We’ve all been there before— window shopping and side-eyeing a luxurious designer handbag that costs waayyy more than we can afford.
Some of us give in to the guilty pleasure of purchasing such an extravagant accessory and vow to get those credit card payments taken care of quick, fast and in-a-hurry, while others shamefully settle for a designer knock-off; not realizing the detrimental effects of carrying a fake bag.
Number one— yes, girl, your friends are talking about you. It’s not cute to get caught red-handed with an imposter designer item.
Number two— participating in the cycle of buying-and-selling counterfeit goods is illegal, plus it takes away from the integrity of fashion and accessory designers that have worked hard to give you quality items. New York City’s Canal Street is infamously known as a prime destination for acquiring ‘designer merchandise,’ and that district’s Councilwoman Margaret Chin has proposed a law that would, “criminalize the purchase of counterfeit goods,” as reported by the American Bar Association.
Number three— with soo many designer discount stores and authentic, vintage shopping sites online, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get your hands on a super cute AND conveniently-priced handbag. Fashion resale site Tradesy’s mission statement says, “We only sell authentic, designer fashion, so you’ll get the best price.”
The desire to be in-the-know and feeling fab carrying a splashy bag like our favorite celebrities might be the impetus that leads to making a seedy purchasing decision, but we shouldn’t indulge the bad habit of buying fake goods. Big brands like Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada can all be yours if you’re willing to find an authentic bargain, or simply save and invest.
Scroll through our affordable, designer handbag options below to give your closet a New Year’s refresh!
