Faking it: How to spot counterfeit fashion

 

Knockoff designer goods are easily available on the streets in areas like Los Angeles’ Santee Street and New York’s Canal Street.

The internet is also full of online auctions and cybersellers offering “Inspired by” copies and fakes.

The old method of spotting counterfeit items was simple: flimsy hardware, cheap leather and crooked logos were a dead giveaway.

Fakes are now so good (and expensive) that you sometimes can’t tell the difference.

So how do you know what’s real and what’s not?

Some clues:

  • The price. A new Louis Vuitton handbag for $100 is not the real. The real LV typically sells for $800 to well over $2000. Same thing for my friends Prada and Gucci.
  • Where it’s sold.  Authorized dealers for Chanel, LV, etc. do not merchandise out of the trunk of a car and they do not sell at online auctions or home parties.
  • Point of origin tag. Designer apparel or leather goods with a “Made in Taiwan” tag is likely not authentic.
  • What if you are shopping online and come across a great deal on designer apparel? How do you know you’re getting the real thing?

    Read the fine print.

    Some etailers will lure you in with key words you’re likely to search for like Chanel or Prada. Many sites use overkill with words like “authentic,” “genuine” and other adjectives — to describe their merchandise.

    Only by reading the descriptions carefully will you see comments like “Inspired by…” to clue you in that the merchandise isn’t an exact copy (which the etailers claim gives them immunity from trademark infringement.)

    Many of the better knockoffs come with packaging, locks, etc. to appear (and sound in description) like the real thing.

    Ebay.com has rules posted forbidding the sale of counterfeit merchandise, but it’s not unusual to see Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags on the site for less than $100.

    How do you protect yourself?

    Purchase goods from an authorized dealer (a department store or a company outlet). Many labels sell directly to the public on company-owned sites such as Gucci.com, eLuxury.com (Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, etc.) and Coach.com.

    If in doubt, contact the designer directly and ask if you’re buying from an authorized dealer.

How to Clean or Disinfect Vintage Shoes

How to Clean or Disinfect Vintage Shoes

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Vintage shoes can be so adorable if you pick them up from an auction or the thrift store but the thought of how clean they are might mar your joy. Give them a nice clean.

Steps

  1. Clean the outside of the shoes as with normal shoes, only with greater care. Dust first using a duster or clean, soft cloth. Use polish of a suitable color or leather cleaning solution. Leather conditioner is probably a great idea for vintage shoes, as the leather will be a lot older and have been exposed to aging for longer than recent shoes.
  2. Clean the inside of the shoes with a mixture of 1 part tea tree oil to 4 parts water. Dip a soft cleaning cloth into this solution and wipe through the shoe inner area, over the sole. If the toe is hard to reach, poke the cloth in with a stick, pencil, utensil end, etc. and swish it around. For particularly stubborn stains, wipe tea tree oil neat on the sole.
  3. Leave to air dry out of the sun. The tea tree oil will both clean and disinfect the shoe.
  4. Find an unused shoe box to keep the vintage shoes stored. They will last better if kept out of light and regularly conditioned.

Tips

  • Fabric shoes are much harder to care for; refer to the relevant fabric stain removal advice if you have stains to remove. Remember though, that the age of the shoes might make stain removal impossible and it might be better to consider a gentle dye.

Things You’ll Need

  • Vintage shoes
  • Shoe polish or cleaner
  • Leather conditioner
  • Soft cleaning cloths (duster optional)
  • Tea tree oil

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual.

Tips to avoid bed bugs when shopping at thrift stores

Bed bugs are back with a vengeance and they don’t care of you drive a Mercedes or a Corvette.  Bring home bed bugs and you get thousands in extermination fees, anxiety and isolation. Not to mention the stigma associated with these tiny critters.  Follow these tips to avoid infesting your belongings and your home.

What’s a Bed bug? Bed bugs are small wingless insects that feed on blood. They like human blood but will also feed off of animals.  They crawl fast and can easily hide in clothing,  furniture and boxes.

Carefully inspect the items you purchase. Pay special attention to clothing, mattresses, upholstered furniture, mirrors and picture frames.

Check corners and crevices on any furniture items for signs of bed bugs.

When in doubt GET OUT and tell the store owner.  When you get home wash everything you wore in hot water (+120 degrees) and dry in a HOT dryer.

Bring plastic Ziploc bags on your shopping expeditions– put your treasures in a sealed bag until you get home.  If you end up buying furniture be sure to inspect it carefully.

Bring on the heat– don’t take that $5 Prada jacket out of the bag until you are ready to launder it.  When you do wash use super hot water and dry on HIGH.  Of course, the dry cleaners is always another option.

The most important rule to avoiding bed bugs– NO dumpster diving!!  If the item is in a garbage can– leave it there!  Even the perfect night stand is not worth the risk of a bed bug infestation.

Beautiful day in La Jolla

Get your swap on- host a clothing swap to decrease clutter in your closet

Clothing swaps are a great way to spend an afternoon with friends and enhance your wardrobe at the same time.

