Retail revenge!

While I'm not an advocate for buying fake luxury goods, this article in the Daily Mail really had me laughing. The writer actually makes a very good case for why she loves stocking up on fake luxury goods. For those of you who came late, a recent report states that over 3 million Britons bought fake luxury goods last year and are not ashamed to admit it.

The smart ones are those who can sniff out a bargain: the Primark dress that looks just like that one from the Paris shows; the beautiful pendant that's paste not diamond; the 'snakeskin' wallet that's never been near a reptile; and the 'Romford Rolex' that could fool all but an expert eye.

Listen carefully at any fashionable gathering and you will hear the women competing with one another to reveal how little they paid for their outfit or accessories.

"Love those shoes, darling. Manolo Blahnik?"

"Don't be silly, sweetie! £20 from eBay!"

"Oh, you are sooooo clever!"

It's no wonder then that luxury goods companies are seriously worried about such trends. After all, the sale of fakes do cause a dent to their bottomlines. My reasons for not wanting to buy fake luxury goods has less to do with filling the pockets of organised crime syndicates than the fact that it's intellectual theft. However, Helena Frith Powell sure has some serious bones to pick with luxury companies.

For too long, we have been victims of a fashion industry that takes itself far too seriously and has been laughing (behind our backs) all the way to the bank.

Who can really blame us if we take retail revenge and don't ask too many questions about the provenance of that Chanel handbag or Louis Vuitton wallet we've been offered for £25.

Illegal? Most probably.

Immoral? Not in my book.

What I - and millions like me - have realised is that as lovely as these luxuries may be, they are not going to change our lives in any significant way, except to make us poorer.

If that makes me a faker, I'm proud of it.

We hear you!

Image courtesy: Daily Mail