We went to IKEA today. It was Brian’s very first time there, incredibly. He got planks for making shelves over his desk and legs for his tabletop. We got a few other assorted knick knacks of course, as one does at IKEA. We also dreamed of the day we will own a house and be able to furnish a kitchen with nice new cupboards and counters unlike the cheap post-war garbage we are stuck with thanks to Stingy McLandlady.
Buying a warm cinnamon roll at the end, I found myself standing in line with four women holding four fake designer handbags. It was really quite something. One fake Chanel. One fake Louis Vuitton. The girl in front of me carrying a hideous fake Gucci with plastic handles. The woman behind me sporting a fake Balenciaga motorcycle bag. I looked down at my real Kate Spade and was glad.
I’m not being snobby. It’s just sad that so many people feel like they must parade around the logo of a designer bag but don’t really care about the quality that brand stands for. Just the name, that’s it. You would have to look very closely at the tag inside my bag to know it’s a Kate Spade (it’s just plain black), but I know it won’t fall apart in six months like a fake bag, and will last a lifetime if I treat it well.
The worst part is that the counterfeit handbag black market has direct ties to organized crime, child labor, and is a documented revenue source for terrorists. It’s the perfect front, and easy money. There are so many women willing to carry fakes and look fake and not think twice about where the money is going, not to mention the obvious copyright infringement. Selling counterfeit goods is a federal crime.
I like nice bags, but I am not willing to live beyond my means by buying a Fendi spy bag, nor am I interested in pretending I can by carrying a fake.
It may seem like a stupid and silly issue to take up to most people. There are worse problems, right? But I think it’s also indicative of the fake and disposable nature of our culture, and the way that so many shortsighted people don’t think about where their money is going. As long as they get their “knockoff” Louis, no one will be able to tell, right?
Lots of people can tell. I can tell.
I agree with you about fakes being silly and well, odd. I look at it from an art and design perspective as well – however successful they may be, designers are still artists, and fakes are copying art/design. I hope that makes sense.
I collect Loop NYC/Parcel bags, that’s what is in my price range.
Kate Spade is great. Her and Cynthia Rowley both do classic shit that is simultaneously retro and modern.
The point about artists is an excellent one. That used to really be the worst part about buying a fake bag — stealing designs and knocking them off at a much, much lower quality.
But now that the counterfeit industry has gotten so evil and downright bloody, that should be even more of a reason not to support it.
Yes Kate Spade is awesome! I bought a wallet from there a few years ago during a big clearance sale. It was made in Italy and really divine. I wish I knew what happened to it 🙁 . Since then, Kate Spade has actually moved some of their production to China. Got to find the cheapest labor I guess. But my made in China bag is still very high quality. So “China” doesn’t automatically = “cheap & crappy” anymore.
amen, purse sister.
i bought a fake burberry 2 years ago, before i was so well educated on bags. it is something i never will do again. that is one of the reasons i dont go as much for signature stuff. i know i have a real bag and it’s ok if everyone doesnt know. i assume %70 of what i see people using is fake anyway.
my best friend just bought a couple of fake coach bags. she was so mad at me since all i could do was scoff. she thinks i am a complete snob…
Sometimes I actually think it’s much more snobby to carry a fake bag. After all, these are people who care so much about labels that they are willing to buy a cheap piece of shit bag rather than something within their budget that is of better quality.
I don’t really care about labels, I just like having something well-made and well-designed. Most expensive designer bags are really not my style (Dooney), or too heavy (Marc Jacobs), or too trendy (Fendi).
Brand Babies
When did elitism and snobbery become fashionable? Yes, judging people by their mode of dress and personal items is elitist and snobbish. Brand babies who seek out labels to fulfill their lives are missing something somewhere in their lives. Anyone who is willing to use the quality argument when spending 300 dollars for a bag or shoes is seriously misguided and should take a look at the sociological effects of spending dollars on such trivial items. Buying name brands only adds to the problem.
Re: Brand Babies
Sorry but I just disagree. People spend far, far more money on things like TVs, computers, cellphones, tickets to sporting events, outerwear, airfare, hotel rooms, you name it. People spend hundreds of dollars on comic books and baseball cards. People spend thousands on pieces of artwork. Is that “trivial”? Not to them.
I guess I just don’t feel bad about spending my own money on something that I like, that is very useful, and that will last for decades. Not at all. It is not in the least bit trivial. And unlike a computer or a TV, a good purse doesn’t lose value the minute it’s taken out the door.
Would it be better to spend $20 on a piece of crap bag from Wal-Mart made in a Sri Lankan sweatshop? Or maybe I should be even holier than thou and teach myself to sew.
My post was about people who support the illegal black market of fake designer goods. This industry is made up entirely of crooks and their victims. I really don’t feel bad for commenting on those who support it, even though most who do have absolutely no idea where their money is going and would probably be horrified to find out.
