Iiiii’m siiiiick! I come home from vacation for this to set in on me. I never get sick, and this is sick like I’ve never been (not the worst though, but certainly different). What a good day to start this feature up again, because I’m not sure how much original brain power I have in me. Oiiii.

Pictured is the “Get Your Own Bag” message canvas tote. It’s simple, filled with attitude and I also see loads of irony in it. A shapeless cartooned tote bag conveying envy and pride over a bag—what bag?—even the mini bag pictured is not “cute”. I believe it must be made with rightful intention, making fun of bag lovers. Still, it’s notable. Find purchase info (for the uncensored version too) at The Purse Blog.

Introduce yourselves to Eco-Bag, an online shop for bags designed by indies that are all recycled materials. The once soda bottle, once seat belt buckle, and once … boat sail? Yep, all hand made and all environmentally friendly. Shop via In My Bag.

Love that luxury trash bag style of the Coco Cabas, but for a well, still more expensive than trash pricetag? The Chapman Large Slouch Hobo by Charles David is a brandy copycat of Chanel’s bag. For less the money, but it’s not like you like the Chanel aside from its logo anyway! Via Señora Cartera (Mrs. Handbag).

Model Lily Cole designed a line of bags for Monsoon Accessories, EBelle5 featured a rainbow striped small purse.

Ooh, an umbrella case! What a nice change of pace. In cute rainbowed stars, the umbrella with case from Top Shop costs 12 pounds, and is only available in stores in the UK. Boo hoo, this sick girl is crying! Via The Bag Lady.

And finally, this doesn’t have to do with bags, but when I saw this billboard last week, I thought it would be perfect about for Counterfeit Chic to write. It’s Coke’s new billboards for Coca Cola Zero, like, “tastes so much like Coke, we should sue ourselves”. Funny?

Visit these great blogs, and we’ll see you around.

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The Dior Gaucho bag just keeps getting better. When it first came out, ehh not so good. But with style re-inventions there have been improvements, like interesting texture and different straps.

Now they have the classic in a shimmering gold metallic washed calfskin. My BFF’s mother picked that out as her dream bag, and I say “good choice!”

But here’s how the conversation went with my BFF, introduced here for the first time (who otherwise will be known as the Evil Fashionisto! dun dun dunnn).

Ella: “And that’s an It Bag!”

TEF: “A **it bag?”

Ella, ignoring: “I found the price! It’s about the same as my dream quilted Bay; $1760.”

TEF: “**** ****.”

Ella: “It’s less expensive than the Gaucho she liked last trip to Neimans. Over $2,000.”

TEF: “****. Ma, you should get a fake.”

Ma: “I don’t want a fake.”

TEF “No, don’t they have inspireds?”

Ella: “Yeah, I can find one for you, without metallic leather though, probably on ASOS.”

TEF: “What’s that, pesos? It’s for pesos? That’s a perfect price!”

Ella, laughing: “That’s priceless. Ooh, get it?!”

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The girls on The View today dissed Louis Vuitton’s Tribute Patchwork bag, and rightly so. But then Rosie O’Donnell said she would “craft” an equal bag at home for $10. The girls even said they would give out the “knockoffs” to the audience. What do you think about this?

I’m sorry, but there is genuine fur on the bag, monogram, and logoed hardware - I don’t think Ro can come close.

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We’ve put a little eBay ad block in our right sidebar underneath the general categories. I’ve only put in a few keywords, with none of the less “safe” designers such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Marc Jacobs or Tiffany. Still, you must verify authenticity at a message board like the one we’ve started ourselves - Know Authentic.

Basically mostly you know how to use eBay, but do you think it is safe for us to let a system display auctions based by keywords alone? I have no way of restricting any auctions, like for instance based on price.

I am here, for one reason, to serve you! So let me know what you think.

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I’m even bothered by the language used in the term, “counterfeit goods”. The government, the goddess and everyone and her momma knows fake bags are not good at all, so why do newspaper reporters and the like still refer to the items as “goods”, like they’re any other product?

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I’ve started a forum for bag lovers and authenticity issues, especially. It will be difficult to build up, but I ask you to come and start chats, first! Thank you.

Know Authentic Purses - Bag Forum

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There is an Internet project for crafters now, called the Counterfeit Crochet Project, for copying big brand designs, but crocheting the new products. Read about it at the project’s website, linked above.

The designs by the starter, Stephanie Syjuco, are so good, they’re shocking. Take a look at this Gucci bag, in progress.

You may be appalled by this news, or enjoy the project idea for various reasons, but there are a few crucial problems at this website’s root.

