22% of people have knowingly bought counterfeit fashion items, with a further 10% saying they may have bought a fake item but can’t be sure. Only 34% of people say they know for sure they have never purchased fake fashion. The results were taken from an online survey of over 2,000 UK adults commissioned by luxury fashion resale site VestiaireCollective.com and YouGov* to ascertain the nation’s attitudes towards counterfeit fashion.  According to ECCIA (European Cultural and Creative Industries Alliance) counterfeiting in Europe has grown by 5% in 2011, totalling losses of over 14 million euros.

The most popular counterfeit items those surveyed admitted to buying were ‘designer’ handbags, with 31% of respondents who had bought fake items saying they had picked up some replica designer arm candy. The second most frequently purchased fashion items were fake designer sunglasses and watches (24% respectively).

The most common reasons why UK adults buy fake fashion were to avoid paying designer prices (20%), and when they unknowingly purchased items online which appeared to be genuine but were actually fake (17%). Only 2% said they would buy fake fashion to emulate the style of a celebrity or someone they admire.

Younger people in the 25-34 age group were the most likely to knowingly buy fakes, with 24% saying they had bought counterfeit items. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 55+ age group were the least likely to shop for fakes, with only 13% saying they had bought something they knew was not genuine. Men and women were just as likely to be culprits (18% vs. 17% respectively).

Sarah Bush, UK Marketing Director of Vestiaire Collective said: “Some people are complacent about buying ‘fake fashion’, seeing it as a chance to get an expensive look at a cheap price. But fake items can’t match the real deal for quality and craftsmanship – with a designer item you are investing in something which will look great and last for years to come“

She continued: “Instead of buying fake items, we encourage anyone who is set on picking up a designer item to buy authenticated pre-owned fashion. Pre-owned is an affordable way to experience real luxury items, and you can even resell items at a later date. We have over 8000 designer handbags for sale at Vestiaire Collective, with average prices ranging from 50-70% off RRP.”

In February 2012 Vestiaire Collective signed a charter against the sale of counterfeit goods with luxury brands including Céline, YSL, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermès. Vestiaire Collective employs a team of counterfeit experts at their Paris headquarters who verify each and every fashion item bought and sold on the site, working closely with designer fashion brands to analyse the correct stitching, materials etc.

How to Spot a Fake Fashion Item – Top Tips from Vestiaire Collective’s Counterfeit Spotting Team:

1.       Only look at reputable websites. Shop at recognisable sites – all of your well-known favourites – for straight discounts. Don’t be tempted to shop sites you are unfamiliar with, especially those with ‘discount’ or ‘cheap’ in the URL.

2.       Familiarise yourself with your favourite brands. Don’t be shy to check out items at a brand’s shop or concession in a department store. Inspect the item carefully and you’ll have better instincts as to what may not be right with a product.

3.       Look at the hardware. On items such as handbags, the zipper should move smoothly and the pull should be heavy in feel. All other hardware should be similarly heavy and not hollow. There shouldn’t be any discolouring or signs of the metal flaking off.

4.       Check the handles and look inside. The stitching should be in a straight line and the thread should be strong and not frayed or pulled. The leather should be smooth and match the bag in the way it does on the product you saw in the store. The same is true inside; if the fabric looks strange or exceedingly cheap, it’s likely a fake.

5.       Logo. If the logo on a handbag, shoe or garment is upside down, sideways, cut off or somehow not right, again, you are likely looking at a fraudulent product.