Hello and greetings from NYC! I’m in town for a few days visiting friends and getting my bi-annual city girl fix before I ship back tomorrow to the burbs, my hubby and kiddos. I arrived Thursday evening and love being back! (For those who may not know, I lived in NYC for 10 years, so every time I visit is a homecoming of sorts). I’m excited to share more about my trip next weekend, but given the shorter runway I had to write this week’s post, I thought I’d keep it simple and share some absolutely excellent finds I’ve come across recently, which yes…are “dupes” for more expensive and fabulous pieces you may have had your eye on.
I fully appreciate and understand that the word “dupe” has some icky associations with it. Point blank, it’s a knockoff of a more expensive, often designer item, which tends to feel like one brand is ripping off another brand’s creative ideas. So I get why people don’t love the concept. Creativity should be valued and celebrated, and there’s a very rewarding feeling associated with saving up your hard-earned cash to splurge on an item that you’ve had your eye on for an extended period of time.
On the other hand, prices for luxury designer goods have gotten out of hand, and not everyone can afford these brands outright. Often times, you can justify the prices through cost-per-wear, especially when it comes to workhorses like bags and shoes. But when it comes to other fashion items like t-shirts, sweaters or dresses, it can be harder to cough up hundreds and even thousands of dollars- saved up or not. So to this end, I do appreciate a good dupe from time to time!
Now there are two kinds of dupes. On the one hand, you have the blatant copies of designer goods, such as the Amazon dupes of The Row jellies that surfaced this summer. These are often made in China and very much a direct “fake” of the real deal. I’m not shaming anyone who goes down this path. I’ve done it several times- for said jellies and then some.
Then you have the “inspired by” dupes. These are not blatant rip-offs, but instead very similar versions. These tend to be more “acceptable” dupes bc at the end of the day, we all deserve to partake in trends in a manner that works with our lifestyles and budgets. This is why Zara, Mango and even Massimo Dutti do so well season after season.
The list below is a mix of both these types of dupes bc hey- I don’t discriminate!! If it’s good, it’s good! So - without further ado.
The Row Amira Top vs Everlane’s Form Funnel-Neck Tee
I’ve been obsessed with this top from The Row for 3+ months now. The neckline is what does it for me. It’s the perfect transitional silhouette: not quite stifling like a turtleneck, not too open like a v-neck, long sleeves, rendered in season-less white and 100% cotton. But at $1,390…sorry no can do.
Enter Everlane’s funnel-neck tee! I sized up to get the oversized vibe of the Amira, although I probably could’ve gone up two or even three sizes for full effect. It’s 92% cotton, 8% elastane to give it a bit of stretch which I don’t mind at all. At only $50, what’s not to love?! Hot tip: The Row also makes this top in a putty shade called Mud…Everlane also has that shade, called Taupe, in case white is not for you.
Dupe Rating: 9/10. It’s a slimmer-cut shirt but sizing up generally fixes that issue to make it fit more like The Row top. Otherwise it’s spot on!
Nili Lotan Shon Pants vs Roucha Pye Cotton Twill Pants
My barrel leg infatuation knows no bounds. The Nili Lotan Shon pants have been lingering on my wishlist but at nearly $400, I just haven’t been able to pull the trigger. Not bc I don’t think I’d get my money’s worth of wear out of them- the raves I’ve heard from everyone like
to Vogue to personal friends make it clear these pants are magic. Alas, I have yet to go for it.Last year I discovered the brand Roucha (which I’ve written about before), which was my first foray into barrel leg anything via their Poca Drape Pant (on sale!). I noticed the Pye Cotton Twill Pants about a month or two ago and was intrigued. They look VERY similar to the Shon pants, but at a fraction of the price at $168. They recently arrived and are perfection. I actually think I might even prefer them to the Shon? They have two buttons so you can make them looser or tighter (maybe after a big meal?! love this concept!) and I like the sleekness of them better than the Shon pant (they don’t have as many pockets.) Fabrication is also almost identical, but the Shon is available in 8 colors whereas the Pye only comes in 3.
Dupe Rating: 10/10. When a “dupe” beats the OG, you know it’s good!
