Don’t Let the Dupe Deceive You
Dupes have taken the fashion world by storm as an item of clothing that looks similar to, if not exactly like, an existing, more expensive design. That is what fashion bloggers call them, borrowing a well-established term from the beauty world to describe cut-price versions of luxury products that deliver the " same awesome results " at a fraction of the cost. As a consumer, it seems like a win-win situation, you “ appear ” to have that expensive purse plus you did not drain your bank account. Yet, you remain unaware of the legal but unethical theft of the design of the expensive original. I will be the first to admit that I have fallen into this trap myself. I click on the ad, scroll to the dupe, and my finger hovers over the “add to cart” button for at least five minutes. I can not afford the higher quality lululemon leggings, so why not buy the cheaper alternative found on Amazon or Zaful? It seems harmless at the moment, but the impact of purchasing dupes contributes towards the truly detrimental effects of fast fashion in the long run.
Social Media encourages fast fashion’s merciless cycle
The fashion cycle has been an established way of measuring the rate at which trends and consumer purchases move over time. In our social media-oriented world, this cycle has sped up exponentially, requiring brands to move as quickly as they can to outpace their competition. In the astute words of Heidi Klum, “ In fashion, one day you are in and the next you are out. ” This iconic phrase has been around for decades, but social media takes this to a whole new level.
New clothes are easier to buy than they have ever been with 62% of online shoppers buying at least once a month and 26% once a week. Trends move at an inflated rate to keep up with consumer demand. Fast fashion companies such as Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 are at an advantage since they can produce fashion quickly and cheaply. H&M reports under their risk management page, “ To optimize fashion precision, the H&M group buys items on an ongoing basis throughout the season. ” H&M restocks their clothing throughout the year instead of once or twice every season. This business mobility leads to the spread and popularity of dupes, taking the place of the higher quality and more expensive brands that can not keep up with the expedited business model.
It is understandable why dupes are so attractive even to the ethical consumer. They are significantly cheaper than their authentic counterparts and are easy to find, two benefits, especially for budget-conscious college students. Seems too good to be true? That is because it is.
Designer dupes are detrimental to brands
Dupes are not fakes. They do not pretend to be a replica of the designer apparel. Instead, they satisfy the customer that wants a similar (but not exact) look for cheap. Dupes still injure sales, but now they are much more socially accepted and frequently gushed about by popular social media influencers.
Since there are few legal ramifications for companies producing dupes, designer brands have difficulty protecting their designs. Copyright laws rarely protect clothing designs; instead, they focus on labels that might deceive customers. There are very few protections for designers’ creative property since the laws were established decades ago. Fast fashion companies can produce dupes faster than the original brand can get them off the runway, inflating competition.
Large brands are not the only ones affected by this process. Emerging designers cannot compete with the dupe market, and they do not have the resources or money to fight back against these large corporations. The designer’s artistic property is ripped off, and there is little they can do to prevent it. Behemoth fast-fashion corporations gain popularity and traction, and the small brands that strive to sell and profit from their designs are shunned. For example, Pretty Little Thing was called out on Instagram by the smaller brand Do Not Subverge for stealing several of their original designs. The Instagram post can be found here, and the similarities between the shirts are uncanny.
I know how difficult it is to avoid falling into the world of dupes. There is a certain amount of social pressure to look trendy, and most people’s budgets ca not afford to buy $200 jeans, so dupes become an easy and seemingly harmless way to fit in. They do not have the embarrassment and illegality attached to them that counterfeits do, and they are advertised by some of the most admired people.
Image Courtesy: fashiongonerogue
It seems like a lot of pros, but the cons have a real and lasting effect on the fashion business. Do social media influencers have a responsibility to stop normalizing and supporting dupes, considering how harmful they are to the fashion industry? Or is it up to their audience to decide how they want to consume fashion? Even if there is an ethical standard people with a platform should follow, will cheaper and more accessible options always win out? These questions are difficult to answer at the moment, but considering our role as customers and fashion consumers is at least one step in the right direction.
Strike Out,
Writer: Olivia Wakim
Athens