Although a dupe mimics a designer product in terms of design, there is a clear difference between buying a dupe and buying a fake. When you buy a dupe, you don’t pretend to be wearing the designer product it replicates. At least, you don’t claim to be doing so. The dupe does appear very much the same with the real thing with only slight difference that defines that it is a different product. The dupe also doesn’t show the designer’s logo. In a nutshell, a dupe is a unique product on its own and doesn’t try to fake the designer product it imitates.
This is where a dupe is different from a fake. When you buy a fake, you want to shout before your peers that you are wearing a designer product, although you actually aren’t. A fake desperately mimics the design of a designer product. This desperate endeavor often results in almost excellent imitation of the look—including the product’s brand logo—but with extremely inferior quality. And because it also duplicates the logo, a fake is considered an illegal product. You can wear it legally, but distributing it while claiming it to be the real product is illegal.
Next, there is also a clear difference between buying one particular dupe and buying another dupe. Not all dupes are created equal. Remember that a dupe is still a cheaper alternative for a designer product, so quality control is not as strict as that of designer products. If you aren’t smart enough when choosing a dupe, you may end up buying a low-quality one. In fact, you might be tricked into buying a fake even if your real intention is to buy a dupe.
If you want to buy a dupe, be sure that you do some research and exploration of the different products that you want to buy. Also, research on the designer products that are imitated so that you can specify the standard on which the imitation is made. The closer the dupe to the designer product in terms of quality, look, and everything, the better it is and the worthier it is for purchase. Just because you try to buy a cheap alternative doesn’t mean you have to disregard its quality.
The strategy to buy a high-quality dupe starts when you have an intention to do so. There are many possible motives for people to buy dupes. The majority are interested in dupes because they cannot afford the thousand-dollar designer products but wish to be able to at least wear something that has the same look. There are also customers who can actually afford the real product, but they prefer to buy a dupe because they prefer to invest their money for something that is more valuable. There are also people who buy dupes because they want to try the imitations before buying the real products. A dupe can be a great tool to experiment with various styles that match yours before you buy the real product.
Based on this consideration, you should be able to pick the right dupe. If you plan to use the dupe regularly, the build quality of the dupe becomes the most important factor. You are fortunate if you can find a dupe that is close to the designer product in terms of quality and look; however, if the situation compels you to choose between quality and look, you should focus on build quality first. Many dupes show design elements that are significantly different from those of the designer products they imitate, but they do have premium build that ensures their resilience and longevity. By focusing on build quality, you can wear something unique and beautiful long enough before it falls apart.
If you want to buy a dupe for trial purpose before you buy the real product, you may want to prioritize on the look first. The closer the look of the dupe to that of the designer product it imitates, the more suitable it is for trial. You are experimenting with styles, and the look of everything that you wear is the strongest asset to choose the right style. Although the product’s build quality becomes a secondary feature to consider, it is still important. Many people who initially buy a dupe for trial eventually love it and enjoy wearing it on daily basis because it is simply worthy for showing off. You should anticipate this situation and therefore buy a dupe with excellent look and reasonable build quality.
Now, where should you buy the dupes? When you want to buy a designer product, you definitely prefer to buy it from authorized dealers who can guarantee the product’s genuineness, quality, and warranty. When you want to buy a dupe, an authorized dealer might not be the best place to visit. This is not because they may scam you. It is the other way around. Customers often scam authorized dealers by returning fakes or low-quality dupes. Imagine you visit an authorized dealer and then buy the returned crap. You will definitely hate the outcome.
When you want to buy a dupe, a consignment store might be a better party to make a deal with. Although the aforementioned scam is still a possibility, it is much rarer because consignment stores generally don’t allow customers to return the purchased product. In other words, when you buy a dupe from a consignment store, you buy an item that the dealer has in their inventory.
Consignment stores are also better places to shop for dupes because there is a competition that forces them to offer only the best products to their customers. If you are familiar with shopping through Instagram, other social media websites, and online marketplaces, you should be able to choose a reputable consignment store quite easily. Perform some shopping experiments and you can eventually get the product you like the most.
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