Which is better: Investing in the real deal or buying a dupe?

We all love to save when we can; it can be a great sale at your favorite store or bargaining at an estate sale. But is there a difference between dupes vs. the real deal?

Let's get down to it... dupes vs. the real deal. It can be anything from decor or clothes, but I will chat about clothes in today's post, particularly one store, Free People. We've all probably heard about it & may have an item or a wardrobe full of the iconic store or a wish list that we look at & even a shopping cart going. Truth be told, it is a pricey store. But I will admit Free People has a fantastic sale section & it's one to keep your eye on, especially if an item you love is on sale; it is most likely the price will drop even more, if it remains to be in stock. But then, there's good ol' Amazon. If you type, Free People Dupes, hundreds of items will pop up with identical pieces & even pictures from the FP website! We'll leave that to someone else to chat about it further because it is illegal or morally wrong to take someone's picture & use it for advertising a different product to gain financially or whatever it maybe. 4

My view is this: why would one want to buy a copy of something? Even though they're a big store chain & not your local small shop, they still need to work hard to design the integrity of their merchandise & provide employment to thousands of people. FP sells Levi's, LEE jeans, Sorel & many other brands, but they also have their exclusive collections. I would be upset if someone were selling dupes of me or of a product that I created.

I have considered buying one of those dupes for a fraction of the cost. I did last summer, a pink one-piece. I even shared it on Instagram, I thought about removing the post, put it's part of my past, a live & learn & move on moment. The style was on point, but the detail of the zipper was way off & the thickness of the fabric. After that, if I wanted an FP item, I'd shop directly with the store to respect the brand again.

I see all the time on social media others sharing from FP or other stores & instead of buying the real thing, they turn to Amazon or other shops that offer dupes. To each their own & of course, one's budget. I couldn't tell you the quality of the dupes or their differences. But the quality of the items I have from FP is made to last for a very long time, maybe forever. Is it pricey? Yes; is it worth it? To me, yes, quality. Better, I believe so. If you're looking to save a significant amount & not in it for the quality, then going dupe may be your choice, but FP is tough to match up. I love Amazon; it's my go-to for many items. But there's nothing like the real thing for specific stores like FP.

I'm interested to know your thoughts. What is your take on dupes? Drop your answer below in the comments; no answer is wrong. Again, it's everyone's opinion, their budget.

I've added some of my recent Free People finds. Sorry, no dupes, just the OG items.

XO