1. Right off the bat, the project’s referred to as “counterfeit.” That immediately puts the word “illegal” into our minds, doesn’t it? If Stephanie, the manager, instead used another, perhaps creative, word, like “inspired”, it would be widely more friendly to bag lovers and legal aficionados.
2. Participants are allowed to use, and the owner has already used, exact logos copyrighted by the big companies. That is illegal, right? I would love this idea, and it could be a beautiful project that I might even participate in in some way (perhaps by buying?)—if only the crocheters copied styles, and never a logo. I think this is wrong.
3. It’s made pretty clear that the intention of the whole thing is not to admire the beauty of these designs, and make a legal piece of them available to more people—especially people who love knit things, etc. (as I do!). No—here is the subtitle on their website: “debasing designer handbags one step at a time…” Debase’s definition (from Answers.com) being:
   

   de·base (dĭ-bās’) pronunciation
   tr.v., -based, -bas·ing, -bas·es.

   To lower in character, quality, or value; degrade. See synonyms at adulterate, corrupt, degrade.

Well, now I don’t like this at all. What do you think? Would do you think the design companies would/should do?

*Via* Crochet & Other Stuff

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You might want to buy a fake because …

1. Designers’ prices are ridiculously high for reasons of faux exclusivity, greed and well, just because they get away with it! They don’t deserve all those riches.

   But counterfeit sales lower the profits to the legit companies, which means they might just have to raise prices. This loss of actual product sales, sourcing customers elsewhere and certainly people thinking fakes are authentics (and therefore thinking they cost less) could mean a degrading of the company image, and sometimes companies raise prices to boost exclusivity.

   Also, the money you are spending doesn’t go to hardworking and talented craftsmen, creative - genius - original / envied - idea - designers and other employees, it goes to greedy get - something - for - nothing - ers / cut - corners - with - poorer - quality - work - by - child - labor - ers — but what’s worse, is it’s said to help terrorism and organized crime (true!).

   Then there’s the question of whether or not the designer bag is worth the money—status left out. That won’t be discussed here, but everything about the fake bags are fake; the logos don’t represent the real thing and the leather is fake. Really, the bags fall apart, and you lose money in the long run.

   Bottom line: The existence and popularity of fakes may just be what causes designer bags to be so expensive in the first place! Vicious, vicious cycle.

Continue to read more bag love »

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I know I do a lot of Marc Jacobs, but can you blame me? I love his bags. But I’m actually only doing another Fake Spotting about Marc Jacobs because a commenter wrote in. This is so late in relation to when the commenter asked, but LIFE ran at me like a MAC Truck! (And don’t worry, I wrote to her back right away after!)

Hi could you tell me what the tale signs are of a fake Blake handbag to a real one?

I have just purchased one from Designers Imports and am really worried.

Well, first of all, the website you bought it from is a faker. All those discount websites are. For Marc Jacobs buying online, only blindly trust eLUXURY, Net-a-Porter and the really upscale department stores, such as Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

The Blake is a great classic bag, similar to the Venetia, but it’s not one of the older classics, so it isn’t quite as known to people.

Look on MarcJacobs.com for the past few seasons’ collections photos and examine the Blake. Here’s a photo of one:

Here are things that should be the same with all bags by Marc Jacobs similar to the Blake:

1. Any quilting will align up centered on quilted bags.
2. The leather on the pocket flap will be plain, without texture.
3. The shape of the pockets is always the same.
4. The strap detail is always the same.

There is a great guide from an eBay user to spot authentics on all classic Marc Jacobs bags. The Blake was based on the classics, but is not in this guide. Also, check out our own general article with tips on avoiding fakes.

Also you must note that with any high-priced designer bag, no company or person can afford to slash big prices drastically. You won’t find big “below retail” or “our price” deals, only markdowns at the end of a season - and those don’t last long.

Safe buying!

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Coach is suing Target for selling a counterfeit bag, in the recent style of the Hamptons (although it appears to maybe have large “Soho” buckles) Signature Stripe with “python”. The bag has the exact C patterned logo and hangtag.

The suit seeks $1 million, which I don’t believe is enough. Target’s rep claims the store officials did not know the item was fake. Male cow, I say!

I also personally can’t believe it; I liked Target! What now? K-Mart, do you have the morals we seek plus a price we sometimes need?

Read the full story and watch a video at CNN Money .com. *Via* Want Need Have.

*Update:* I just read that with the lawsuit, Coach is also demanding knowledge on where Target’s “Coach” supplies were manufactured. Way to go!

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