I'm Eszter and I buy fake designer bags.

And pretend they're real.

I pay a very small fraction of the actual cost and get a bag that is almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

There, I said it; and I'm not the only one.

Louis Vuitton LVs, Gucci Gs, Prada triangles and Kate Spade logos have invaded the campus and, I hate to burst bubbles, but most of them are fake.

There are exceptions of course -- people who choose to and are able to fork out hundreds and thousands of dollars for fashion glory do exist -- but they are few in number in this demographic.

It dawned on me though, while walking through campus with my Louis that this fake bag thing is quite odd. I pondered: I buy these bags fully knowing it's not right. It's not like the downloading of music, which most people were not aware was a problem. I know it's wrong yet for the most part I don't feel shame. There's no getting around it: it's not ethically right.

But instead of conjuring up some legitimate sense-making reason that would make all my guilty feelings about what some people would call, well, stealing, go away, I attempted to clear up my reasons for purchasing the bags.

I have no qualms about admitting that I spend most of my spare money on clothes. For a while, it was CDs, but now that the teen pop phenomenon is over it's clothes again. And clearly it's no secret that I have an unhealthy affinity for high fashion. So if I love the product so much, why not save for a long time, blow it all on a beautiful leather Coach bag, and wear my Cs proudly?

Potentially I could. But in a world where drinks spill like whoa, and beds get lost within dorm rooms, its just not worth it -- no way, no how. Plus, bags are merely an accessory in an outfit; you need money for the actual clothes. So, assuming you're a college student you would have to be either crazy or loaded to buy a genuine Prada bag. So don't, buy the bogus and pass it off as bona fide.

As for the ethics issue, the designers scold mock-up buyers and send out cops dressed in homie-G attire to arrest poor little women selling the bags; Kate Spade even posted a note on the Internet as a warning about such foul activities. If they're really so bent out of shape about what I personally feel is free promotion, then they should do the only thing that's going to get everyone to buy the real thing: cut way back on prices.

Somehow though, I have a feeling that costs are going to continue to be ridiculously high.

Thus, I'll buy a knock-off or two and be happy with them.