I read an article the other day in the January issue of Harper's Bazaar about the trade of counterfeit luxury goods, and it was pretty eye-opening to say the least. The article was written by Dana Thomas, author of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. Both the book and this article delve into the world of fake luxury goods and their very real and very human costs. According to Thomas, the majority of counterfeit luxury items are produced by child labor and/or distributed by organized crime syndicates, which often have ties to both drug trafficking and terrorist organizations.

Personally, I don't buy fake luxury goods, but I'm also the kind of person that isn't really interested in buying most real luxury goods. Even on the off chance I won the lottery and suddenly had wads of cash to blow, luxury items and designer logos just aren't my style. But for many people, these designer looks are highly covetable and many believe that the only way for them to have these looks is by purchasing realistic-looking knockoffs. As Thomas notes, "Counterfeiting will never go away ... but we can surely cut it down to size if we just stop buying the stuff. Without the demand, the supply will shrink. It's up to us." Fake luxury items may seem to have a much cheaper price initially, but the ultimate cost is really much higher.

To find out more, including tips on how to avoid buying a fake, visit fakesareneverinfashion.com.