Duped by Dupes

Have you ever fallen down the rabbit hole of looking for affordable dupes online and been persuaded into buying one? Well, you’re not alone. The dupe, (“duplicate”) industry has experienced a boom in recent years. Buying fashion and beauty dupes has become a trend in and of itself, due to a desire for designer and trendy items and a way to sidestep their high inflation-driven prices. The Morning Consult reported their findings that over one-third of U.S. adults purchased a dupe of a luxury product, with Gen Z (49 percent) and millennials (44 percent) shopping for dupes the most. Social media has become the driving force behind the popularity of dupes, with the #dupe hashtag on TikTok generating nearly six billion views.  

It is important to note the distinction between dupes and counterfeits. As Elizabeth Paton, international styles correspondent for The New York Times, puts it, “A dupe is an item that has similarities to a designer item but doesn’t copy the logos or the trademark features. Dupes are generally not illegal, whereas a counterfeit or fake is an item deliberately attempting to pass itself off as the real thing. And counterfeits are illegal.” Dupes are not intended to be carbon copies of the real thing, but as dupes have become synonymous with knockoffs, the big issue regarding dupes is whether or not some infringe on intellectual property rights. While duping designer products is nothing new in the fashion and makeup world, the consumer attitude towards dupes has changed. When younger, you might have been embarrassed about owning a pair of fake Uggs from Walmart; nowadays, finding dupes is a source of pride.

Dupe culture has had great impacts on the fashion and beauty industries. Dupes and fast fashion trends have a relationship that builds off each other. Dupes allow the public to buy cheaper alternatives to trendy clothes, facilitating microtrends, and e-commerce retailers have taken advantage of this, quickly churning out copies of viral clothing. There are areas of dupes that are regarded differently. Duping designer brands is more acceptable, as people argue that these luxury brands take advantage of their customers in the first place, their quality not on par with the sky-high price point. The beauty industry is inundated with popular dupes. The trend forecaster Spate reports that online searches for “dupe + skin care” are up +123.5% and “dupe + makeup” searches are up +31.0%. The makeup brand Elf comes to
mind as being famous for their dupes, their Halo Glow Liquid Filter duping the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter for a fraction of its price. Makeup dupes are especially well received, as it is easy to find ones that are the same or of better quality than the original.

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While saving money is never a bad thing, the question of whether to buy dupes still stands. Copying is still copying, and when corporations create cheaper knockoffs of already-existing products, especially small businesses, and independent brands suffer. Ultimately, it is up to the buyer to choose how she will spend her money. When it comes to the consumption of products, it is always wise to keep in mind the sustainability and ethicalness of the companies that make them. Companies that blatantly steal designs from others’ work should be questioned. It is essential not to be too susceptible to trends and let dupe culture influence you to buy unnecessary items that will be out of style by the next time a shiny new dupe catches your eye. Find qualities that you love in products, and look for affordable options that are inspired, not direct copies. Or save up for the real thing; the sense of satisfaction can be worth it. Still, buying dupes is a viable option, and when taken with thought, can be an effective way to save.