After a while, I always turn to the same things, over and over again. Coach.com Check. Chanel.com. Check. Louisvuitton.com. Check. Hermes.com. Check! Sometimes, perhaps pathetically, you can hear me mutter, "Seen that.", "Oh, no new collections yet.", "Seen it." etc.
I may or may not have a small handbag obsession, with nothing to show for it. I blame that on the small period when I used to work at Coach. I also blame that on my home city of Scottsdale.
I grew up with all things modest from my modest Ohio parents, but after a while, I began to yearn for all things materialistic and Scottsdalian (it didn't help that my dad is actually a huge Coach fan himself, and that I lived 5 minutes away from it). Seriously, Cartier, Tiffany's, Jimmy Choo, Nordstroms, Bottega Vaneta, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Neiman Marcus, Salvatore Ferragamo, Michael Kors (who I'm also obsessed with and will undoubtedly show up later), Betsy Johnson, etc, all housed under one large conglomerated mall roof is enough to drive someone off the deep end.
Anyway, when I was a young naive thing working at Scottsdale Fashion Square, one of my coworkers taught me almost everything I know about Louis Vuitton. We would go in to the store during our breaks and sometimes discuss the handbag.
And then I became obsessed. Especially, with this bag.
This is the Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM in Damier Ebene Canvas. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with this bag, but I am. I sadly can't spare $800 for it though. Which kind of brings me to my point.
That bag is $800. However, if I know where to go, I can get one for $100. Problem is, it will most certainly be a fake. I sit on the fence about owning a fake versus a real. I have no problem with it, my wallet will thank me, but deep down, I know it's not real. There are three times of people when it comes to this dilemma. The ones who are positively allergic to fakes. The ones who only buy fakes and seem super pleased with their thriftiness. And those who don't really care, and own both.
The funny thing is, the woman I know who is drop dead allergic to fakes, probably couldn't tell you what constitutes a fake or a real. She just knows what she buys from websites are real. If you tell her it's real, she'll believe you. And then, there are some women who know their brands, can afford them, and then toss them around like a beat up Target wallet. Seriously lady, that's a DIOR handbag you just threw on the ground. That bag is more expensive than my vehicle.
Anyway, so I guess my question really is, what is the difference between the two? How does it make you feel to own a real, and then have a fake under your arm?
Interestingly, a professor at Duke and M.I.T. did a study about how individuals handled certain tests knowing they had a counterfeit versus an authentic handbag/glasses. In the short of it, those who were told they were in possession of fakes, were more likely to cheat on the tests than those who had real brand items. The study is called "The Counterfeit Self".
Amusing thought, no?
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