Spent $95,000 lately on a coat that's only worth about $20,000? Swooned over a designer label, so you plunked down good money for bad fur? Fell in love with the look of the season, but you'll only be able to wear it once? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you've been duped, diva. It's fabulously fun that fur is a must-have item this fall, but there are a few things even furriers think you should know before getting carried away in a fashion frenzy.

Attention women who regularly buy completely new designer wardrobes each fall and ship them off to the charity shop as soon as the mercury begins to rise in the spring: this article is NOT for you. This article is for the other 99.9 percent of the population, to whom a dollar actually means something. Most women actually expect to be able to wear their fur coats more than once. The majority of women -- if my e-mail is any indication -- are concerned about getting value for their money. So for the rest of us, here is a survey of the top 10 looks of the season and whether or not you'd be a fool to be taken in by them.

Famous designers have certainly put furs back on the fashion map. This season, some of their most important signature looks are in fur. But not all designers or designs are created equal. Some offer surprisingly good deals on furs, while others make you wonder if they shouldn't throw in a new car with the purchase. If the price seems outrageous for what you're getting, do some comparison shopping. If your budget doesn't allow for making a major purchase that can only be worn once, check out different ways to get that look from different designers who offer it. Found that once-in-a-lifetime, extravagant fur that you absolutely must have? If you'll love it for a lifetime, then go for it! Being a smart shopper is always in fashion.

You can't open a fashion magazine this fall without spotting this chevron coat in every Gucci ad. Predictably, it then turned up in every magazine's editorial. The price is not really the problem with this coat; nearly $17,000 is not an unreasonable sum to pay for a designer-label mink. As for the quality, it can't be that bad if it incorporates white mink (white mink exaggerates any flaws), but I'd have to inspect it more closely before making any definite endorsements in this regard. The problem is not even the graphic, black-and-white look, which can be fairly classic when not interpreted head to toe. But you're definitely a Duped Diva if you buy the Gucci coat that's been plastered all over creation. From now until eternity, everyone will know you're wearing "that Gucci coat from fall 2000". If you're a fan of this fun, jazzy trend, don't dismay, though. Just opt for a less astigmatic version, like an accessory that can be worn for years to come.

You want in on the biggest fashion joke floating around the fur industry this fall? If you're a fur fan and you saw the September issue of Harper's Bazaar, you probably already suspect what it is. The magazine devoted more than five fawning pages to one coat -- Fendi's key look of the season, a colorful op-art patterned intarsia creation. "Follow That Fur!" the headline screamed, while the article gushed about how only 14 of these "precious fur[s] meticulously crafted, whose real worth could be understood only by a fashion aficionado" were available to those with enough taste (and cash) to drop $95,000 on them.

Just another fashion folly, you think? No, this one is truly extraordinary. Anyone who buys this coat should be forced to pay for a custom-made, $50,000 Fendi dunce cap with the words "Duped Diva" emblazoned across the front.

First, the coat is ludicrously overpriced; fur manufacturers estimate it would retail for around $20,000 from anyone else but Fendi. Second, this "meticulous" craftsmanship can be copied quickly by any furrier on Seventh Avenue. Yes, intarsia work (intarsia means the different colors in the coat weren't painted on; pieces of dyed fur were cut and sewn together to form the pattern) can be intricate, but the circles and squares in the Fendi coat aren't that difficult, say furriers. Third -- and most inexplicable -- is the fact that this Fendi original looks suspiciously like it came from a collection of op-art designs done by Zuki in 1997.

Since he has been working in intarsia fur for the past 25 years and popularized these designs in the 1980s, I had to get Zuki's take on the infamous Fendi fur. The ever-outspoken Canadian told me, "We've been ripped off better than this before. To me, it's simplistic. I'm surprised. I expect original ideas from Fendi."

What connection could there possibly be between the Montreal intarsia master and the legendary Roman design house? Apparently the Fendi sisters and Fendi designer Karl Lagerfeld are no strangers to Zuki's work. A few years ago, when the Maximilian fur salons at Bloomingdale's carried an exclusive collection by Karl Lagerfeld, Zuki's workshop made the collection's intarsia coats. Also, recalls Zuki, whenever Paola Fendi made a special appearance at the Maximilian salon in New York City to promote the sale of Fendi furs, "The first thing she said when she walked into the salon was, 'Show me what Zuki is doing'."

So, while the fur industry was already giggling that emperor Lagerfeld was wearing no clothes, it's safe to say that, when then Harper's Bazaar article dropped, it elicited full-blown belly laughs.

As if that weren't enough of a reason to stay away from this fur, do I have to point out that you couldn't wear it more than once? Not to mention the fact that, with a whopping 14 of these coats being sold, it's not even a one-of-a-kind piece! You could very easily attend a soiree and run into somebody else wearing the thing! Duped, Diva, Duped!

If you're like I am and think of great handbags as a great works of art, price is no object -- if you've got the money. You can never be duped by art, right? But you don't always have to drop $2,600 or more for a Fendi fur bag (are we spotting a pattern here at Fendi?) to get the look of the season. There are lots of comparably inexpensive bags in rabbit to be found at specialty stores and even popular chain stores. When tempted by the big-ticket version, just make this your shopping mantra: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Will I wear it next year?"

You are truly a Divine Diva if a fur fling is one of your fur choices this fall. You can't go wrong with this classic, glamorous look. It's to be found in a myriad of colors, lengths and price tags, and you can definitely wear it again. Just use your head. If the Michael Kors original is selling for $450, why would you spend $1,275 for the one at Bergdorf's with no designer label? Can any diva be that duped?

According to people who study such things, Cinderella's original slipper was actually made of fur, before the fairytale was subjected to an inaccurate English translation and the slipper turned to glass. Makes more sense to me. Slip on a fur-lined mule and you'll feel ready to go to the ball. Prices for fur-accented shoes run around $400. If you've got a shoe fetish and a thing for furs, this combination must seem like a diva bargain sent down from heaven. Just be picky about where the fur is placed on the shoe, keeping in mind that fur can become matted quickly and can be worn off when subjected to too much friction.

This year's chinchilla-bodied sweater is a tremendously chic way to wear fur. Not only are you dripping in luxury, it's an off-handed, throw-away style that says you're not trying too hard. So go for it, diva, but don't be duped into thinking this is an everyday sweater. Chinchilla is one of the most expensive of all furs, but the price is not the point. It is also the most delicate of furs. Chinchilla specialists say it should be worn only three or four times a year, "for special occasions."

If you can't remember the first time these little rabbit vests were all the rage, you are a diva-in-the-making and allowed to partake in this trend. It's fun. It's flirty. But it's not serious fur, so don't pay a serious price. Bypass the $1,100 version (even junior divas shouldn't be duped!) and go for the cheapest one you can find. It's rabbit. Enough said.

It might be the more accessible price point, or it might be simply the distinctive look, but long-haired shearling coats made to look like fox reversible to suede have emerged as designer darlings this year. They're fabulously dramatic and will bring out the Supreme Diva in you without cleaning out your bank account. And they're versatile: they can be dressed up or roughed up. Considering that furriers don't recommend cleaning shearling frequently, though, I'd avoid white or other light colors. Once it gets tired, you'll look like a down-on-your-luck diva.

It's hard to be a Duped Diva if you opt for a fur scarf this fall. Obviously they've got great style, but they also appeal to the practical side of you with a touch of warmth. You can find them in virtually any fur for any lifestyle and in any color. If you go for the chinchilla, remember it's not for everyday. You might need an extra one or two in mink or maybe sable?