Dupes V.S. Counterfeit

Theft. Easily done but tough to disregard.
It's a serious offense and crime to steal anything. Whether it's an actual physical object, intellectual property or even just a name (think I.D. theft).

In the world of fashion, counterfeit is done at an exponential rate daily. Everywhere you go, there are counterfeit items sold. Whether you are in the richest country, city, town, street or in the slums. It is done physically (Canal Street, NYC anyone?) or through the huge community of the internet.

Here's the thing: there's a major difference between a DUPE (I'd like to think of this as a "inspired by" version of certain items) and just plain counterfeit products.

To me a dupe is when a brand recognizes a trend/product/style popularized or introduced by another company as a potential and profitable product for themselves from which they INSPIRE themselves to create something potentially more accessible for the mass market.

A counterfeit, on the other hand, is a simple copy-paste SOLD AS the original brand to make money off of it and passing it off as genuine. This to me, is not only theft of intellectual property for the design, but also a form of I.D. theft. Let's face it, the only reason anyone ever consciously purchases a counterfeit item is because they want that particular brand and cannot afford it.

That being said, dupes are great for many reasons. The most obvious would be the fact that in most cases the "duped" product is much cheaper (read my Mulberry- Alexa article). Amongst many reasons, the dupe's product design could be more adequate for the mass population's daily (think sky-high heels that no one could possibly wear on a daily basis but have been lowered for daily usage) needs.

Keep in mind the dupes could simply be inspired by certain trends, and not a particular object. Although a specific object may a very popular representation of the trend - again, think about the Mulberry - Alexa bag for that schoolgirl bag look.

Because there are often a billion variations of a single product from a billion companies, the choices become endless and can accustom to each and every individual's needs and personal tastes.

The reasons could be endless as to why dupes may be a good thing. In fact, very often the quality of the product is not that much different (obviously if the original is leather and your dupe is PU...you get my drift) as long as you're purchasing the "dupe" from another quality brand that make gorgeous things.

There isn't much to say about counterfeits. It's just plain stealing, not just the design, but name and ideology as well.
When you're purchasing a counterfeit product, although it may initially seem like a great purchase because you just got something that looks incredibly similar to that beautiful Chanel 2.55 handbag you've always wanted at 1/10 of the price. Chances are, that new  purse you just bought was made by the little hands of a child in a third world country who is making the same amount of money you just put in the parking meter... for a month's worth of work in such poor and dangerous conditions you cannot even begin to imagine.

Not only that, the product is usually of a MUCH poorer quality than the value you just paid (reason: read above paragraph). Not just in workmanship, but the actual textile and hardware is generally of very poor quality.

Counterfeit is basically unethical in every way possible. 

For more objective (and legit) information and articles, simply Google counterfeit products. The results are shocking.

If you cannot afford the real deal, opt for something that is LEGAL and will still offer you the current trend. Please.

Enjoy~
Please shop ethically and legally. =)