I admit—I am not the deals girl. I don’t scour the web for the lowest prices or wait until a possible sale before purchasing an item. If I like something, I’m willing to pay full price to get it NOW. I also love a great designer piece. A luxury handbag is my achilles heal. Because of this, my wardrobe is small. However, it’s cultivated of pieces I love and will wear/use for years.
Yet.
Over the years, I have seen more and more “dupes” (aka duplicates—less expensive copies of high end pieces) appear on the market, which is making me reconsider some things. Yes, there will always be items I invest in. Timeless pieces, like a Chanel purse or Burberry trench. But when it comes to more trendy items, things I can’t seem to pull the trigger on, I’m digging the idea of dupes.
Dupes allow me to wear the latest trend without regretting the splurge. And thankfully, retailers understand this. Target, Steve Madden, and Forever 21 to name a few are offering some amazing duplicates that’ll let you trend-out your wardrobe for less.
One of this season’s hottest items: these Gucci loafers. Seen ‘em? I bet you have. Not a huge loafer/slide girl, I wasn’t about to drop $680 on a pair of shoes I might not wear for long. But thanks to Target and Forever 21, I could try the trend for cheap.
- Target’s Backless Slip On Loafer Mules by A New Day are only $22.99.
- Steve Madden Kandi Mules are only $69.99.
Another hot trend this season is the Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots for a low low price (#sarcasm) of $798. Yes, they’re gorgeous. Yes they’re real suede. But will I wear over-the-knee-boots in Southern California for more than one month combined? Probably not. Enter the dupes!
- Once again Steve Madden knocks it out of the park with their duplicates—similar gorgeous boot for less then $100.
- Forever 21’s faux suede over-the-knee boots are only $44.90. And I adore the grey color.
Last favorite trend? The Chanel color block heels for $950. These are as timeless as they come. Yes, I did say I tend to invest in timeless trends. However, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to justify $950 shoes. One scuff and I’m done. So? Dupes it is.
- A bit more than Target and Forever 21 prices, yes. But Sam Edelman makes a fabulous duplicate of these Chanel pumps that can’t be ignored for only $120.
- Similarly, Ivanka Trump’s slingbacks are just $125 and just as classic.
Shelter from the Storms: Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter open through March 1
Thanks for reading our post on The Look For Less: Serious Shoe Dupes! On another matter, the Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter is open during the current bad weather season, on nights with a forecast of 40 degrees or below and/or 40 percent chance of rain until March 1. During the 2015-2016 winter, the last season with available records, the BWS was open a total of 33 nights. It served a total of 1,941 guests — 1,423 men and 518 women.
To find out if the shelter is open each night, call the BWS Hotline at (888) 915-8111. For all other questions, call(626) 797- 2402.
