If you are one of those fashion-conscious people and just can't help dressing like "everyone" else then an easy way to save money would be buying cheap knock-offs which though they look like the real McCoy are much cheaper than the genuine thing. Most people believe that knock-offs are not made to last but they are only partly right. Not all knock-offs are that bad so whilst doing your shopping go for the highest quality ones. But does it even matter? Fashion changes every season, so as long your new clothes will last that long, you've got a good reason to smile because you spent less money on them.
I hate buying knock offs. One, I think that it is stealing. Second, I feel like I am slapping designers on their faces. I am somehow an artist, too, so I know how it would feel like to have your ideas stolen from you. Third, buying knock offs erases the novelty of having a branded item. I would rather save up and buy something branded than save a lot and buy a knock off.
I don't buy them as you can tell they are and these days with sample sales, designer wear is affordable. There are design copies that people will buy in chain stores which most people do, or fakes which look cheap and if you are fashion aware, then you want to be seen to wear the brand for the right reason. Supporting anything that tarnishes a brand, is an ethical matter, but intellectual property laws can be complex, so they are only fake when they use the exact name or can be seen to confuse the buyer. Missing a letter from a brand or a logo similar can confuse people at first glance, but unless it is identical then one would say it was inspired rather than fake.
If a particular brand has a design that I like, and I cannot afford it, and I just so happen to spot a knock off version of the design that I had originally liked then yes, I would definitely buy it. I'm not brainwashed to the point where I believe that I need to spend a certain amount of money on a brand in order to be validated as a significant person. I just want to feel good in what I feel looks good. So if I can buy a knock off version of something, I definitely will, provided that the quality is up to par.
I don't like big name anything. In many cases, they have no right to charge as much as they do and I don't believe in taking advantage of people because you think you're superior for whatever reason. So I wouldn't even buy the knock off lol. I don't care about status or looking like everyone else or pride in spending too much when so many people suffer. I'm NOT judging.. these are my thoughts, you asked for it lol.
No. I don't buy knock offs. Only because I'm not really in to big name brands. When it comes to clothing, I like the local flavor of my country. I love bags made from Ghanaian wax and batik fabrics. I also like my clothing made from local textiles. I have seen some big name companies use African designs and textiles and believe me, they are the ones who are the knock offs! I'm not impressed.
In my experience most knock-offs are of poor quality and as such don't last long. I have bought knock off in the past and what I realise is that most people don't really know if what I am wearing is a knock off. These days I choose to buy the genuine article simply because they tend to be of much higher quality and will last very long.
I don't buy knock offs. I'm not too big into big, expensive brands. If there's something I really want I'll save up for it and get it but that doesn't happen very often. I am more motivated by the look/style of something rather than the designer. I do think that supporting artists/designers is important, though.
Absolutely not. I don't go cheap on most things because there was a reason as to why I bought it and would like to keep it. With as much maintenance that one should take with clothing, buying something of lesser quality is ridiculous as you'll find yourself spending more money replacing everything.
I am going to be that guy who says, "knocks off aren't that bad". There have been several knockoff clothing items that actually were made pretty good. You'd be surprised at what knockoffs actually look and feel just like the real thing. Now, I see no problem in buying a knockoff if that is all you can afford. Those that say they are into big brands and big names aren't like the every day person. Most of us don't have money to blow on $50 t-shirts and $200 shoes. You can stay in the lane of spending lots of money while I rock $35 knockoffs and get compliments for days.
I buy them as long as they are the type of products I wouldn't notice much in terms of quality difference. If I see a knock off shirt that I like and the cloth is good then I'd most likely buy it, not really just for the brand but I'd be happy with most any shirt with a good cloth so I wouldn't let the fact that it's a knock off prevent me from doing so. For other products like sneakers, however, I think it's much better to pay a bit more extra and get good quality rather than skimp out and get one that will break easily or will prove to be uncomfortable.
I agree until the cows come home lol. I sort of lose respect for the few celebrities that I do like when I see them out with items from these big name brands. Some can call that judgmental, and maybe it is, but it just makes me think that those celebrities are in a certain mindset that I am not on board with. I mean, they can afford these name brands, yes. And it is their lives to do what they want with. But they are paying for a name. It is so silly. It's so strange to me. It's simply about status most of the time. You can have a product from M&S and you can get the same product from somewhere else - same quality. But people would rather buy it from M&S, which will cost more purely for the brand's name, even though the quality is the same. Paying a lot of money for a brand is about status a lot of the time. You can guarantee that half these people don't even like the design, but because it is Mark Jacobs, they'll buy it. Sheeple. My sister's friend is broke because of this very thing - trying to keep up with the Jones'. She didn't even like half of the brand name things that she was forcing herself to buy in order to accumulate status.
It's sad isn't it? So many people would rather go broke or stay there just for appearance sake. We all have to strive for bigger and better and if we can't get there, we have to at least appear as though we are. Everyone's priorities are so backwards.. I'm usually one for "whatever makes you happy", but in most cases, people aren't happy.. they will be when they get this that or the other thing and then it starts all over again. All they're doing in the mean time, is lining more pockets that keep theirs empty. Keeps society a popularity contest and a ladder with no middle rungs.
I don't care about brands or appearing as though I do, so I don't normally go for knock offs. Now if there is a particular style that I like but don't want to pay the brand price for, I might try and find similar items, but I don't know if I consider that the same thing as direct knock offs. Though I agree with you, not all knock offs are inherently cheap (just like not all name brand items are going to last you a while) and sometimes it really is just an awesome deal.
I don't know if I've ever bought a knock-off or not. If I did buy a knock-off it I would have purchased it from a thrift store or Goodwill maybe even an estate sale. I'm only familiar with a few designer names. I wouldn't know how to tell the difference. I bought a pair of boots for $29.99 while in Atlanta, GA, A co-worker told me they were Kim Rogers and that the price was a steal. Who is Kim Rogers?
I'd rather buy non-branded items rather than fake ones, since I'm not brand conscious anyway when it comes to clothes. I remember being given a fake CK shirt before, it was a simple blue shirt with a large CK logo on the front. I was only in elementary that time and I wore it occasionally and no one cared to point out if it's fake or not.
I hate to see people pulling stunts and shows. The worst thing is that the people who do this are always so transparent about it - they might as well just be truthful. It also puts you in an awkward position, because you are expected to go along with their act so as not to make them feel as though they have been exposed for a phoney. Tricky stuff. I am all for people doing whatever makes they happy. But I would rather that come from a place of empowerment, instead of a place of need and desperation for acceptance, approval, and or one-upmanship. It's all so meaningless in the grande scheme of things. It only matters what you think of you, and if half of these people thought anything of themselves in the first place, they wouldn't be hiding behind ugly $10,000 purses purely because they were designed by a certain name brand. I feel like these established business kind of expliot people in a way.