THE COUNTERFEITS OF MONTE CRISTO

Once there is a market for a product, counterfeiters will be on it like a rash, not surprising an estimated 11% per cent of all clothing and footwear in circulation is beleived to be fakes. In the developing world, it is reckoned, there are more fakes than genuines. Brands like Burburry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, Hermes and Armani are among the most copied in the world.

There are are a couple of steps you can follow to ensure you are getting the real deal not a knockoff from Shenzhen or Yimu; the conterfeit capitals of the world.

We all love a bargain, but if you are offered a gucci or hermes duffel for GHC 200 or a pair of tom ford slippers for GHC 500, you sure are getting a fake. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is!

Most fakes, unlike the real deals are not meticulously made, because fakers dont care about quality, they are just selling the brand name. Poor stitching, wrong spellings yes....look out for the lewis vuittons and the jockey on a unicorn :)  poor monograms, sub standard materials to name but a few.

Make sure you get items from trusted sources, there are alot more fake christian louboutin shoes and hubolt timepieces online than real ones.

Hermes perfumes that last for half an hour, Rolex timepieces that work only on wednesdays and Ralph Lauren duffels with two jockeys....In a multi billion dollar industry, fakers dont have plans of quitting any time soon, so dont be caught up in their web and end up with a potentially dangerous item. Dont just buy brand names, buy quality!

SOCKS IN THE CITY

An often underrated and neglected piece of fashion accessory is the socks. We use them almost everyday but their only worth seem to be protecting our feet, keeping them warm or comfy...there is sure more to them than just that! let them spice your look.

There is no reason why you should not get some daring socks in your wardrobe and do away with the boring black and grey socks. Your socks like any fashion accessory like your tie or silk handkerchief should complement your look.

Coloured socks are very much in vogue, far from the eccentric bloke tag. You can co-ordinate your socks with your silk handkerchief , shirt or tie............voilà

A little colour never hurt nobody :)