Designer Alternative Handbags

The Gist of Designer Alternative Handbags

For most Americans, the concept of financial planning is pretty much a given. Unfortunately, the world of high fashion is relatively unconcerned with the plight of middle class workers, and since the amount of labor and costly materials can really hike up the price of a Hermes Birkin, ordinary working women have great difficulty swallowing the 10,000 dollar expense of a haute handbag. Being unable to afford the best that money can buy does not mean that you will have to suffer this season out with a flatly boring black handbag. Instead, many relatively lesser-known companies draw from the influence of the New York and Milan runways in order to produce attractive accessories that are inspired by the styles you see in magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Counterfeit vs. Inspired Handbags

So who are the names that are most influential in the realm of designer alternative handbags? The classic big boys in handbag fashion have always been designers like:

• Chanel
• Prada
• Gucci
• Louis Vuitton
• Fendi
• Dior

These designers are so huge and their styles so distinct that nearly all of them are regular targets of the replica industry. Have you ever noticed the ridiculous ubiquity of the Louis Vuitton Signature Monogram handbag? Displaying their characteristic beige on chestnut monogram it seems as if these satchels, messengers and handbags are resting on the forearms and shoulders of everyone. Yet, even the smallest of these bags starts off in the 400 dollar range and extends to the mid thousands of dollars.

The sad reality of many designer goods is that the latter are actually clever counterfeit reproductions of brand name products. Such counterfeit handbags are illegal because they violate copyright laws. Moreover, the labor practices involved in the creation of replica handbags are often very corrupt, resulting in worker exploitation and even health hazards.

Designer alternative handbags are not in the same category as designer replica handbags. Nowhere on a designer alternative handbag will the logo of a recognizable designer be portrayed. These handbags are just a flattering nod to high designers in that they seek to capture the essence of a particularly popular style and incorporate that look into their own design. Although hardly a small name in the world of handbag designs, Dooney & Bourke once knocked off the glorious multi-color monogram designs of Louis Vuitton and came out with their own "It" collection that featured the candy colored monogram of Dooney & Bourke set against a white or black background. The "It" collection is obviously inspired by the powerful high-profile name of Louis Vuitton, yet it does not seek to pass itself off as Vuitton merchandise, and, therefore, these bags are not replicas.

The fans of the elite Hermes Birkin bag, a bag that only starts in the price range of high thousands, will be pleased to note that many designer alternative handbags have sprung up to make this attractive style fun and affordable to the common worker. Perhaps one of the most memorable designer alternative handbags is the Jelly Kelly, an intrepid knock off of the Hermes Birkin. This rubber pseudo-Birkin was very popular with celebrities when it debuted sometime in late 2003.

Where to Purchase

Designer alternative handbags can be easily purchased on the web by running a simple Google search and including keywords such as "knock off" and the name of your desired designer. FashionKnockoffs.com also carries several styles of designer alternative handbags that boast very reasonable prices.