I know that replicas are something that a lot of girls pursue. For one they are inexpensive, readily available, and able to give you that 'brand feel' without brand money. Some girls may buy replicas when they're new because they don't know any better. Some may intentionally buy them for the reason (or others) mentioned before. In any case though, I think we can all agree that print/mascot replicas of any kind are theft. We acknowledge that in the music and fashion industries outside of Lolita as well. Now, I'm not saying that wearing replicas is right or wrong, that's up to you and your ethics (after all, I'm sure we've all torrented something we shouldn't before). What I am saying, however, is that we as a community should stop and think about the long term effects of what keeping that industry alive can imply.
The reason for my decision is both ethical and economical. So first, from an ethical perspective, I've realized that I would never buy a knock off Kate Spade or Michael Kors bag, so why would I do the same in Lolita. I genuinely adore Lolita brands, even those that I will most likely never be able to fit. Even if I don't support them financially for that reason, I can still stand in solidarity with their wishes to have their art protected. Yes, I know that the replica industry isn't really hurting their profits (as most of those who buy would either not purchase brand or purchase it on the second hand market), but there still is a lot of time and effort that goes into creating these designs.
For example, my favorite brand is Haenuli, and I would be literally heart broken if I ever saw people selling replicas of her dresses. Even with the fact that she probably grossed about $20K+ in revenue with their last release. First, that doesn't translate to actual profit and second that's her art on those dresses! I'm sure that other people feel the same way about their favorite brands. Even without looking at money, these are actual people who take their time to design the prints for these pieces. This is not just a job, this is their legacy in motion.
From an economic standpoint, with more and more plus sized Lolitas coming into the mix, many indie brands have expanded their sizing or offered custom options. This makes looking fabulous just as easy as it is for someone who fits perfectly within traditional brand measurements. However, as larger sizes are offered, that too increases competition on brands like Angelic Pretty, BTSSB, Meta, MMM, etc.., They are not the only names in the game anymore. If indie brands can be incentivized to make larger or longer pieces, this can spill over into other brands (just look at the fairly recent trend to offer long or larger versions of dresses - AP's Victorian Letter Tiered JSK goes up to 120cm bust~!). However, if those girls who previously were purchasing replicas because brand just "didn't fit" continue to do so, the demand for those larger/longer items from traditional brands goes down. This does not bode well for future expansions or sales. If the demand is not high enough there is no financial incentive for companies to continue making these items in larger sizes.
Lastly, support small business! Indie brands are wonderful and unique and in most cases very small. Replica makers like Oo Jia also could be considered small business, however, she does not make her living by offering unique designs but instead by piggybacking off of the success of others simply because she has access to the fabric and can sew well.
At the end of the day, the decision to wear or not wear replicas is up to you. As for me, I'll be sticking to indie brands and maybe some traditional brand pieces that I can fit here or there.
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