Jamie Haller Daily Sweatshirt vs Target Universal Thread Sweatshirt
Ok this one deserves a very big asterisk. I adore Jamie Haller and everything she designs. This woman is immensely talented and knows her customer so well. But as a small business who is scaling smartly, she often produces limited runs of products and size ranges (as she should!) and as such, sells out VERY fast. Good for Jamie, bad for us! I’ve been obsessing over her Daily Sweatshirt. And even though $275 is a hefty sum to pay for such a ‘basic’ item, I know it would be a wise investment (for me) with a very low CPW. Alas it has been sold out for a while now…so until it comes back in stock, I am scratching the itch with this strangely excellent Target sweatshirt.
The Universal Thread sweatshirt is nowhere near the quality of Jamie’s of course, but I’m impressed with the silhouette, color range available, and look & feel. What I love about Jamie’s is the slightly cropped, almost shrunken vintage style - and the Target one has the same elements; the front of the sweatshirt is slightly puckered, which at first struck me as a little odd, but it gives a natural ‘tucked in’ look. For $25, you really cannot argue it!
Dupe Rating: 7/10. While it has the same general vibes, at the end of the day, it’s a Target sweatshirt. It’s also 71% cotton and 29% recycled polyester, whereas Jamie’s is 100% cotton terry. Still, it’s a solid option, esp for those who can’t wait for the restock or don’t want to spend $275 on a sweatshirt!
Khaite Otto Mules vs Zara Home Mules
Who doesn’t love Khaite?! The Otto mules are fabulous, versatile, and to be fair, on sale these days, so you may be better off just going for the real deal. But if $500-ish is still not in your budget (and who could blame you), these 100% leather Zara Home mules for only $90 are a great alternative! (Sizes left are limited, but they often restock!)
I have yet to purchase these, but they’ve been sitting on my wish list for a while. I own another pair of shoes that are ever-so slightly similar, hence why I haven’t pulled the trigger on either of these pairs. But they were too good a find not to share!
Dupe Rating: N/A. I don’t own these so I can’t say, but I own other items from Zara Home and I find them to always exceed the quality of pieces from Zara (which is odd, aren’t they the same company)….so I would venture to say these are great. If you get them, please report back!
Bottega Veneta Oversized Checked Cotton Shirt vs Everlane Supima Cotton Boyfriend Shirt
We all know that Country Cousin is trending this fall, thanks to the ever-so stylish
. I love Bottega’s subtle take on the trend with this button down. However, at $1,200 for a shirt, I had to find another way to go mad for plaid.Once again, enter Everlane! While the color scheme of this shirt is not an exact replica of the Bottega, it still has crisp blacks, creams, and browns to make it a close-enough option—especially at only $34?! (It’s final sale but still!) I’m loving the slightly ironic country vibes it gives, esp when paired with white denim shorts and heels (as pictured above!)
Dupe Rating: 8/10. The Everlane is not a true dupe, instead just a different take on a staple wardrobe item that seems to be a bit trendy this season. But the quality is top notch and I love the pattern!
The Row Idaho Bag vs Baggining Green Canvas Tote
Ok well, as I mentioned, I was going to cover both types of dupes in this post…and here we are! This bag is of course, a blatant knock off of The Row’s Idaho Tote from a company I’ve never heard of, but at only $99, I fell prey to temptation and ordered it. To be fair, the green version of this tote has long since sold out, so it’s not like I could buy the real deal anyways (unless via resale site.)
The quality is not bad considering the price, but of course nowhere near The Row. I actually measured this bag and compared to The Idaho measurements and they are identical … which leads me to wonder, if you purchased the Idaho, how do you use it? I love the idea of it, but it’s a bit of an odd size & shape to actually carry much. Is it more just an errands bag (and if you’re a mom who owns, do you use when you’re not really around your kiddos?) I just find it a touch impractical, but maybe that’s the allure. Still though! I plan to tote it around town this fall in more casual settings. I’m also a sucker for anything green, and don’t own many colorful handbags, so this was a welcome addition in that respect.
Dupe Rating: 5/10. It’s a solid take on a very trendy piece from a brand I love. The quality is good, but not excellent (wasn’t expecting it to be). For the price, I do think it was a decent win, but again the size & shape are a little limiting. However I think that has less to do with the dupe and more to do with The Row just making a weird bag.
Well that’s it for me this week! Hope you discovered some decent finds that excited you and more importantly, maybe even saved you a buck or two. Thank you reading, being here, supporting, subscribing and commenting as always! Until next week xx
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Adds Roucha pants to cart :)
I’ve been raving about that Target sweatshirt to anyone who will listen. Also love Roucha! Would live in them if I could!