According to a report from the NPR website (that’s National Public Radio - the American version of the BBC, sort of), a high-end Mexican fashion designer has started selling bulletproof clothing. As the Mexican government struggles to crack down on drug cartels, violence has escalated, and people are worried about getting caught in the middle.

Is this going to be the next thing that we see on the streets of London and Manchester? Either way, the jackets featured in the article are actually rather nice - if you don’t mind the fact that they probably weigh about five times as much as a normal coat.

With news this week that a Bradford shop-owner has been jailed for selling fake designer clothing along with a story back in April about two men in Dorset being jailed for selling designer knock-offs, we’ve been thinking that fashion-savvy consumers should be pleased that the police are cracking down on the lucrative business of knock-off clothing. Sure, you may think you’re getting a bargain when you spend £10 for a replica of a pair of designer jeans that would normally cost ten times that, but as consumers, you’re losing out in so many other ways.

Designer clothing costs a lot because of the care and attention that goes into its production. Clothing designers choose the best fabrics, pay close attention to the detail of the cut so every fold and every line flatters the wearer, and they spend extra time on production to make certain that the clothing you buy holds up to repeated wear.

Fake designer gear may look okay on the rack, but it simply won’t look as good when you wear it, it will not last as long in your closet and, quite frankly, it belittles the creativity, skill and effort that goes into every piece of clothing that a fashion designer creates. In the end, wouldn’t you rather have one great pair of jeans that makes you look fabulous than ten pairs of cheap jeans that stretch, sag and fall to bits?