There has certainly been a lot of controversy recently about Louis Vuitton knockoffs. Current estimates put the amount of genuine Louis Vuitton handbags at only 1%, whilst the other 99% are replicas and knockoffs. Why? Well simple when you think about it: the average Louis Vuitton handbag costs well in excess of $500, whereas Louis Vuitton knockoffs that look exactly the same and are made to the same quality would cost well under $150.

Obviously there are pros and cons with the issue of buying replicas. Many people worry about how ethical it is to buy something that is a knockoff or a replica of the real thing. However, Louis Vuitton has gone to some quite frankly insane lengths to class what is its own copyright. An artist who created a poster campaign to provide aid for the Darfur region of Sudan was sued by Louis Vuitton for producing a satirical picture of a starving child holding a Louis Vuitton bag. Apparently, in the eyes of Louis Vuitton, this was copyright infraction, and they therefore had the right to ask for $22,500 a day from an African aid charity. This is far more dubious ethically than buying some Louis Vuitton replica luggage, and does make you ask how much money you want to go into the coffers of Louis Vuitton.

You also have to consider how much the average customer can afford to purchase. Should these things be entirely the preserve of the rich, or should normal people like us have a chance at owning some nice Louis Vuitton handbags?

As one of the oldest and most well known designers in the world, Louis Vuitton Malletier certainly stands in the top tier of designers. Louis Vuitton handbags are seen by many as one of the most prestigious and desirable accessories around today, having come a long way in the past 150 years, competing with the likes of Gucci, Versace, Prada, and other such quality brands

Unfortunately, the price of Louis Vuitton purses , handbags, or luggage is well beyond the means of most people, particularly in the current economic climate. It can also be incredibly hard finding a boutique licensed to sell Louis Vuitton, even if you have the money.

This is why it makes such good sense to purchase replicas instead. As with all other designer items, it’s essential snob appeal. In the case of Louis Vuitton, you feel special because you can afford it. It is merely a statement of wealth, and owning a replica makes you appear to have the wealth to buy the item, plus the good taste and the discrimination to choose Louis Vuitton in the first place.

Generally, the difference in quality is nil, and the only difference overall between Louis Vuitton replica handbags and the real ones are the price that you have to pay.

So essentially, the only question that is left is why you would actually go and buy the original, when a replica item offers you the same cachet, good taste, and quality, but for a fraction of the price.

Ask any woman to name the top ten things they would like to own, and you can be pretty sure that Chanel purses would be somewhere in that list. The last word in haute couture symbolises something that goes a long way past desire. I’ve seen people stare for literally hours into shops just imagining themselves with the latest one. Part of the reason for this of course is the exorbitant cost. The sheer exclusivity of them is what makes them so desirable. After all, how many people out there can afford one, let alone a different one each season?

Which is probably why most of us would buy replica Chanel handbags instead. It makes sense when you think about it. Even if you could just about afford one, do you really want to save almost all of your money for just that one occurrence, when none of your friends would be able to tell the difference between a replica and the real thing? And of course, we would want to own more than one as you don’t want to be the kind of person who wears the same handbag out to every single social event.

And to be honest, most of us out there couldn’t afford to buy the real one in the first place. We all live in the real world here, and with the credit crunch and recession, buying a replica Chanel would not only be the smart thing to do, it’s almost the more fashionable thing to do.

There’s something about Affliction clothing that just makes you adore them. It might have something to do with the religious imagery in their designs, or perhaps their credibility as a designer, but for me it’s the total lack of pretension in their clothes that I adore.

Affliction is a relatively recent entrant to the fashion scene, and I think this newness has something to do with it. Many of the “traditional” fashion houses have been around for so long that they start to believe their own hype. They think they’re special, and that they can turn out boring clothes with simply their logo on and make a masterpiece. And they fail, badly. If you want to spend a lot of money, you want something that at least has a bit of time and effort put into it. The big companies though can’t be bothered

Affliction aren’t like that. They’ve only been going since 2005, but even so are managing to pull in profits of over $7 million a year. Affliction shirts are perfectly made, as are the rest of their range, with heavy religious imagery interwoven with more down to earth designs. They have an eye for detail that you won’t find anywhere else, and the Affliction sale currently on means that their clothes are a lot better value for money than everyone else around.

Of course they’re no strangers to controversy, but let’s be honest, who among us doesn’t like to be a little bit bad once in a while? Affliction, and their sister brand, Sinful, are quite simply the edgiest, the hottest, and the most brilliant designers out there. I wouldn’t be seen in anything else.

It’s fair to say that Nike Air Jordan shoes have been one of the best selling shoes of all time.Nike first released their Air Jordans for sale in 1984, and it all took off from there. The shoe did almost more than anything else to change Nike’s image away from the “white man’s jogging shoe” and cement their reputation as being one of the top shoes for basketball, and leisurewear in general. They also changed the traditional color of basketball shoes from white to whatever color you want. This came originally at a cost to Nike, as the NBA banned the Air Jordan (and the Nike Dunk) from its matches, and fined any player wearing them $5000 per match. Michael Jordan was notable in his flouting of the rules, and his fines were met by Nike, who, it must be said, probably recouped far more back in shoe sales. Nike never looked backed after that, and the shoe today is in its 18^th incarnation, with sales running into the millions (not bad at $190+ per pair). Nike as a brand rose solely on the shoes and escaped the financial troubles they had in the early 80s due to its image change from the Air Jordan shoes.

Today, even after 25 years, they’re still one of the best selling shoes around. Very few of the people wearing Air Jordan shoes actually play basketball, but it gives the aspiration to people, and the feel that they can buy in to the whole culture helped by Nike.

Stick - If you have a straight, slim figure with little curves, you should aim to create a few. Buy lighter colored jeans without back pockets, which will give you a more rounded look.

Hourglass – Try hugging, straight leg low riders, that really show off your shape.

Round – Buy flare leg jeans that give you the illusion of a curvy shape, but make sure it hugs around the hips. Make sure it isn’t so tight as to look lumpy, but that it brings out the curves that are usually hidden.

Petite – Straight legs are always the way to go when you are slim, with tiny features. It will give you a long, languid look.

Plus - This will depend on if you are plus with wide or slim hips. Wide hips should buy a flare leg, slim hips should buy a straight leg. Go for darker denim, and avoid anything with a pattern that will focus too much attention on your tummy.

• Walmart – It has to be said, Walmart has some incredible deals on cheap clothes, and their looks aren’t bad either. If you find yourself strapped for cash, and you want to buy about ten shirts for under $20, you can probably do it here.

• Thrift stores – Everyone has a local second hand store or two. While they may have a lot of items that should never again see the light of day, occasionally you can find an amazing bargain that you will remember the rest of your life. I once found several pairs of Lucky and 7 jeans, perfect condition, for $5 a pair.