Dupe (noun and verb, pronounced "doops") is a fashion slang term short for "duplicate." A dupe is an affordable item that closely resembles a more expensive designer piece in style, silhouette, or feel, without carrying the designer's branding or price tag.
The term rose to prominence through social media in the 2010s and 2020s, as creators began sharing affordable alternatives to popular products with their audiences. "Dupe" is now standard vocabulary in fashion and beauty shopping, and phrases like "designer dupes" and "Amazon dupes" rank among the most searched fashion terms on the internet.
Dupe vs. counterfeit. A dupe is inspired by a designer item. It does not use the designer's logo, brand name, or trademarked markings. A counterfeit, by contrast, illegally copies the branding to pass itself off as the genuine article. Counterfeits are illegal; dupes are legal.
Dupe vs. knockoff. The terms overlap, but "knockoff" traditionally suggests a cheaper copy and sometimes carries a hint of the illicit. "Dupe" is the friendlier, modern term and generally implies a legitimate lookalike. Learn more on the knockoffs fashion term page.
"Inspired by." Retailers and reviewers often describe dupes as "inspired by" the original piece. This phrasing captures the relationship honestly: the item takes its design cues from a popular product while standing as its own legitimate merchandise.
Apparel Search has created a full Designer Dupes guide with brand-by-brand pages to help shoppers find quality affordable alternatives, including Lululemon dupes, Hermes dupes, Skims dupes, Ugg dupes, and Birkenstock dupes.
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