My love for Target and knock-off items is not a secret. Ang and I would joke of "Prada of Canal Street" back in our NYC days. It all looks pretty good until it has to stand next to the real thing.

My latest Target bag, which is big enough to be a purse and a diaper bag, with out screaming DIAPER BAG, is a brown faux suede number with contrast stitching and a braided pleather handle. At 24 bucks it was a steal, and I don't care if it falls apart in three months, which it is already showing signs of doing.

My posh friend Sarah sat down next to me at rehearsal the other night, and plopped down a lovely leather bag. So lovely and leathery you could smell it. It was delicious. As I checked it out, I realized IT WAS MY BAG. But the REAL one. Same boxy shape with stitching, but hers had it in the same color. Same sort of braided handle, but more, and it slung through these amazing leather covered giant grommets. Did I mention real leather? It was beautiful.

It didn't make me feel bad about my own bag, or even covet hers. Well maybe that a little. It was more fascinating to trace the fashions at Target, and how immediate they go from runway to store. I know that is a brand new bag for her, and it's not anything I've seen in a fashion rag ad lately, though I have to admit I'm not reading them all right now. The bag was not a signature or immediately recognized bag, Louis Vitton or Coach or whatever with the logo crap. It was just an excellent design, that must have been knocked off the minute it hit the runway. I'm sure if I start looking around, I'll find out who makes it for real. I was too cool to ask her.

There was a great article in the New Yorker recently talking of that whole phenom. It doesn't take away from sales, as the Target customer is not the same as the couture customer, and it builds in a reason to have to buy all new couture next year, when every Tiffany and Brandi has your bag.