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Mossimo dress from Target | size medium – not available online, also in more colorways, including black
Rag & Bone Quinn Sandals | size 38 – they run true to size
3.1 Phillip Lim Ryder Satchel | large
Of course there’s not Raquel Allegra at Target, and I do feel sort of bad even saying that, but when I spotted this dress (near the James Perse knockoff below), I knew I needed to at least try it on. I had sort of been looking for a white dress and you know I’m obsessed with Raquel Allegra, and this dress is such an obvious copy of the Raquel Allegra original that I’ve been coveting.
I definitely don’t advocate buying knockoffs, and mostly I steer away from copies as well, but sometimes I have to give in…and this was one of those times. Actually, the mossimo dress really makes me want to try and find the original Raquel Allegra one now, because I’m pretty sure I’d wear it a lot. Although we’ll have to see about that.
The Mossimo dress is sort of a slubbed, fleecy material, lightweight, and thin, sort of cheap-looking close-up for sure. And it’s brighter white than the Raquel Allegra original, sort of bright for wearing alone, but I wanted to show it to you without anything on top. Otherwise, I’d probably layer it with a lightweight black cardigan or cropped tee; something to tone it down a bit…
I do love the way it looks, which ultimately makes me think I’d love the real Raquel Allegra one as well if I can ever get it for 50% off.
Oh, and I definitely did not buy this next dress, but I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you James Perse fans about it…
It’s absolutely NOT similar in any way to the quality of James Perse (its’ not made in the US, not double layered, or stretchy at all), BUT it’s a great way to try out a similar style without spending a lot of money. If you try it, and you really like the style, and ruching, then you will LOVE the ruched James Perse dresses. I’m wearing a medium in this dress, and it also comes in a navy/black/gray version that was pretty nice.
Overall, both dresses from Target are good, easy, inexpensive summer dresses that you really don’t have to worry so much about. And even if you do already have a closet full of James Perse, it’s nice to sometimes be able to grab something you don’t have to worry about if you stain it, or get a hole. These would both be good for a beach vacation…
Have you ever purchased something that was an obvious copy of a more expensive item you’ve been coveting? Did it lead you to purchase the more expensive one eventually? or stick with the cheaper version?
I’m not familiar with Raquel Allegra, but did go look at the original dress (sold out) – so you know it’s nice! I like the original mix of soft brown and black.
The Target dress is nice too. I just purchased a Target summer dress .. hope to wear it this weekend as the temps sore back to the 90’s at the coast .. whoo hoo!
Monica.
Warning – Long comment 🙂
Your post rings a bell with me!
Knowing I’ve always been fond of Hermes (talk about expensive!), but against my will (did not advocate knock-offs either), my husband brought me back a fake Evelyne bag from China. Turns out that, even if an expert eye could tell the difference with the real thing (the perforations are a tad smaller), the overall quality of the bag is really good: leather, color, etc – which is why he bought it in the first place.
Unwillingly, it has become my go-to bag: convenient, goes with everything in my wardrobe, just my style. I use it every day and it’s just the perfect bag for me, timeless on top of it. This convinced me to splurge to acquire the real thing (100x the price of the knock-off…), so as not to feel guilty anymore about carrying a counterfeit purse and knowing I would use it for years to come – I am not a bag person and bought only three maybe in the past ten years!!!
Issue: it has been over a year, and the real thing in that same color I love is impossible for me to get my hands on. eBay is scary and my numerous visits to Hermes stores never yielded the right color/size. And price is up 10% every year that goes by…
Conclusion: I wear my real scarf and my real wallet in a knock-off bag, feeling bad about it some days, and feeling life is too short not to enjoy what we can afford, even knock-offs, the other days.
First world problems 🙂
I saw that dress in Target this weekend and I think they didn’t have my size which is why I didn’t try it on. I thought it looked really cute and your pictures confirm that.
I don’t buy straight knock-offs but don’t mind as much the inspired by versions of things. As great as it would be to have designer items, I feel like the prices have gotten to be a bit excessive.
I bought an inspired Alexander Wang bag at Forever 21 and I did carry it but felt weird about it. I felt like an imposter lol. I never got the original Alexander Wang bag, but I also got rid of the F21 version too because I want quality bags and I think I would have liked it better if it was an original design. Interestingly enough, I have a Proenza Schouler bag that Forever 21 knocked-off and I ended up getting the F21 version even though I had the original. The F21 version came in a color that I wanted and it’s one of Proenza’s less popular styles so I don’t feel like most people would recognize it.
