On campus, I recently attended an evening with luxury shoe designer, Stuart Weitzman, and was lucky enough to sit in on a smaller group conversation with him. A student asked him how he felt about companies knocking off his shoes and offering extremely similar styles, or “dupes,” for far cheaper. I was surprised when he responded, “If no one was copying me then what would that say about my shoes?”
As a consumer I’ve always appreciated dupes because they’ve allowed me to purchase versions of expensive products I wouldn’t have been able to afford. I’ve always assumed the brands that create products would be offended by dupes because they piggyback off of original designs. However, after hearing that the notorious Stuart Weitzman takes copying as a compliment I have a new perspective on them.
It seems that dupe culture has skyrocketed in recent years, which may be attributed to the growing popularity of TikTok and influencers. While it may not be the original product, some dupes do a great job of offering a nearly perfect substitute. Others… not so much. I’m here to share my experiences with dupes and which products I would recommend splurging on the real deal.
Dupes that I would buy over the original product:
E.l.f. is a drugstore cosmetics brand known for knocking off higher end makeup products. From my experience, most of their products are just as good, if not better than their more expensive counterparts. The e.l.f. Glow Reviver Lip Oil which retails for $8, is a dupe for the $40 Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil. Regrettably, I splurged on the Dior lip oil and was disappointed to find it had a sticky consistency. A few months later, I tried e.l.f.’s dupe which has a smoother formula and is more pigmented. I would definitely recommend saving your $32 and going for the dupe with this one.
The next product category I choose to save my money in is activewear. This isn’t to say I’ve never purchased yoga pants or a scuba hoodie from Lululemon, but I don’t find it necessary to spend an arm and a leg on pieces I workout in. I find that these pieces of activewear experience the most wear and tear, and I would need to replace them just as often, or sooner, if I was to purchase the luxury option. I’ve found great dupes on Amazon that look similar to high-end activewear brands and arguably last longer. One of my favorite Amazon brands is CRZ Yoga, which offers a variety of workout clothing in a soft, durable material that allows you to move freely. A pair of CRZ Yoga leggings costs a third of a pair from Lululemon.
Another time I lean toward dupes is when it comes to trendy clothing. The trend cycle is quicker than ever and pieces seem to be in one day and out the next. Not to condone fast fashion, but I wouldn’t recommend spending a lot of money on microtrend items that you won’t get much wear out of. When I want to follow a trend that I don’t think will last long I tend to look to less expensive stores like H&M.
Original products that I find are worth the splurge:
While most e.l.f. products serve as great dupes, there is one name brand makeup product that I will continue to splurge on. The Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter blurs pores like no other. I gave e.l.f. ‘s dupe, the Halo Glow Liquid Filter, a try and was disappointed to find it didn’t live up to the standard. I found it made me look oily rather than the subtle glow that the original Flawless Filter gives. My hack to save money while splurging is to buy the mini bottle which retails for $19 rather than $49, and still lasts me months.
Another brand I continue to buy from despite the price is Skims. Truly no one does it like Kim Kardashian when it comes to flattering loungewear. I spend 75% of my time in loungewear and Skims makes me feel good doing it. I’ve tried an Amazon dupe of the Skims long sleeve in hopes that it would have the same effect, but unfortunately it didn’t. It does the job but the quality and comfort of Skims is worth every penny in my opinion. They also have frequent sales which is my favorite time to shop so it doesn’t hurt the bank account as much.
Finally, I think that basic clothes that you will get a lot of use out of are worth investing in. I’ve been working on building a capsule wardrobe with staple pieces so I never feel like I have nothing to wear. I think it’s worth it to invest in higher quality t-shirts, jackets, and denim that you can mix and match. You may actually be saving money in the long run since you will have to repurchase less often!
