It's our second Monday here at Savvy Style, so it's time for "This Makes Me Crazy," and this is a subject that truly makes me come unglued.  Fake merchandise.

FAKES!  Let me be crystal clear: if you are buying and using faux  products - fake LVs - fake Guccis - fake whatever - you are contributing to the employment and abuse of minors, READ child labor.  Furthermore, you are contributing to ripping off the legitimate designer and company who invested tens of thousands of dollars into the product - and you're announcing to the world that you have absolutely NO interest in quality, and the inherent luxury of the legitimate product.  NO, you are announcing that you are only interested in APPEARING to be someone of good taste (and monied - an attempt which in and of itself, is tasteless and tacky.)

Do I sound a little hard over on this subject?  I AM. 

The WHOLE point of a luxury good is the QUALITY!  Not the name on it - not the insignia - or logo, or whatever.  It's the inherent quality of the product - the raw materials and the craftsmanship.

If you are buying and wearing a fake - you are getting NONE of that.  You might as well put a billboard on your forehead that reads, "I am SO insecure that I think by carrying this fake Louis Vuitton bag, some other yokel out there won't know the difference and will think I'm cool."

But here's the reality: the people you want so desperately and childishly to impress: they can tell the difference between the fake and the authentic.  And furthermore, those people who are carrying the authentic would never be impressed ANYWAY - because they understand that "the designer name" is NOT what it's all about.

I'm going to say it again: It's about QUALITY.  It's about CRAFTSMANSHIP.  It's about the exclusivity that comes from KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE - and not giving a rip whether anyone else gets it or not.  This is one of the reasons why Bottega Veneta handbags became so popular (besides the fact that they're gorgeous.)  There was no logo; but they were prized (and still are) for the luxe leather, and the intricately woven design.  The women who flocked to buy them didn't care whether others would know they were carrying a "designer" handbag; it was about the luxuriousness of the product.

Same thing with Christian Louboutin shoes: almost an inside joke in the beginning.  If you bought the shoe, you were well aware of the quality - AND the red soles.  But only the Louboutin fan knew.  It wasn't something that shouted out at the world, "look at me - I'm a REALLY expensive shoe!"  It was subtle.

Alright - time to get off the soapbox.  But bottom line - Do NOT support fakes.  It is tacky- it shows complete ignorance (or indifference, which is even worse) to the problems of child labor and sweat shops - and it is against the law! 

And do you really want to carry a handbag made by impoverished six year olds?

(Photo of Bottega Veneta handbag courtesy of purseblog.com)

BTW - if you disagree, let me know.  I'd be very interested to hear a defense of "fakes" - if anyone has one.