Where do you look for designer knockoff handbags? Canal Street in New York’s Chinatown section has been the place to go for years. This week, however, the area experienced a crackdown, with the police confiscating counterfeit items like handbags and watches and shuttering businesses. Although Canal Street has this notoriety, knockoff goods can be found many other places, such as South Street in Philadelphia and the internet. With prices only a fraction of those sold at department stores, knockoff handbags almost sound like a deal. Appearances for such handbags are deceiving, however, and what appears to be a Chanel or Gucci handbag sold at $30 falls apart within a few days.

Some are luckier and swear by knockoff designer handbags. After all, they look like designer bags and, really, only the designers would be able to tell the difference. But finding a high-quality designer knockoff bag is far more likely in a department store. The fashion blog for About.com gives some hints to spot a fake handbag, but other telltale signs include examining the stitching, sewing, and name plate. If the name plate, for example, isn’t screwed on but, instead, appears glued, the bag is likely a knockoff. Similarly, if it looks poorly stitched from the inside or if the zipper gets jammed easily, the handbag isn’t authentic.

One option, as we’ve seen in the product selection for Best Handbag Wholesale, is to go the designer inspired route. The bags don’t claim to be by Coach, Chanel, or Gucci, but the patterns are based on the styles by these designers. At a distance, they even look like the real thing. Another option is to go on discounted designer websites. Often, products with damaged packaging or a slight scratch find their way onto such a website and are sold at less than full price, even at 70-percent less. Both Vision In Style and Kaufman Fragrance are such discount designer products websites.

In the world of high fashion, it’s often designer or bust. Anything less than a name brand isn’t worth wearing. But, what about for the financially-conscious individual? The fact is, if you want style, there are more options between blowing $1000 on a pocketbook and searching through the racks at Walmart.

If you want a piece of style on your arm, one option is a replica handbag and, in terms of handbag terminology, this isn’t the same as a knockoff. Quality of the handbags aside, the difference between these two designer imitators is the legality, with replicas being sold through licensed dealers and knockoffs not. While both can be bought online, a knockoff handbag is often sold in the same category with pirated DVDs. In terms of style, a replica handbag will hold up better with a sturdier design and is typically based on current styles by the designer brand but altered slightly so that, up close, the replica and the designer look somewhat different. For example, a popular replica Coach handbag will have the famous “C” design done with “G”s or a “C” without a font instead. A knockoff handbag, on the other hand, will have a pattern nearly identical with the designer bag, but the actual design of the bag, including zippers, shoulder straps, and metal labels may come off easier or will feel flimsy.

If having a designer look-a-like is your thing, many handbag dealers like Best Handbag Wholesale carry designer inspired bags that are based on current trends. Nevertheless, if you have to have a designer name on your bag, other clothing retailers, such as Kohl’s, Target, and H&M as mentioned previously, carry secondary designer lines that may bear the designer’s name on the products, which often include handbags. The third option for a name includes outlet stores which are often some of the first places a fashion enthusiast turns to for designer clothes, shoes, and handbags.