Sunday, November 11, 2012

Who Cares if its "Real" or "Fake"


Natsumi Moudry
Blog 2

Inside Source: Melissa A. Decker. “Knockouts of Knockoffs:” the Global Implication of Fashion Piracy.” Reader.
Outside Source:  "How to Spot Fake Evisu Jeans." eHow. eHow. Web. 11 Nov 2012. .

Many people in places like Italy buy counterfeited products. This is so because they still want to look fashionable, but they do not all have the money to spend on designer products which usually cost up to thousands of dollars. Melissa A. Decker explains in her Knockouts of Knockoffs, explains that counterfeiting is detrimental to Italy’s fashion world, but I understand why many Italians buy products that may be called “fake”. I usually just buy what I like and whatever product has material and making that is worth its price. If people do not have the money to buy luxury brand products, they just cannot buy it.
American consumerism is in a way similar to Italian consumerism. Americans buy cheaper manufactured products from other countries so they could afford to buy a variety of items for their home, for outdoors, and other necessities. I believe both Americans and Italians buy the cheaper products to enjoy their life more. Many Americans have to work every day without much vacation time; more and more women are in the workforce now just to get by to pay for necessities in life such as tax, food, clothing, home, source of transportation, childrens’ education, etc. Even the middle class in America do not have much money left to pay for more expensive products. Also, stores are filled with items made from sweatshops. It’s almost like we are not given a choice, but to buy cheaper products in the first place. Italians also buy cheaper aesthetics because they cannot afford big name brand products.
Also, one of my friends was interested in brand names such as Stussie and Evisu, and he asked me whether he should get a certain shirt even though he thought it was “fake”. I told him “if you like it, then you should buy it. Who cares about the brand and whether it’s “real”?”

This website goes over how you can tell whether or not something labeled “Evisu” is “real” or not. 


Update on the challenge: 
I have gotten tempted to buy a sweater this week, but stopped myself because I reminded myself that I have enough warm clothes in my closet. 

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