Re: Brand Babies
I didn’t make my point very well. Let me try again. My main argument is that the support of name brands by those wealthy enough to purchase them is where the problem begins. Those who can not afford such items seek fulfillment by purchasing the items as knockoffs so that they may keep up the appearance of being in the same economic class as those who can afford the name brand items. Granted nobody is forced to “keep up”, but the pressure is there for men and women to be something they are not and displaying knockoffs is a good way to fake it. So, in my opinion the problem stems from the name brand items being priced at 300 dollars, which is an elitist price for a something as simple as a handbag. There is no clothing item worth that no matter what name is on the label. As such, there will always be the criminal element ready to step up to fill the needs of those who have wants beyond their means.
Re: Brand Babies
I agree about the reason why fakes exist. However I imagine that those who set the prices for any and all non-generic products would love to hear your economic theories.
After all, isn’t a diamond just a shiny polished rock? Why does it have to cost $XXXX? wah wah wah.
Thanks for your comments, but I don’t know who you are and don’t need you to give me advice on how I spend my money. I believe I do so very wisely. Have a nice day.
Re: Brand Babies
I certainly don’t mean to advise you on how to spend your money, I just wanted to state my opinion in response to yours. I assumed that is what this forum was for. My ideas obviously differ from yours, but just as obviously doesn’t make them better or more correct. I apologize for being overzealous. I have enjoyed your site for many years and will continue to do so even though I have been dismissed. 🙂
Re: Brand Babies
I don’t mean to dismiss a loyal reader. It’s just that I do think I make good choices about where to spend my money. I also work in the apparel industry and know a little bit about how the economics of production works. It seems like we do agree on a few things, but I am very happy to pay for a quality product that does what I want it to do and stands the test of time.
so?
Reeder, first, why are you reading the blog if it bugs you?
Secondly, who cares how other people spend their money? I can understand if you were judging Jane b/c she liked to collect Hummers because that somehow affects you, but to some people, high-quality fashion items are an art. I like to look at my Joan Miro poster on my wall, and I like to look at my Fendi bag on my arm.
I agree with Jane’s point about counterfeits but that’s not really where your criticism is aimed anyway.
-C
Re: so?
Thanks C. I agree with the sentiment about the way other people spend their own money being their own business — except for when it supports a deliberately corrupt and destructive industry. And yes that does apply to Hummers.
There is such a thing as a $5000 handbag, and a $30,000 handbag. To me, that is absolutely ridiculous, but I would never hand down a moral judgment on the woman who could afford such a thing. It’s her business what she does with her money. It’s only money, after all.
Re: so?
First, I enjoy this blog very much and have for many years. Jane has great taste in music, books, and movies.
Secondly, it is naive to not care how people spend their money. Money is how you vote in this country. Every penny you spend determines one aspect of culture or another, as such it is important to know how others spend theirs.
Lastly, my one and only point is that 300 dollar bags invite crime as I stated above in the original thread and clarified in my second post.
Re: so?
Thank you for your compliments and for reading my blog, but I still disagree with you 🙂
Saying that it is my business how others spend their money is dangerously close to violating privacy. I understand your point in terms of political ramifications. But what you are saying sounds like we should all try to find the cheapest blue jeans and be happy with it.
Think of it this way. You have a pair of $40 jeans, and a pair of $200 jeans. In your reasoning, the $40 jeans are more morally sound because they have a bland label or perhaps are from K-Mart or Mervyn’s. They weren’t so much “designed” as they were spit out of a pattern-making program.
But that $40 pair of jeans was mass-produced in a third world country, in a factory that may or may not follow its local labor standards. That pair of jeans will develop loose threads and show wear after a few washes, and will be disposable within a year.
The $200 pair of jeans was almost certainly made in the United States, or possibly in the EU. It was designed by a person or persons over a period of time, which involved a great deal of creative review. It was made with certain standards as to stitching and materials to ensure it would stand up to many washings, and fit the body flatteringly.
You get what you pay for. Instead of wondering why things are so expensive, turn it around and start wondering why other things are so cheap.
I used the example of jeans, but I myself would never buy expensive jeans only because they become unwearable if you lose or gain weight. unlike a handbag, which always fits!
Re: so?
My biggest sin in life is oversimplification. I tend to see in black and white most of the time and as a result I am often wrong about the grays. This is one of those times and as a result of intelligent responses on your part I have been educated beyond the black and white.
Re: so?
That just made my day. I am so glad to have an intelligent debate on this.
Reeder I have to go back to watching TV so I recuse myself from the conversation but seeing the nice things you’ve written I want to say sorry if I came off nasty to you–I thought you were being a flamer or something.
C