Knockoff Crusade

Fake bags. I hate them. I’ve got a very firm stance on the issue, and I’m not willing to back down.

I think the hatred of counterfeit designer (aka knockoff) bags started in middle school. My parents had gotten me my first Coach bag for Christmas during 7th or 8th grade. Just a cute little bag, black on black, with the C’s. I proudly took it to school after winter break had ended, ready to bask in the glory that was my first designer bag, only to have the other girls, whos parents had gotten them “Goach” bags (you know – the knock off Coach bags that have G’s instead of C’s), refuse to believe/admit that my bag could be real, because (as their parents had told them, and they had believed) “middle school girls shouldn’t have/didn’t need a real Coach bag”.

Carrying my bag to school didn’t last long, because I hated that people thought I was carrying around a fake bag. And you know what, their parents were right. Middle school kids don’t need a designer bag, but my parents wanted me to have it, and they didn’t get me one that was ridiculously expensive.

Since then, I’ve accumulated a fair amount of Coach, Dooney & Burke, and Longchamp bags and accessories – as well as a Louis Vuitton wallet (and some other “designers”, like Vera Bradley & Vineyard Vines, whos products are fairly inexpensive but still ripped off constantly). However, I can’t afford my dream bag right now, and I refuse to pretend I can – even though I could buy a knock off any day of the week for a fraction of the price.

So why not? Afterall, if I were willing to part with $100, I know I could buy a bag that’s nearly identical to the real thing, rather than saving up forever and dropping almost $800 on one item.

Well, for starters – I would know it’s fake, even if other people didn’t, and I’d feel wrong about it. Design companies own the rights to their products, and when they’re knocked off there are all sorts of legal issues. People who knock off desiger bags are profiting off a design and idea that isn’t theirs. They are stealing. And by purchasing a knockoff bag, you’re helping them. Also, people who sell knockoff bags are probably also involved in other crime rings, some of which are much more serious and potentially even violent. By paying for a fake bag, you are providing these people the funds to keep their other operations up and running.

Second, I like nice things. And yes, part of the reason I like nice things is because not everyone has them. I admit it – I’m a snob like that.

But it’s also a matter of quality. I also like nice things because they’ll last me forever. I’d rather have 1 expensive thing than 100 inexpensive ones. For $60 I could buy 1 shirt at Ann Taylor LOFT or 15 at Forever 21, but I’ll almost always pick the LOFT. Not because it’s a well-known brand (because, let’s be real, everyone knows Forever 21), but because the quality is higher and I know that it will survive more than 1 trip through the washing machine.

A well made purse, shoes, pair of jeans, etc will last you years, as opposed to a bag you pick up at Target. And while there’s nothing wrong with having an inexpensive bag, when you carry as much crap as I do on a daily basis, they just won’t last long. And I’d rather not waste my money on something that will rip or break or look worn quickly.

If you can’t afford the real thing, that’s a bummer. But wouldn’t you feel better about saving up your money and carrying the real thing with pride, than carrying a fake one that you bought off the street?