Many of us have come to rely on Amazon for everything from pet food and paper towels to shampoo and sunscreen. No doubt, the online retailer’s fast shipping, ease of use, and sheer breadth of product is hard to beat. But if you haven’t been scanning Amazon for clothing and accessories, you’re missing out. The marketplace offers tons of affordable items across every category, including shoes, bags, sunglasses, and jewelry. Designer dupes, in particular, have soared in popularity. The next time you want to find a bargain version of the hottest “it” item, head to your browser. Here, a shopping pro explains how to find a dupe for any designer piece you currently covet.
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How to Find Designer Dupes on Amazon
There are more dupes than ever.
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The concept of dupes blew up fairly recently, with USA Today calling it “one of the biggest buying trends this year, especially among young shoppers who have embraced social media and online shopping.”
Dupes—which the outlet explains differ from counterfeits in that they mimic an item’s appearance rather than replicate it—are often available at more affordable price points online and at retailers like Costco and Five Below.
Savvy shoppers post on social media about the best dupes of popular items, from pricy workout leggings to insulated cups. Other shoppers simply use their social media accounts to search for dupes that other people have found. For example, you can use the TikTok search bar to look for a dupe of any given item—you’d then be provided with a slew of videos offering options from around the web. However, that’s not the only way to find dupes, especially ones on Amazon.
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Here's how to find designer dupes on Amazon.
Jeramey Lende/Shutterstock
If you thought the only way to find an Amazon dupe was by inputting a string of keywords into the website’s search bar, think again. TikTok user YourRichBff shared an easy way to find any designer item in just a few steps.
First, navigate to the website for the designer item you’d like to buy. Then, take a screenshot of that item. Navigate to the Amazon app (this hack does not work on the Amazon desktop or mobile interface). Click the camera button near the search bar on Amazon and tap “search your photo.” Select your screenshot. Voila: “You’ll then be shown dupes that cost a teensy fraction of said designer goods,” says YourRichBFF.
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One social media user curated a list of designer dupes.
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While this hack makes it super easy to find your own dupes, YourRichBFF also created an Amazon storefront filled with lots of popular “designer” items.
There’s a $60 version of the Valentino Garavani Rockstud pump, which typically retails for $1,190, a $29 dupe of the Gucci Dyonisis shoulder bag, which typically retails for around $1,100, and a $42 version of Chanel’s viral slingback heels, which typically retail for upward of $1,400.
Many of these dupes have solid reviews, too. One reviewer for the Gucci dupe says, “I get so many compliments on how nice it looks—the only annoying thing is the magnetic button is hard to get to clasp when you’re in a hurry trying to close the bag.” A reviewer on the Chanel slingback dupe notes: “The style is beautiful, like an expensive pair of shoes.”
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Decide when to opt for a dupe and when to go all in.
<a href=https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-adult-african-american-female-consumer-1979496134 target="_blank">Shutterstock / Ground Picture</a>
YourRichBFF explains that she uses this hack for some items and splurges on others. “People are often really surprised to find out I have both authentic and dupe items,” she writes in a comment on her video. “My motto: If it’s forever, get the real [version]. If it’s for a season—dupe.”
Before you invest in a designer dupe of your own, read the reviews of both pieces. From there, you can decide on the purchase that makes the most sense for you.
