It used to be that fakes were easily spotted a mile away — the “Channel” purses and “Goach” wallets were dead giveaways that you had probably picked it up on a trip to New York’s Canal Street.

(Courtesy of Naco-Paris.com)

But the Internet has allowed counterfeit fashion to proliferate, and even seemingly trustworthy websites are getting busted for selling fakes. Most recently, sale shoppers everywhere were disappointed to learn that sample sale clearinghouse Hautelook.com is on the receiving end of a lawsuit from Cartier for selling “inauthentic” watches and jewelry.

The reason that more people are getting duped by dupes? As Chinese factory operations have become more streamlined, efficient, and experienced, the quality of counterfeit goods has increased — as has volume. Especially in a slow economy when Chinese factories are sitting around with nothing to do, the answer is often “fake it ’til you make it.”

As we’ve covered before, the Internet has been a godsend to con men and women everywhere trying to pass off bogus goods as real. And it’s not just Louis Vuitton getting knocked off anymore. Counterfeit midmarket goods like Ugg Australia boots and Anya Hindmarch bags are springing up all across the web at prices close to retail but just discounted enough to entice deal-hunters into thinking they’ve scored.

So how do you protect yourself from unwittingly buying a fake? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you buy online:

• Where was the item manufactured? A whopping 79 percent of counterfeit goods come from China. And while many apparel brands have moved their manufacturing operations to cost-friendly Asia, not all have. If you receive a product bearing a “Made in China” tag when you know it should have been assembled in America or Italy, you’ve been bamboozled.
• What’s the seller’s reputation? On eBay, iOffer, or Bonanzle, anyone can become a seller of goods — genuine or not — overnight. Feedback provides some information, but it’s only as reliable as the people who have gone before you. Try to buy from established boutiques with dedicated customer service departments for some assurance.
• Is the seller an authorized dealer? Check the brand’s website or call customer service to see if you can get a list of authorized sellers. In the Ugg example mentioned above, UggAustralia.com has taken steps to inform consumers on how to spot a fake. Enter the URL of the boutique in its Counterfeit Website Look Up database to see if the company is an authorized dealer. If it’s not, steer clear.
• What’s the return policy? Ideally, a seller will stand behind the product and permit you to return anything for any reason. Then it’s up to you to inspect the item and send it back within the terms of that agreement, so don’t delay in giving your new garment or accessory a thorough once-over until you’re satisfied that you’ve gotten what you bargained for.

The Uniform Project, launched last year as a yearlong exercise in wardrobe sustainability. (We first got word of the website last June — check out our original post here.)

Now that the year is almost up, the co-founders of the project are auctioning off their old accessories for charity:

The Uniform Project(TM) (U.P), a sustainable fashion platform that embraces philanthropy through creative challenges, is today announcing the much-anticipated release of 200 one-of-a-kind vintage, designer and sustainable accessories through a charity auction on eBay, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Akanksha Foundation in India. The charity auction, which will run from March 29th to April 12th at ebay.com/uniformproject, includes vintage and sustainable accessories from international designers, well-wishers, and eBay, who have donated them in support of U.P founder Sheena Matheiken’s creative challenge to wear the same little black dress for 365 days.

The charity auction, launched in collaboration with the eBay Green Team, also features three full ”looks” from Sheena’s daily reinventions of  the dress, including three limited edition releases of the U.P’s iconic little black dress designed by U.P co-founder Eliza Starbuck.

You can browse the auction here. Good luck to the bidders!

If you’re a scarf aficionado, you know the Hermès silk scarf is the holy grail of neckwarmers. And if you don’t want to plunk down serious plastic for a new one, there are abundant vintage options available.

But since you don’t want to get burned on a counterfeit, ThePerfectRedBox.com offers a guide to spotting a fake on eBay or in the consignment shop. Among the tips:

Weight The weight of the counterfeits I’ve felt were quite different from an authentic Hermès.  All but one has been much lighter -  most were made of polyester and not silk.  A new 35” x 35” Hermès carrè should weigh in around 63 grams or 2.2. ounces.

When in doubt Weigh it.

Back of carrè Almost every counterfeit I’ve seen had very little detail on the back.  The design on an authentic Hermès carrè can be clearly seen from the back – it is colour saturated.

When in doubt Look closely at the back of the carrè.

Hem Almost all Hermès scarves have hand rolled and hand stitched hems, to the front. There are a few exceptions to this, but generally an authentic scarf will be hand rolled and hand stitched. Many of the counterfeits I’ve seen were very clearly and very pooly machine hemmed/finished.

When in doubt If it looks machine sewn, seek further authentication.

Useful, right? See the whole guide here.

Hey guys — looking to keep warm this winter? You might have to dig deep to avoid looking as fashionable as “a microwavable kebab.” Hilarious men’s fashion writer Alexis Petridis bemoans the state of faux fur for men in the U.K. Guardian:

Once, they were the height of louche sophistication, the kind of thing the Rolling Stones wore while looking elegantly wasted. Perhaps the rock star’s penchant for fur coats hastened their fall from grace: by the late 70s, they had become associated with a rock aristocracy so irritating that people felt impelled to form Sham 69 and spit at each other in protest. The moral argument has an impact, too. You want fake fur to look like the real thing, but too much and you risk Chrissie Hynde chaining herself to you whenever you step outside.

