Behavior: Imitations, Knockoffs, ‘Replicas’

Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but it’s also a tool used by people who want to fit in.

Wanting to look younger or richer or thinner are all American obsessions, and what better way for people from all socio-economic income brackets to look like they’re younger, richer or thinner than to fake it! Faking it can take the form of knock off fashions, knock off car design, knock off furniture design or even knock off hair and make up styles. Most people are not after the actual art of the product — they’re seeking the effects of the product. So rather than have a real Louis Vuitton suitcase, they may feel as if they have one with a much cheaper replica of a Louis Vuitton suitcase.

Some people, however, do feel better if they spend more money — whether they have it or not — because they like being perceived by others or in more twisted cases, they like to fool themselves into thinking they’re other than who they actually are. This behavior can be a fun night of dress up for Halloween, spicy sex or a run on the real red carpet — or it can become a chronic, problematic lifestyle that leads to debt and other addictive disorders.

Using knockoffs and replicas allows us to either explore facets of ourselves that we don’t express everyday, or to escape our every day lives. Every woman I know feels sexier when she’s wearing good lingerie than when she’s not. Men who wear good shoes feel more confident more often than not, and they project that confidence, and it attracts women, business, and others of other things. Feelings are powerful, and replicas and knockoffs can evoke feelings.

It’s always a good idea to live within the law, but dressing like someone else — whether it’s Audrey Hepburn or Madonna — can be healthy, fun and creative. And the fashion industry understands this human dynamic well enough to keep Seventh Avenue designers and fashion houses in cashmere and leather!