I apologise if I seem shallow...

... But the fact is, I cannot condone the purchase of a fake/imitation.

Yes, I do feel very strongly about this matter and No, I do not take a commission from LV for advocating the real stuff.

If you know me and my mini collection (ok, well, maybe 3 LVs and 2 Coaches don't exactly constitute a collection, but for the want of a better word, pls pardon me k?) , I don't carry imitations and I don't own any LV monogram bags to date. Reason? I don't want people to scrutinise my bag and because of my age think that I am carrying a fake. Age should never have anything to do with the love for the better things in life.

That said, I personally find it terrible when people are actually encouraging the trade of fakes. I really don't care how AAA grade they are. The fact is, fakes are fakes and any good SA or Bag Hag will be able to tell in a split second.

Why do people want designers labels? For the prestige that comes with totting a Gucci handbag or LV cardholder in Orchard Road right? For the dignity it brings to the eyes of others when the ratty shopper presents her Prada wallet right? Then why bring yourself down to the lowest rank of the bag hag hierarchy by being a wannabe?

Does the imitator really think that she/he can rise to become a bag hag just by totting a fake? Do he/she honestly think that no one can tell the real thing from the fake? Does he/she know that behind the crocodile smiles and nodding heads that the society is frowning inwardly at the recognition of the fake?

Honestly! If you don't mind spending $100 to buy a fake, then I suggest that the wannabe just buys a Guess.

I got my first LV Speedy in black epi when hubby bought me one as a souvenir during our trip to Paris. I worked hard to save for my LV Damier Ribera paid out of my own pocket.

True, no doubt a real LV costs about the price of maybe 10 fakes, but does the imitator honestly feel the same self-worth from the real thing? It's all fine if the imitator wants a bag not to last but just to tot around for a while before going on to the next one, or if its just for a frivolous moment. But the branding stays on you! Once a fake, always a fake! Even if the day comes when the imitator really buys the real thing, no one is ever going to believe that its the real thing because the imitator has been faking all along!

OK, let's say that the fake is really a good fake. So good that no one can tell (yea, right.. as if)... the thing is, why spend $100 on a fake? Why not buy say, erm.. Aldo instead? Or Guess? Or even Zara and Mango?

My take is, don't buy it if you can't afford it. Trust me, people can tell. So why fool yourself? You'll only be seen as nothing more as a wannabe...

Don't support fakes, please.... you'll only lower your self-esteem in time and not increase it.

Sick.. Very sick..

Everyone (and I mean everyone!) around me is down with the flu. From the driving instructor to my mom to my hubby, everyone is sniffling and feverish.

Sigh, I am also very feverish right now. Everytime I visit the LV website I get feverish. I am getting nuts. I practically burn my salary every month on my wants and desires. Good grief... If I didn't set up my salary account to auto transfer to the savings one, I would probably have to eat my socks.

Still, I am so in love with the LV Palermo GM! And it so doesn't help that SA Andrea tells me the Q has shortened and the next one can be mine if I make my deposit today. (Should I sell the Ribera? I've only used it twice!)

Its just plain nuts. My sister in laws would probably all frown with immense disdain at my decadent lifestyle, but I am addicted! I really am! And I think I shall never be cured as long as LV exists somewhere on this globe.

I saw it again on the arm of this lovely tai-tai the other day at Orchard Road. Ran back and front between Coach and LV in Taka for what must have been at least 3 times in 1 hour... *Coach is on sale by the way...

I absolutely dislike the feeling of the LV within Taka though. No doubt they are bigger, but arghh, the way people have to Q, you'd think that LVs are on sale! So reminds me of the fish market style LV boutique in Paris (was it in Layfette? Printemps? I dunno, refuse to remember, cos' the experience was terrible!).

In my 3 times back and forth running and the security at the door looking down his nose at me and remarking, "please Q behind!" Argh! Enough! I am sticking with Andrea at Raffles Hotel for Singapore and the hunks at Champ Elysees for Paris. At least I am treated with proper care there the way an LV customer oughta be!

So now back to the million dollar question, should I sell my Ribera and swop for a Palermo GM? Or keep it and save like mad until I can get the Palermo? Ahhh... my 1st year anniversary at the clan is upcoming... boss, I need a raise!

Wahahaha!!!!!

Spotting LV fakes - 100 metres away!

Today at the office, my heart almost stopped.

Wow! I thought, there's actually someone with great taste and a fat enough wallet to fork out the $2K plus for a 2007 A/W LV Mirage Speedy in burgundy! Lucky girl!

Just so you know, this bag, I have been drooling over ever since I first saw it, but unfortunately, it was already sold out by the time I actually seriously considered to buy it.

So of course my heart stopped and saliva dripped, until I noticed that something wasn't quite right about that bag. Nonchanlantly I strolled over again to get up close and personal with it. In my heart and mind, I was doing all the mental check offs...

LV monogram logo? Check

One piece of canvas? Check

Burgandy? Check

Mirage printed canvas? Hmm... dubious, where's the gradient?

Exotic leather trim? WAIT! Exotic leather trim?!!

Instantly, I was rummaging through my mind and trying to retrieve that information stored in some deep recess of my slow pea brain. "Something is wrong, " my heart and mind screams. The red trim, it's too red, isn't it? ISN'T IT?!

What on earth did Andrea and Wai (my favourite SAs) say at the LV boutique? Something like only the Griet and Delft has the exotic leather version? Something like that?!!!

So I came back home to do all sort of possible searches on the local search engine. True enough, I can't seem to find any reference to the Mirage Speedy in exotic leather. Other than those claiming to sell AAA replicas, which in my opinion are absolutely so C grade, I wonder how anyone can fall for them.

Needless to say, I am gratified. Thank God I do my homework!

The moral of the story? Please don't get a fake! Even a novice like me can tell that its not the real thing. Trust me, rather than getting an expensive fake Mirage Speedy which the experts and not so experts can tell miles away, invest a little more and get a trusty Neverfull PM or a Speedy 25 in the signature LV monogram and be content! Afterall, no one is going to judge you unless its a bloody bad fake! That simply screams tasteless!

Here are the pics of the real and the fake... Kudos if you can tell which is the real thing.

Did you see it? The one on top is the real deal... Picture taken from http://louisvuittonlover.blogspot.com/2007/09/speedy-mirage-bordeaux.html