There are two main reasons to not buy counterfeit designer goods: the good reason and the right reason. We’ll discuss the former first.

If your bag/wallet/sunglasses are fake, they are, overwhelmingly, a really bad replica of the real thing. The materials are cheaper, the craftsmanship is non-existant, and many times, the style of the bag reflects the brand in only one way: the logo. If you buy fake, you are not buying for quality. So why buy at all? For status. Women want a PRADA purse with a Louis Vuitton wallet inside, worn with CHANEL sunglasses because these items convey pedigree, belonging to a certain socio-economic group and maybe a certain savvy in knowing ‘what’s hot’. But in reality, owning these items (real or fake) only means that you want to look like everyone else.

If looking unique and developing your own sense of style is not a compelling enough reason to stop buying fakes, how about the right reason…The counterfeit industry (overwhelmingly headquartered in China) employs and exploits disgusting childhood labor practices where kids are sold by their poor families to the factories where they live and work like slaves. So that PRADA triangle sewn (in most cases, glued) onto the indiscriminate black bag you bought for $25 on Canal Street was most likely put there by a child’s hands. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why that’s wrong.

The other big beneficiary of the counterfeit trade? Terrorism. Yes, those terrorists. Both 9/11 and its predecessor in ’93 were believed (at least by the FBI) to have been somewhat financed by the sales of designer knock-offs on the streets of New York City, shattering the illusion that buying counterfeit goods is a victimless crime.

There is no good reason to support the industry and, I would argue, a moral imperative to repudiate it. And in place of a lame knock-off, you can instead invest a little more and support smaller designers. There is life without a status bag, and (by forfeiting fake) you may, in fact, be saving one.

I’ll do my part to show you (so you can show others) (cause I know none of my readers buy fakes!!) the best non-status-y bags on the market, starting with this one. Somewhat well known, Herve Chapelier bags are, nevertheless, very difficult to find in stores, as the import fees are quite high and many boutiques don’t want the hassle. Esteemed Boulder boutique Chelsea always carries these bags in-store and now, also, online.

Invest in what’s good. Invest in what’s right.