Question:
I've always been a chain store girl, because trendy items are still available at a much cheaper price. However I still love the look of some designer brands (eg. Shakuhachi) but I can't justify paying the higher price for it, especially when there are so many copies available!
So what I want to ask, is why do you purchase designer brands when there are so many copies available? Heaps of people won't be able to tell the difference too, which is another reason why I don't buy designer. Convince me girls!
EDIT - to remove something I thought was "designer"

Answer:
hmmm, cue and shakuhaci are designer?
I buy cue, because it fits my body well (most of the time) and is generally better quality then other chain stores, therefore wears better and lasts better so the greater cost is worth it.

Answer:
I always thought Cue was a chain store.

Answer:
I wouldn't consider Cue to be designer
I buy mid-range clothes with the occasional designer piece (usually bags or shoes) and will generally spend more for a higher end piece because it lasts longer, wear better and use superior fabrics. They are also cut better - so more expensive pieces are generally more flattering and last longer.
I'm also the queen of bargain finds and will rarely pay full price for anything, and I'd rather wait and buy a better quality piece on sale than a cheaper piece full price, when they end up being the same price. Example: I bought two pairs of Manolos from a Myer sale last year for $100 each, which is less than a pair of Tony Bianco shoes is full price. The leather used in the Manolos is just beautiful, they are perfectly made and so comfortable. Conversely, I bought a pair of black leather Tony Bianco heels for $10 from DFO a few weeks ago, which is less than a pair of faux leather heels from Payless.

Answer:
The material is often much better quality. I've seen the same style of top in both Cue and Supre and I have to tell you, the Supre material was just so BAD.

Answer:
The designer items I buy often don't have equivalent copies available as i tend to buy quite unique styles.

Answer:
I buy it for the quality mainly, i wouldnt buy a designer plain t-shirt or anything like that, because i couldnt justify the price.
But the cut and material is normally much better in designer pieces.
When your talking about Cue being designer.. well i wouldnt say it really is.. but if you compare it to Supre for eg..
I purchases Supre pants back when i was waitressing.. they lasted me about 3months..
My Cue pants i've had for nearly 3years!!


Answer:
Three words: Cost per wear!!!
Maggie Alderson (spelling???) wrote a column on the cost per wear value of a $400 cashmere jumper and worked out that in the long run it would be cheaper than a $10 white t-shirt that you could only wear once or twice before throwing out.
Don't get me wrong, I see the utility of 'disposable' white t's but I love that designer clothing lasts and it becomes like a photo or a journal in the sense that you have some amazing times in it and then after a while you look at it hanging in your wardrobe and you remember all these times. (Which may be why I am really bad at periodically clearing wardrobe space )

Answer:
Oh gosh how embarrassing I've editted my post to remove that. Shows you how much I know about designers
Anyway, sounds like most of you purchase for quality then?

Answer:
It's all about quality for me, but designer does not always equal this, sometimes I'm shocked at the contempt Australian designers show for their market with the price of some of their rubbish! I don't really care where I buy from, I'm not into the socially constructed 'names' of items (although marketing a skirt as a "boyfriend skirt" is just pure genius, people will buy it for its name!), but it has to be well constructed, perfectly fitting, and out of fabric I know will last (this takes a little while to learn!)
And lets face it - everything in stores, chain or designer, are copies. The only true originals are on the catwalk for a couple of grand a pop, and even they all copy each other shamelessly. There's no demarcation in my mind between 'designer' and 'copy' (unless it's tackily blatant like a Chloe Paddy copy) really - I'll buy it for the reasons above, not because of the name of the designer, or the name they've given the garment to make you feel like you belong