I’m a huge fan of saving money on clothes, shoes, and accessories. My running shoes and my Uggs are childrens’ sizes because it’s about half the price. After working retail, I never bought anything full price because I know there is always a sale coming. This also means that I don’t have to shop every sale because there will be another one next week LOOKING AT YOU, ESPECIALLY, LOFT! If there’s a trend I want to try, I’ll Amazon Prime it. One of my favorite dresses this summer was $17 with free shipping and I have no shame in that. Most of my dresses for work are Old Navy t-shirt dresses that hold up forever and was like a dream. And I will brag about the deal I found because let’s be real most of my friends are in their 20s and we all have rent to pay and Ubers to take and overpriced coffee to grab on our way into work. I love sharing a good deal with my girls! It’s not to say I don’t love quality things. Kate Spade is a personal favorite and that ish does not run cheap. Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger dresses fit me really well, but their outlet selections, for me, are even better than most department stores. My best work bags are structured, real leather, and top brands. Up until last year, I only wore real leather boots, but vegan leather has come a long way since the pleather of the 90s.
This is all to say that there is no shame in finding a deal if there’s something you love but you can’t quite spring for the full-priced fandango. I read a fantastic blog post in defense of the dupe that basically breaks it down like this: there is a difference between a dupe and a fake. A fake is saying that the product is the designer. A dupe mimics a design. So where a fake will have an Hermès sticker that might fall off one day when it’s tired of pretending to be the real thing, the Jane bag here is just a quality leather bag in a style that we recognize.
When I was younger and had less of an appreciation for copyright, trademark, and creative property, I was all about fakes. I had a great fake Chanel wallet that I got in the Bahamas for like $10. I have a few Louis logo bags from the beach that are of questionable origin. (I can’t part with them because they’re super colorful and fun!) While I stay away from straight knockoffs now because I think they look cheap, I’ve come to appreciate the well-done dupe if there’s a style I like but can’t afford. What surprised me is that dupes are actually good for fashion economy. I found an NPR article highlighting this, but I am definitely going to get my paws on The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation.
Below are just some examples- what’s your opinion on the fake vs. dupe argument?
Hermès Matte Alligator Birkin 35||The Essential Jane Bag With Scarf Croc Leather Green||Valentino Garavani Rockstud pumps||VASHOP Women’s Gladiator Rivets Buckle Studded Sandals T-strap Kitten Dress Sandals||Céline Nano Luggage Tote||Vanessa Medium Tote In Smooth Leather Black And White||Princetown leather slipper||Black Faux Leather Rose Embroidered Slip-on Shoes||Chanel Quilted Medium Old Boy Flap Bag||Ingrid Quilted Medium Leather Bag Black
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