You know how we have some brand outlet stores in town or stores that purport to sell rejects or seconds or factory over runs of branded clothing? How about warehouse sales or some bazaar that sell similar clothing?
Have you paid attention to the “branded clothes” on sale?
I took a close look at some stores recently and noticed that amongst the genuine goods are piles of fake stuff. Usually these are T-shirts. You’ll see piles of similar looking T-shirts sporting different brands on them.
Now I’m not all that fussy about the brands on my T-shirts so long as they are comfy but I know of some people who go to such stores hoping to snag a bargain branded item. My advice is to do your homework before you go.
I saw a couple of items were fake because I owned or knew someone who owned a similar item mainly from mainstream brands like Esprit or FCUK. I’d noticed that some of the embroidery was off and that the quality plus the way it was made looked like something off a street stall in Bangkok or even Petaling Street. I’d also read of such stores being raided for fake goods.
And yet they survive. Its an irony because many are lured into these stores thinking they are selling the real thing when they aren’t. That said though, you aren’t paying hundreds so some people don’t quite care. But if you do care, where can you find such branded or designer goods for cheap?
If I want to get branded goods for cheaper, I go to the actual outlet stores in KL – MO Outlet at Shamelin Perkasa Cheras is a good place to start if you have a big budget (Cole Haan, Tod’s, Aigner, Stuart Weitzman etc) or there’s the Mango Outlet at Queens Park Cheras and Genting Highlands and Club 21 Outlet (Calvin Klien, Armani Exchange, DKNY, Balenciaga etc) at Queens Park and there used to be an FJ Benjamin Outlet there too (La Senza, Banana Republic, Raoul etc) but I’m not sure if its now closed. In the alternative, go for warehouse sales or in-store sales organized by these brands or authorized distributors if you’re out to snag a bargain.
I was thinking of this when I read a news report about Australian singer Lenka‘s visit to Malaysia where she said the one thing that marred her visit was when she went to Petaling Street Chinatown and saw pirated copies of her CD. I guess it was a rude shock for her but locals know that very few if anything in our Chinatown is real – you can’t possibly believe that real Gucci, Coach and Louis Vuitton bags would be hanging on ramshackle stalls right? :)
Have you gone into a legitimate clothing store hoping to snag a bargain on a designer or branded item only to find it was fake? It always comes as a rude shock to me, but I’ve since learnt not to trust any of these stores and take things with a pinch of salt.
Stay beautiful,
Paris B
This is a very valid topic Paris, I have found things in actual boutiques that carries a variety of designer brands and found fake stuff. I really can’t tell the difference, other than the quality check you’ve mentioned.
My washing machine will tell the truth usually :) what ever clothing item i’ve bought after one wash if stitches came undone then I would say I might have hit an unlucky Jackpot.
Hi Shanghainese Dumpling
Does this happen in Australia too? I doubt it right? But yeah it always sucks that fake stuff get mixed up in real ones which is just like a big con job really!
I do not like to buy branded clothes/ bags as I know there were many pirated products out there.
how am i going with a hundreds’ /thousands’ bags which same with the person who got for less than half or more of mine?
Hi Akiki
I don’t think pirated goods should stop us from indulging in branded stuff if we like it or can afford it. At the end of the day, you’d know who has the real thing and who doesn’t and there is a marked difference! ;)
In those shops I only buy the item if I love it and if I would pay the same price for it WITHOUT the branded tag. The only exception, I must admit, is the Ted Baker of London dress i found in FOS. But even without the Ted Baker label you must admit it’s worth RM40. ;)
Hiya Kahani
Yep! With or without brand that dress was worth it!
If you bought a fake at those outlets, then you only have yourself to blame because the goods are there for your inspection before you buy it.
However, its another issue if you got conned like me. I saw a versace jeans perfume more than 10 yrs ago and I seriously thought they are selling cheap. However, the con man switched to a similar looking package containing cheap perfume when he was packing it up for me.
The feeling sucks!
Hi Shay
You’re absolutely right! One has to be educated about how the real item looks if you’re looking for a bargain. So sorry to hear you got conned! Was it at a store?
No, it was at pasar malem. Well, its ok….I shouldn’t expect to get real stuff at a stall at the cheap price. But it doesn’t feel good to be conned. Anyway, nowadays I don’t buy things for the brand. I’m more willing to pay for well designed, well made clothes which is comfortable and I am confident wearing it.
It’s the trill of the bargain hunting, finding that diamond in the rough. I think deep down alot of us know that our country is riddled with fakes. You find them all in Pasar Road all the way up to Midvalley and Gardens. You’d only feel the pinch if you are just there for the logo. That’s the kind of people the forgers go after. Most of us who have done our research as you have mentioned would look at other clues in the product to validate it’s authenticity.
I was totally rolling on the floor with laughter when I saw fake MAC makeup in a Langkawi Supermarket (the one on Pantai Cenang) The Hello Kitty Collection and MacFafi were there. It was hilarious! They even tried to copy the mineralised finish for blushes.
Hey Saintangelius
Yeah if you go in wanting to find something branded then you’re as good as conned. But I usually just pay what I think the item is worth with or without brand. Some branded products just aren’t worth owning!
Hi Paris,
What about if we buy items in Warehouse Sales? is the authenticity guaranteed?
I can’t say for sure to be honest. I’ve been to “warehouse sales” where the products aren’t quite authentic. Unless the sale is organized by the distributor or the brand itself, there is always that doubt of its authenticity. Hope that helps!