I’m trying my hand at something a little different today - good quality designer dupes.

Much like the rest of the population who is interested in fashion, I have a wishlist of designer items that I hope to own one day. But in the meantime, I’m settling for dupes to ease both my wallet and Colin’s mind haha.

However, I want to point out really quickly the difference between dupes (duplicates), and counterfeit items.

A dupe is an item that has qualities of or similarities to a designer item, but doesn't copy logos or trademarks. A dupe is easily distinguishable when compared to the real deal. They often have the same style as a designer item, but it's not trying to pass as authentic. (Legal)
A counterfeit is an item that copies trademarked details and logos to pass itself off as the real thing (read, has a tag with the designer’s logo). Often times, even professionals have a hard time telling if the item is a fake. (Illegal)

All of the items I’m listing are dupes and are not labeled with the designer name on the tag.

I know that a lot of people don’t have issues with buying counterfeit items, I just don’t buy them personally. I’d feel super weird pretending to have a designer item while knowing it’s fake. (It also gets kinda awkward when I see someone boasting a new $30k Hermes handbag that is SURELY not real, but that’s just me.) I have to draw the line because pretending to be something I’m not isn’t authentic, or what I want to be known for. Anyway, that’s my soapbox lol.

Now, for the dupes that I’m wearing all summer! You can shop all the links directly by clicking here.

1. Hermes Oran Sandals - These are the “H” sandal I’m sure you’ve seen floating around many influencers’ feeds. Bloggers seem to be currently obsessed with them, and luckily you can be equally as chic for a lot less. I actually own these in two different colors: white and alligator (not sure that alligator is considered a color, but I’m going with it haha). While the designer sandals cost $620, the Steve Madden version are only $40. AND Target has a pair that are veryyy similar for only $20. The Steve Madden pairs I own are super comfortable, and are made with real leather. Overall, 10/10.

*from left to right: authentic Hermes, Steve Madden dupe, Target dupe*

2. Yves Saint Laurent Lou Lou Heart Sunglasses - Okay, full disclosure I came SO CLOSE to buying the real deal when Colin and I were in Vegas this January, and now I’m really glad that I didn’t, mainly because it’s too much money to spend on sunglasses that I will inevitably break or lose. I found a perfect dupe on Amazon for a FRACTION of the price.

The authentic YSL pair costs $420 new (yikes), but the Amazon pair is only $9.99. There are several Amazon stores that sell the knockoff heart sunglasses, so I ordered a pair from two different sellers to compare quality. The seller I’ve linked to was significantly better in quality than the other store, as well as sells them in a plethora of colors. These are a quality weight, don’t feel cheap, and the arms of the sunglasses open smoothly. (The other pair I ordered had none of these characteristics.) While the oversized heart sunglasses may not be for everyone (or everyday), I think they’re super fun, especially when I don’t have to fear losing them. I’d give these a 9/10.

top: authentic YSLbotton: Amazon dupe — *top: authentic YSL*
*botton: Amazon dupe*

3. Valentino Rockstud Jelly Sandal - Unlike a lot of designers, Valentino was one that I had to acquire a taste for (how high brow does that sentence make me sound haha). I wasn’t really sure about the whole “metal studs on everything” look, but now I’m starting to like it in moderation.

These sandals are another one of the seemingly “it” items for fashion bloggers in the summer, so I was curious if I could find a quality dupe of the $345 Valentino sandal. Sure enough, Amazon came through. For only $19.99, you, too, can be fancy. While I don’t think I’d wear these just out and about with street clothes, I do think they’re perfect for the pool or beach. For someone who hates wearing leather sandals to places where they’re going to get wet, these plastic sandals are the perfect alternative. My one caution is that if you have a narrow foot, the straps may be a little wide for you. I consider my feet to be perfectly average in width, and they have a little wiggle room. That being said, if you have a wide foot, THESE ARE FOR YOU. They come very well packaged from the seller but have a faint plastic smell on arrival (the smell went away after about an hour). They also come in nude (a light pink) and black. Overall, 7/10 for the straps and slight scent. Still definitely worth the money.

*left to right: authentic Valentino sandal, Amazon dupe*

4. Christian Dior Twilly Scarf - If you’re unfamiliar with them, twilly scarves have been popular for some time now, and are worn a multitude of ways (most commonly, the scarves are worn on a handbag, around the neck, around the wrist, or as a hair accessory.)

At $190, the tiny strip of fabric doesn’t do much for me, especially when I can buy a dang good dupe for only $10. Amazon, once again, produced SO MANY OPTIONS that I found it really hard to narrow it down.

I ended up going two different options - a Dior twilly dupe, and a Hermes twilly dupe. (I tried to buy a Louis Vuitton dupe in cheetah, but they were back-ordered, which is good because what would I do with three? haha). Both twillies came well made - tight seams, good color, no smell, and the same size as an authentic twilly. The Hermes dupe came packaged super cute as well! I got both because the Hermes was more a little more fun, while the Dior was neutral.

These were the only items I ordered that came close to being counterfeit. The Dior dupe does have “CD” in the design, and the Hermes has “H” in the design. However, since neither of them actually have the designer name listed, and both have tags that say “made in china” (lol) I decided they were fine. Definitely a 10/10.

*on the left, authentic twillies. on the right, Amazon dupes.*

5. Gucci Headband - I actually spotted my first Gucci headband dupe while I was out and about in DC. There was a girl wearing one a few tables over from me at a restaurant, and after spotting her, I spent the rest of my meal looking for something similar online. I found this specific one from an Etsy seller who handmakes all of her headbands and does a fantastic job. She has a ton to choose from (from different designer dupes to different styles) and all are under $20. What ultimately sold me on her, was that she was also a Kansas Citian. After all of these Amazon purchases, the least I can do also recommend a local business as well. (balance, right?) Go check her out! You won’t be disappointed, 10/10.