The Cut - A Day in Dupes

When I first moved to New York City at the height of indie sleaze, there was no such thing as a designer dupe. If you wanted to dress like you had access to the latest runway collections on an unpaid intern’s lunch stipend, then the closest you could get were hard-won sample-sale finds, questionable Canal Street knockoffs, and eBay resellers attempting to flip Goodwill pieces as unmarked designer vintage. Today, the retail landscape couldn’t be more different. No matter the product, a cheaper, remarkably similar alternative is always just a Google search away. In fact, it seems like authenticity is no longer the point for the majority of consumers. Most would rather have the latest TikTok imitation at a steep discount than pay more for the logo or craftsmanship of a luxury item. Over the last decade, it feels as though we’ve gone from bargain shoppers to firm believers that we deserve to pay pennies for anything and everything we want, including high-end designer goods. So as someone who has always been foolish enough to pay for actual brand names, I decided it was high time I give my bank account a breather and find out if these dupes can stand up to the real deal.

Let’s rip this Band-Aid off first: Student-loan debt is about to skyrocket thanks to retroactive interest. She’s leaving the show, but Padma will always be top chef in our hearts. Edward Enninful, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief since 2017, is going to need new business cards soon. Read this bloodbath of a review of the Brooklyn Museum’s new Picasso exhibition. The question of what Adidas would do with all those Yeezys has been answered. And a plea: Eat less red meat. You can start this weekend and make some delicious fried green tomatoes to eat while watching — duh — Fried Green Tomatoes.

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