Well it’s it a coincidence that I just happen to have a Target errand on my list for today! Since the dress in my opinion is trendy, that makes it OK to purchase the knockoff. If the expensive item is more neutral and classic and has major versatility in the existing wardrobe, I think it is worth it. {For example, the James Perse ruched boatneck black dress that I own and love because it can be worn in numerous ways and occasions.}
I’ve given this a lot of thought to the subject of knock-offs over the years. And while I have yet to come to any hard and fast rules, I don’t necessarily consider a tie-dye tank dress at Target, or anywhere else for that matter, to be a “copy” of the Raquel Allegra dress. The way I see it, high-end trends filter down to the masses and a few of us can shell out for the original, some can buy the Macy’s version, and most of us end up more than happy with the Target dress. But are the two dresses alike? No.
But purchasing exact copies that bill themselves as the original is out of bounds for me. It’s not like I haven’t been tempted while walking by a sidewalk vendor in Manhattan with “Prada’s” for $50, but I learned how seriously the law takes it when a store in Saratoga Springs that was selling copies was not only shut-down, but the seller was arrested! That put my desire for a Prada at any cost to rest. It’s not for me to say what others should do, just for myself, it’s a no-go.
i think i know the AW bag from forever21 of which you speak! it was a pretty good copy 🙂
my friend and i go to forever21 and were joking once about how she’s buying helmut lang and i’m buying free people, because they have nearly exact copies of them there, and for certain things, that i know i won’t wear enough to pay so much for, or don’t think the quality of the expensive version is as good, then i will buy it at f21. then i feel sort of guilty about it…
ha! thanks for your comment marie!
you’re right…life is too short, both to not buy what you can’t afford, and also to “judge” people who do. i’ve been guilty of that before – BOTH things – and i don’t want to do it anymore. so you go on with your bag, and rock it out!
i guess i get a little irritated that people can’t be more “original” with their purchases, and instead of buying a knockoff coach bag, for example, just buy a cute bag from target that’s the same price, and probably more interesting. it’s the status thing that bugs me, and that some women think they must have a certain brand (with logos on it) to make sure everyone who sees them knows they have “money” or whatever…
good points juli…
i definitely will spend much less on things i won’t wear very often, or only for a season (summer dresses, for example)
yes, styles/designs do “filter” down, but it’s obviously inspired by raquel allegra’s original design and popularity. and that kind of upsets me – she’s not exactly a huge designer, but i also don’t think it’s going to hurt her very much…she’s got a very loyal clientele anyway.
i’m honestly pretty conflicted about it…i don’t like the idea in general – i like originality – but obviously i partake sometimes
I hear what you’re saying about originality. I think designers, like artists, deserve to be paid well for their original work. I’m not sure that it’s possible to prevent knockoffs, though.
But, in thinking about it more, (And that’s what I love about your posts: You don’t let me off the hook!) I realized that we have certain “movements” in art, such as Impressionism, Pointillism, Dadaism, Pop-Art, etc., and in part, that’s because they were drawn to paint in and frequent the same locales, not unlike fashion designers in NY, and were inspired by one another’s work. But wouldn’t culture and art be less rich and intriguing if we didn’t have all of those collections?
We could look at higher end designers such as Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, and Ann Demeulemeester and it would be feasible to see James Perse as having been inspired by those designers. I don’t think that makes him any less valid, but he sells at a different price point. But if you examine their works together, you find definite similarities.
I think we’ll always see knockoffs because the “people” dream of having a “Van Gogh” hanging on their living room wall, even if it’s just a print in a Target frame, because they appreciate the beauty even though they know they can never have the real thing. Much the same with clothing: “I desire a Rick Owens dress, but it’s more than my clothing budget for the whole year, so this one with similar features from H&M will do nicely!”
I’ve been poor, and I’ve been firmly middle-class. And I know I’ll always long for something I can’t have (Darned human nature!), but sometimes a substitute will do. Thanks for listening, Grechen!
excellent points, as usual 😉
it’s virtually impossible to pinpoint who first came up with a specific look – even raquel allegra’s could have been inspired (probably was…) by rick owens’ (the scooped hem at the bottom of the dress). i think it’s the tie-dye on the target version that is so blatant. but then again, that’s why i bought it 😉