As we've have been finding out lately, outlet stores are basically a farce. Last year, Michael Kors was at the center of a lawsuit regarding misleading outlet mall prices where most of the merchandise never sold at the "suggested retail" price before being "marked down" in outlets and Kate Spade was just hit with the same complaint. The problem goes a bit deeper than false mark downs. A large portion of the merchandise at outlet malls is actually made specifically for outlets and are likely of lower quality or design. Vox has a quick video that explains a little bit more.

The primary takeaway is that roughly 85% of merchandise at outlet stores is produced specifically to be sold there. While you might think you're hitting an outlet to save money on pieces that didn't sell in the previous season, that isn't always the case. And discerning which pieces are actually authentic and which are produced for outlets isn't easy either, especially if you don't know what you're looking for. Banana Republic and Gap, for example, use little stars on their labels to set them apart, but if shoppers don't know about them, they're left in the dark. You basically have two options as a consumer: avoid the outlet stores or become so acquainted with the brands you're buying from that you're able to notice the smallest details. Watch the video above for some more info.