I’ve heard these parties also referred to as “naked lady parties”, but men can play along, too. I’ve attended swaps that were just for the ladies and swaps that were co-ed. Do what works for you and your group of friends.

Swapping is easy and eco-friendly
How to host a clothing swap:

    • Find a venue– If you’re hosting a small event for friends or family, the living room is fine.  If you want to make it bigger, church basements or community rec centers are usually an option.

 

    • Decide who to invite–  Do you want it to be all women or co-ed?  Close friends or a big group? Will your party have a theme like a prom dress swap or a mother/daughter swap?

 

    • Send out the invites–  Give people ample notice before the swap.  You’ll want them to have the time to gather up their items.

 

    • Set the ground rules for what can be traded– Decide what you want people to bring.  Everything should be clean and in good condition. You might want to nix donations of used undergarments & swimsuits, for example.

 

    • Gather supplies– You’ll want some type of bags for people to take the clothes home,  sharpie markers & masking tape for making labels,  and a full length mirror if possible.   To make the event more festive and party-like, you may want to put out some light snacks in a separate room from where the actual swap is happening.

 

    • Collect clothing– Ask people to drop off their donations a few days in advance so you have time to set up and organize.  People will probably still bring some items on the day of the event but if you can do a bit of the organizing beforehand that will cut down on some of the chaos.

 

    • Get your swap on!   Sort clothes into groups based on type– a separate heap for shirts, t-shirts, pants, sweaters, jackets, etc.

 

    • Donate any leftovers– When the trading is over take the leftovers to Goodwill or the charity of your choice. Always good to have a couple of volunteers on hand to assist as the job can be overwhelming for one person.

Final thought– a clothing swap is an easy way to enhance your wardrobe without spending a dime.  Photo attached shows me wearing a $5 Jean jacket!

Cashmere Quality Control

If you find yourself doing some pre-Fall prowling for cashmere in the local thrift store here are a few tips to make sure you spend your money wisely.

  1. Carefully stretch the body of the sweater to see if it snaps back.  Lower quality cashmere won’t snap back in shape.
  2. The thicker the sweater feels, the more dense the gauge of the knit. This means more cashmere!
  3. A label that says “Made in Italy” or “Made in Scotland” likely means a better quality item.

Flashbacks-576 S. Coast Hwy 101-Encinitas, CA-92024

Flashbacks-576 S. Coast Hwy 101-Encinitas, CA 92024-      Ph# (760)632-2658   Hours: Mon thru Sat 10a-8p; Sun 10a-7p

Website: www.flashbacksintime.com

This store was super fabulous. It was packed with merchandise and packed with shoppers.  They have everything from pleather jackets, orange wigs, white platform boots to dresses and cute tops. Everything was nicely colorized on the racks and split up by type- jackets together, tops together, etc.  They had a decent selection of handbags, belts and accessories as well.  There is so much to choose from– you could outfit yourself for every occasion from casual date night to Halloween costume.  The staff was helpful and chatty.  This was a great stop and definitely a good place to stop by for a fun purchase.

Rancho Coastal Humane Society Thrift Shop- Cardiff By The Sea, CA

Rancho Coastal Humane Society Thrift Shop-120 Aberdeen Dr-Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007-(760)753-0970

Website:  rc.humanesociety.org

This shop is located in Cardiff By The Sea, CA– for the locals you should know that it is located pretty close to the famous “Cardiff Kook” statue.  You can see by my photo this place is full of stuff!  Some of it good and some of it kinda weird– everything from books, shoes, kitchen wares, clothing– and pet supplies.  They had a big basket filled with tennis balls and dog toys.  Likely due to the place being part of Rancho Coastal Humane Society.  Overall, the store was clean and well-run.  A humane society thrift– always a good thing to support the animals!

The view along S. Coast Highway 101 in Southern California

Thrifty Threads-607 S. Coast Hwy 101-Encinitas, CA 92024

Thrifty  Threads- 607 S. Coast Hwy 101-Encinitas, CA 92024- (760)753-0028

The place is quirky and cool– it was busy with customers and people were buying things which says a lot about a thrift store.

Thrifty Threads is tucked away in a small strip of shops along Highway 101 in Encinitas.  When I walked in I was greeted by Susan  and Wilma– who were happily chatting with customers while hanging clothes and helping people check out.  The store is definitely small. It’s one of those places where you have to dig around to find stuff but may find the diamond in the rough. I found a cute  handbag that would be perfect to use as a weekend tote.  It was black suede with silver buckles and a sturdy handle– priced at $15. I’m just sorry I didn’t take a photo!  This place also seemed to have a decent selection of men’s items- in particular Hawaiian shirts, surf type gear and all kinds of hats.

Wilma and Susan told me they are going green and have made the decision not to give out shopping bags.  They also don’t give out business cards– when I asked for one they “made” it out of a purple sticky note.  When I asked about a website I was directed to Yelp.  Overall-  it was a fun stop.