Being a typical young, broke college student, I find it difficult to afford every fabulous… Being a typical young, broke college student, I find it difficult to afford every fabulous purse or bag that I want, or usually feel that I absolutely need to have. And on a number of occasions, I have drained my bank account in a Coach boutique because I simply could not have lived another day without that new leather bag.

But being strapped for cash, combined with a desire to have the latest trend leads a number of people (and I’m also guilty of this) to turn to fakes to satisfy their fashion cravings. Whispers in New York and Washington, D.C., call to you, “Prada! Fendi!” as they open their garbage bags full of goodies. Sure, when people find out it’s a fake, your fashion cred diminishes a bit, but no one really gets hurt, right? You may be thinking: Designers are already ridiculously wealthy, and I wouldn’t buy the real thing anyway, so no one loses out. Well, maybe not.

I never really gave much thought to counterfeit bags until my senior year of high school when I had to do a project on copyright laws. Copyright infringements in the recording industry seemed so played out, and I had recently become infatuated with clothing. So I started to think about counterfeit clothing and handbags. A few years back I had purchased what I now consider to be a hideously tacky pink counterfeit Coach handbag in Virginia Beach. I really should call it “Goach” because the ‘C’ logo had been changed to a ‘G.’ Needless to say, it was definitely not real leather.

I had another run in with fake bags when I began to see a lot of people with a large colorful bag that sported an even larger zipper pull. I just had to have it. When I went to visit my friend at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., I was lured into a tiny crack between two stores, and I walked away with a bag adorned by a ridiculously sized zipper. It sported a Dolce ‘ Gabbana label. Yeah, right. I immediately regretted this purchase considering when I opened it up it smelled like fish. Gross. So I began to wonder if it was really legal to sell something so similar to the real thing.

It’s not. In fact, according to an article in the January issue of Harper’s Bazaar, the money from counterfeiting goes directly to finance human trafficking, money laundering and child labor. The money you spend on a fake Louis Vuitton is supporting international crime.

Recently, designers and authorities have begun to crack down on counterfeiters. Vendors can no longer be seen with all of their goods lined up for the public to view in broad daylight. You now have to venture into basements and dark alleys to get your fake Chanel.

Additionally, the Bazaar article details how counterfeiters have begun to use more sophisticated methods, such as putting a disguise coating over the entire bag to hide the counterfeit logos underneath to fool customs officers. Another method is slightly modifying a logo and then applying for a patent on that trademark. When asked, the counterfeiter can say the application is pending. The documents are legal, and even though the application will be rejected in a few months, the counterfeiter can make money until then. Purses aren’t the only items being knocked off. While there is such a fine line between drawing inspiration from a design and real counterfeiting, popular teen retailer Forever 21 has come under fire recently for allegedly copying patterns from both Diane von Furstenberg’s collection and Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers line, according to news articles from Women’s Wear Daily’s website, MSNBC.com and E! online. Both designers have filed lawsuits against the store. Their cases seem viable because it’s not just the design of the garment but the actual pattern on the fabric that’s been copied.

While the profits Forever 21 earns aren’t used to buy drugs or to fund terrorism, the knock offs still affect the industry. Even if you don’t buy into the fact that designers are losing money from consumers buying knockoffs, counterfeiting greatly dilutes the brands value.

For example, I probably would not buy a signature Louis Vuitton LV monogrammed bag because it has been so widely counterfeit. Without really examining it, it’s pretty hard to determine whether the bag is genuine or not. So what’s the point in paying six times the price for the real thing if everyone will think it’s a fake anyway?

Kim Jones, owner of Karma Fashion in the South Side Works, agrees. “There has been a lot of talk in Women’s Wear Daily regarding counterfeit handbags and the impact they’ve had on the industry through decreased sales and the way consumers view many brands,” she said. “Carrying a Louis Vuitton no longer makes you feel special, since just about anyone can carry one.”

At the right price with the right logo, fakes may seem like the solution to a major fashion dilemma, but after learning about the sweatshops and small children that create them I’ve decided not to buy another. Besides, the truly stylish people I admire don’t need to flaunt logos or brand names to look fashionable. And there are a ton of alternatives to fake merchandise at affordable prices – you may just have to get a little creative. The only way counterfeiters will stop producing these bags is if they stop making money. So before you consider buying a counterfeit bag, stop and think. It’s a real crime, not to mention a crime against fashion.