So, there aren’t many about: I ended up with a too-small women’s one, which made me look as louche and sophisticated as a microwavable kebab.

Mr. Petridis can take heart that plenty of vintage fur exists on eBay from the very era he’s trying to channel. No word yet whether Mick Jagger is ready to part with his old coats, though.

Christene at Refinery29.com showed off this fab 1980s braided belt find from eBay this morning, and it got us thinking about our readers. We bet you all are total rock stars at sniffing out the best deals on vintage and preloved clothing.

We’re relative newbies but we’re learning: In July, we scored some like-new vintage Frye Dorian riding boots in a rich cognac color for only $100. If you’re a pro at eBaying, share your stories of your best-ever find in the comments!

It never fails: The end of July hits and with it, the urge to go back-to-school shopping. (Nevermind how long we’ve been out of school.) I went to college in New England and even now that I live in Southern California, I feel undeniably drawn to fall’s big trend: Americana-themed boots.

There’s no better place to look for classic riding boots than Frye. The brand has been making them for 146 years — securing its place as the oldest footwear company in the United States. And that means that plenty of vintage options abound.

Chances are good your local thrift shop has a pair or two lying around, but for ease of shopping by size or style, eBay is your best bet for getting a pair of vintage Fryes at a fraction of the price for new.

Check out these listings (all current as of today!):

• Circa 1960s tall Campus boots in buttery banana yellow, size 5.5, $60 Buy It Now.
• Platform Dorian boots with side-zip in toffee brown, size 6, $69.99 Buy It Now with free shipping.
• Stacked-heel short boots in espresso brown in near-mint condition, size 6, $95 Buy It Now.
• Circa 1970s knee-high western boots in putty grey, size 7, bidding currently at $28.99.
• Mod platform Villager short boots in black, size 8, $30 Buy It Now.
• Seriously broken-in riding boots in rust brown, size 9.5, bidding currently at only $9.99.
• Circa 1970s Dingo cowboy boots in excellent condition, size 10, bidding currently at $23.

Any lover of luxury knows eBay is not the safest place to score a designer name. The risk of paying top dollar for a counterfeit Louis Vuitton is too great.

But what if there were someone you knew you could trust to sell pre-loved luxury goods at a fair price? That’s the ideal, right?

Enter Portero.com. Every brand-name item they sell has been authenticated by their professional appraisers. And not in the scammy “100% guaranteed authentic, but sorry, no refunds!” kind of way — as in, Portero will give you every penny of your money back if you’re unsatisfied for any reason. Even the pre-owned watches they sell come backed by a one-year warranty.

They list leather goods, jewelry, and watches by big-name brands like Chanel, Hermès, Prada, and Cartier. Every item comes with multiple photos and an assessment of its condition, ranging from “pristine” to merely “fair.”

And oh yes — there are deals to be had. The vintage gold-plated Chanel earrings you see here? Only $130, but every bit as glam as what you’ll find new in the store today.

What better way to keep fashion recirculating?

The Independent examined the online flourishing of fake fashion in a recent article, hitting all the key points:

• Online shopping provides total anonymity for sellers of fake goods while preventing customers from inspecting the goods before they pay for them. It’s a win-win situation for unscrupulous vendors.
• Knocked-off designers have found monitoring eBay for fakes costly and inefficient. An estimated 4 million counterfeit goods are listed on the auction site every year, and the courts have tended to side with eBay’s claims that they are not responsible for the sale of illegal fakes.
• Business-to-business websites like iOffer, AliBaba, and Tradekey allow anyone in the world access to the factories in China that illegally manufacture the fakes. It makes starting an online counterfeiting business easier if anyone can buy a shipment of $10 “Coach” purses and resell them for $50.
• Getting into the racket online is so easy that many people hardly realize what they’re doing is illegal or unconscionable. Some sellers may even feel justified given the high retail prices of the real thing. (You can read more about the ethics of fashion counterfeiting in our archives.)

The whole article is worth a read and includes tips on how to spot fake Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Rolex, and Chanel (assuming what you see is what you get — a seller who uses all stock photos doesn’t protect you at all).

Madonna, Jennifer Aniston, Eva Longoria, and other fashionable and famous names have donated their handbags for charity.

The high-end purses (accompanied by handwritten notes from the celebrities) will be auctioned on eBay through June 12. One-hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit GlobalGiving’s Italy Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund.

In April, a 6.3 magnitude quake hit central Italy near the town of L’Aquila, leaving nearly 300 people dead and 30,000 more homeless. Madonna donated $500,000 in cash soon after the quake, requesting that the money be used in the relief effort in her father’s home region of Abruzzo. Many Italian designers have also raised or donated money for the cause, including Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, Versace, Valentino, Brioni, and Giancarlo Giammetti.

Lawyers for eBay can look forward to another bonus: A British court has ruled that eBay is not responsible for the fact that many of the L’Oreal beauty products available for sale on the auction site are counterfeit.

Increasingly frustrated by the number of fake perfumes and cosmetics sold through eBay, L’Oreal took the website to court in Belgium, England, France, Germany, and Spain. Similarly, Tiffany and Louis Vuitton both sued eBay for the same reason in the past year and both also lost.

In a statement, eBay called the British court’s ruling “a victory for consumers and the thousands of entrepreneurs who sell legitimate goods on eBay every day.” L’Oreal’s lawsuits in the other countries are still pending.