think I would just rather just buy a nice statement cross body instead.