Flaunt that brand or what looks like it

LUDHIANA: Women flaunting new Burberry handbags at every kitty may not necessarily have paid exorbitant sums. The bags cost nearly a lakh but many women buy "alternatives" that cost only 4% to 5% of the original price.
This is the reality of few stylist fashionistas of the city who frequent shops selling cheap imitations of high end brands, surplus stores or street markets in metro cities where a so-called Jimmy Choo is available for Rs 1,000.The most popular articles are bags, apparel and shoes.In fact, the imitation and surplus shops have more people asking for designer goods than the actual designer stores!
If you shrug this off as a typically middle class attitude, you are in for a shock. Women in the elite class do not mind saving a few bucks without compromising on the show-off factor.
A woman, who did not wish to be named, said, "I don't mind buying branded clothes from surplus shops because the stuff is rejected because of defects not even visible to naked eyes. However, prices are drastically slashed and it is a great deal because I can buy more stuff with the money saved. Such defects are just not visible if you show them to a layman. Only an expert in the fashion industry would spot them.
Some women say they like to mix. They would carry an original handbag and maybe wear a dress of a fake brand or vice-versa. "I go to so many parties and outings and it's not viable to spend so much every time," said a city resident.
The city likes to flaunt brands, even though not many have the heart to spend the princely sum this requires. City resident Ria Chopra said, "I bought an original LV bag from Paris and saw one for Rs 10,000 in the surplus store. To be frank, you just cannot tell if somebody is carrying a fake. But, I have seen many people carrying fakes, even men.
Hitesh Arora said, "Bangkok and China are the hubs of fake brands. People in Ludhiana travel there frequently and do not mind investing in fake brands."