Designer purses and baby diaper bags are big business. As a pastime the adoring fans make a study of finding out which designer bags are photographed by the paparazzi on any given day. What other gauge do we have of what is hip and hot if not observing the celebrities we would love to emulate?
We peruse each and every picture of popular movie stars and actors on the silver screen and television to ferret out which designers they are carrying. There's the idea that if we can acquire the exact backpack or purse our idols are wearing that a smidgen of their style and charisma will be shared with us simply by owning the same purse or outfit.
When those signature handbags are on our shoulders, we do feel more confident and stylish. Sure, any old purse will perform the same tasks of holding our wallets and minor essentials, but it's just not the same. The problem is that hip has a high price. A genuine designer item may be in a price range that is affordable by only the privileged few.
For the not so privileged there are the replicas, fakes and fauxs for their consideration. This is excellent news for buyers on a budget! Chances are that if a designer has released a fresh new style this season, there's a corresponding knockoff in the works. The knockoff market may be a step behind the original design, but the gap is narrowing. It makes one wonder if there are leaks within the halls of haute couture; the timeline has become so very slim! This is great for shoppers of lesser means, but I would imagine designers get a migraine when seeing the look alikes of their creations going for discount prices.
Even in the handbag black market there are the low end and high end grades of product. There are premium or Triple AAA grades many times in the same designer inspired style. The differences are in fabric quality, hardware and other various aspects of workmanship. For instance, the authentic piece may have heavy duty zippers and real brass fittings. The replica may have a much lighter weight zipper and gold tone hardware. These cost cutting practices may not be an issue if you plan to use the bag for one season and one season only. These purses are not for long term use. The fastenings will fail and the finish will wear and your fakes will be exposed in time. With most of the cheaper faux handbags, you get exactly what you pay for, low quality craftsmanship and less than desirable fabric and material. These unscrupulous distributors sell bags with plastic substituted for leather and the like. Many post pictures of the genuine bag on their sites or auctions and the consumer is duped into thinking what you see is what you get. What a sick feeling when the purchase is so much less than anticipated.
There are also high quality manufacturers out there that take great pride in their work. Many of their products are so well produced that the practiced eye may have trouble ascertaining their authenticity or lack of! These bags are manufactured with real or oxidized leathers, rich linings and the other luxurious details that make designer bags so grand! What a great way to add variety to your wardrobe inventory and not come off looking anything other than fabulous!
The bottom line would be that before you buy a purse, educate yourself. Go to a designer outlet and inspect the choices. Compare the prices and attributes of an authentic bag to the well done replicas. If you find little or no difference that matters to you, why not go faux? After all, how can we be absolutely certain that it's not a replicated designer item that our favorite celebrity is carrying?
By Jan Bay
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