9 Dupes For The Designer Purses You Adore But Are Never Gonna Buy
Buy all 9, and you’ll still spend less than you would on 1 designer.
by The Candidly Team
One thing we really appreciate about a bag is that once you own a good one, you can throw it on over your cheapest, most boring clothes and instantly look chic.
Which is why when you find your most favorite lifetime bag on the planet, we’ll concede that it might be worth a splurge.
Ours was … in our opinion. You can see our reasons why HERE.
But we are just in no way living a life where we can afford every gorgeous bag we lust after. Year upon year. Trend upon trend.
So when we find a dupe that is really and truly a gem unto itself, we get pretty excited about it. Possibly even a little smug.
Image from Miramax
In short, we’re very pleased to share that our endless hours of lusting have led us to 9 gorgeous dupes for our favorite designer bags. They may cost a fraction, but they’re equally elevating to everything we wear.
Shall we take a look?
1. DESIGNER VS DUPE
The Bottega Veneta Jodie bag has been living rent free in our heads for long enough for us to accept that this is a design we’re not about to fall out of love with. It has those timeless elements of an everyday bag, that swooping, slouchy shape and rich texture, but it’s also an original with it’s woven handle and heart-stopping knot. Isn’t that all we want in a bag? Something classic that lasts forever but also is a unique artistic expression of us?
But spending 3k for a bag is not an expression of us. Which is why we were overjoyed to find this brilliantly similar design, also genuine leather but a fraction of the price.
2. DESIGNER VS DUPE
Maybe you recognize this purse as the one we will not shut up about - the one we’re always wearing in those photos where we show you how clothes look on our non-model selves. We finally just came out and wrote an entire article about it.
In addition to it being the ideal size, shape, and look, it’s crossbody so we can drape is across ourselves and feel like it’s part of our outfit.
The Clare V. version comes in a sea of colors and textures that are just a pleasure to even gaze upon. But when we actually invested in one (which half of us here did), we either chose the rich tan color or black, in smooth or woven leather.
Then Quince came along and created a genuine, Italian leather bag that has all these same lovely elements. Can you even spot the difference?
They also have their own woven version HERE. Same “quiet luxury” look. But less than a third of the price.
3. DESIGNER VS DUPE
Ok, we know we’re getting a bit bold here, because this bag literally screams its own name 6 times on the handle, but the reason we firmly believe you can get this same chic effect for literally $36 is this. This is a CANVAS bag people. Not some buttery leather crafted in the artisanal tannery of the Italian Alps.
The main things that make it sophisticated and understated and mildly Parisian are all sort of repeatable: the practical shape, the blend of neutral colors and textures, and the functionality. It’s a bag you could wear on a sunny day with a linen dress or as part of your most foolproof work outfit.
$36 is hard to beat, but if you still long for that label-forward, designer vibe, there’s also THIS iconic tote from Marc Jacobs, which is under $200.
4. DESIGNER VS DUPE
We really only started to outright lust after Loewe bags after watching THIS show. There’s always some specific detail that makes it feel like art instead of just a sack we lug all our junk around in. Like the little drawstring cinch at the top of this creamy clutch. We can just see it swinging alongside every one of our spring dresses, making them/ us look more like we know what we’re doing fashion-wise (which is big, given that 87% of the time we’re in house clothes).
Point is, we found the dream dupe. Still leather. Still stunningly crafted. It comes in other colors, though the cream has tethered itself to our heartstrings. And the price is on a whole other planet.
5. DESIGNER VS DUPE
We don’t typically do celeb-driven trends, but sometimes we admittedly do get … ideas. And oftentimes those ideas do come from Jennifer Aniston. This bag being a prime example. No one looks better than she did in basically just jeans and a tank but with this Tom Ford bag swooped across her body (see the exact look HERE).
This bag just elevates everything around it. It’s elegant but also has that cool factor that kind of ages us backwards. We’ve been on the prowl for a solid, affordable version of it for some time now. And well, we’re pretty pleased with ourselves today, because THIS one is a real and true gem.
6. DESIGNER VS DUPE
Polene bags are known for their original shape and a neutral color palette that looks like a Pantone sheet was blessed by an earth deity. Sorry to get all flowery. This bags just brings that out of us.
But if you want cold, hard numbers instead, this dupe costs 13x less than the original. And yet, look how pretty!
7. DESIGNER VS DUPE
Two things:
1) A basket bag is the easiest way to carry around the hoards of semi-neurotic items we need by our side at all times and still look like we’re some carefree, elegant, cottage-chic lady.
2) When you add a little leather detail, you also look very luxe.
Yes, we could spend hundreds of dollars on a literal (albeit lovely) basket. Or we could scoop up this one from Target, and wear it with anything on THIS list to feel like we’ve mastered the art of dressing for spring/ summer.
8. DESIGNER VS DUPE
Ugh, the bow. Why are we 8 years-olds every time we see one? But this one isn’t childish. It’s Audrey Hepburn. And Grace Kelly. And it lives on the bag we’ll be carrying to every wedding and occasion from now til forever.
The splurge is somewhat doable for a lifetime “event bag.” But for $80 and real Italian leather, we turn, once again, to Quince.
9. DESIGNER VS DUPE
Ok fine, we said we don’t do trends, then we finish on a sling bag. But there are few things that are this minimalist that also feel sort of cool, almost sporty, and honestly, just very, very us.
Strap this bag across a wispy, white tee and some baggy jeans, and you will look cool. That’s just what happens. And somehow, inexplicably, it’s also … flattering? What is this sorcery?
Designers are all trying to create their own version of this bag. But we actually like Madewell’s the best. Their quality is incredible. The shape - perfection.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
We have to eat.
