Years ago a friend of mine who lived in Manhattan rationalized buying a cheap knockoff of a designer handbag from a street vendor on Canal Street: “They charge ridiculous amounts for the real thing. I don’t feel bad buying one that looks pretty darn close.”
I think a lot of us can relate.
Now, there is a difference between a knockoff and a counterfeit. A counterfeit is simply illegal. It’s a direct copy of an original, including the logo and details. The culture surrounding the sale of counterfeit merchandise is both sleazy and slightly dangerous. But a knockoff is something that has a similar design to an original, but with a bit less refinement, and without the cache, the designer name and price tag. In the US, knockoffs are legal and manufacturers just consider it the cost of creating aspirational merchandise.
Buying something that has the “flavor” of the real thing, at one-fifth to one-tenth the price of an authentic designer item, can feel like a real coup. So let’s take a look at some examples of bargains based on pocket drainers.
Birkin Bag
Kelly Bag
Hermes Kelly and Birkin
Named for Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin, these bags are considered a basic in any couture wardrobe. They have a boxy/rectangular shape and a top handle and are fundamentally Classic in design. (Jane Birkin, who has a LOT of High Spirited style, wished they had never named the bag for her.) It can make just about any wardrobe look a bit more sophisticated. An original Kelly or Birkin bag can set you back anywhere from $9,000 to $50,000. But there are a lot of knockoffs in a less stratospheric price range.
Teddy Blake bag
Naked Italian
London Manufacturer Teddy Blake sells some for from $400-$1400 that look very well-made and have all the same features. OK – so, that’s still a little “aspirational” for your budget? Try Naked Italian Bags. They have a lot of really good lookalikes for about $250 (and they give my readers a 10% discount with the code: NKD10%.) And then there’s good ol’ Amazon. There’s hardly anything they don’t distribute these days and you will find a lot of good imitations ranging from about $65 to $165 here.
Chanel
Rebecca Minkoff
An Amazon lookalike
The little quilted Chanel bag is a staple in many a trust-funder’s wardrobe and starts out at about $6k. (The classic black one looks a tad dated to me, personally, but it still says “luxe.”) You certainly don’t have to pay that much to get something that is, basically, just a quilted fold over clutch with a chain strap. Rebecca Minkoff has this one on sale for a couple hundred bucks. And there’s this one from Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld’s own non-couture brand. And of course, Amazon has a whole bunch of them from $16 to $130.
Summer Straw
Balenciaga
J. Crew tote
And since we’re coming into the warmer months, straw and woven bags are everywhere. Nothing seems sillier me, however, than paying $1200 for a straw tote like this Balenciaga from Nieman Marcus. J Crew has this one for $60. There are a lot of fun styles this year as designers are playing with color and weave. But paying $1500 for a Lily Parker seems a tad silly when Zara has some really cute ones for $50, like this green basket bag (below right.) And speaking of Zara, their enormous bag selection actually blew me away. The quality they can deliver at those prices is pretty amazing (probably because they likely use indentured labor…alas.)
Lily Parker
Zara hexagonal
I encourage you to take inspiration from the high end of fashion and always go for the best you can afford. The tailoring and materials are usually better. You can throw on an old pair of jeans and a tee shirt but just add an expensive bag and, voila! Everything about your outfit is suddenly elevated. Still, you can look elegant on a budget. Just learn from paying attention to the best, and then find something similar that won’t flatten your bank account… and then, own it! When it comes to buying handbags that’s really easy to do.
Keepin’ it real, here’s to the Real You!
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