Let’s be honest here, I just graduated college and have plenty of student loans to take care of. I can’t go out and buy one pair of shoes or one bag for $1000+. No shame to the people that can afford to buy that Gucci bag or Balenciaga shoes, more power to you!! But for me at this point in my life, it’s just not realistic or practical (also, I feel like I’m that type of person that would accidentally spill food on it and really freak out..I just don’t know if I can handle that yet lol). I’m sure one day I will splurge and buy something designer, but who knows (maybe, maybe not…idk). ANYWAY! If you’re like me and love designer fashion items but have a budget, then this “cheat sheet” will be perfect for you!
I.AM.GIA. Teddy Coat
…I’ve seen the I.AM.GIA pixie coat range from $110 to $120. I know I.AM.GIA isn’t crazy expensive like the other brands I am going to be talking about in this post, but I have seen so many teddy coats from other brands that are so much cheaper, and the quality is basically the same. I have the teddy coat from Garage Clothing and I wear it everyday. It’s just as good as the I.AM.GIA coat, but more affordable!
Click the + to shop the jackets
Dupes/Similar Items
Garage Clothing Pixie Sherpa Jacket → $47.97 currently 40% off + other colors
Missguided Brown Oversized Jacket → $67.00 currently 40% off site-wide
Missy Empire Rene Camel Teddy Zip Up Jacket → $82.52 currently 30% off site-wide + other colors
Balenciaga Chunky Sneakers
…are $895. Soo many of my favorite fashion bloggers have these shoes and I am OBSESSED with them. Unfortunately, they don’t fit my budget. BUT! It’s okay because I have found the most amazing dupes! I mean come on! The dupes from Jessica Buurman (#1 in photo) are basically the same as the Balenciaga’s, they just don’t have the name on the side.
Shop shoe links at the bottom of the photo
Dupes/Similar Items
- Jessica Buurman Lace Up Mixed Color Sneakers $139.00
- Public Desire Chunky $49.99
- Public Desire Chunky White Trainers $49.99
Balenciaga Boots
…are about $1,490…yeah..too much for me to spend at the moment. Jessica Buurman is an awesome site that has dupes for many designer bags, clothing, and shoes. Although its still a little pricey, its better than spending over $1000 on a single item.
A surprisingly similar dupe is from Nasty Gal! If you have followed along with my blog posts, you’d know by now that I genuinely love the brand Nasty Gal (check out my last posts about the brand here and here). They are always on point with the trends and their quality is very good for being so affordable, but I didn’t think they would come out with a shoe so similar to the Balenciaga booties! I’m so pleasantly surprised and will be definitely be adding this on my “To Buy” list!
Click the + to shop the shoes
Dupes/Similar Items
** Jessica Buurman Cutout Boots Silver Buckles $159.00
Nasty Gal Chain Them Up Faux Leather Bootie → $80.00 currently $32.00
Nasty Gal I’ll See You Cut Out There Buckle Boot → $70.00 currently $28.00
Chanel Bags
…range anywhere between $825 to $5,000. These dupes linked below are SOO similar! I’ve purchased a bag from Crossbody.dk before and I can honestly say the quality is amazing! My next purchase from them is definitely going to be #2, the quilted shopper bag.
Dupes/Similar Items
- Crossbody.dk Lara Chain Crossbody Bag $55.00
- Crossbody.dk Quilted Shopper Bag $66.12
- Crossbody.dk Big Black Quilted Flap Bag $60.00
- Crossbody.dk Diane matte Crossbody $41.83
I hope this “cheat sheet” was helpful! You can still have a “designer-looking” style while being on a budget. You just need to take the time to do some digging to find affordable, similar pieces that are also good quality. Let me know if you want to see more “how to look designer on a budget” posts and I’ll do all of the digging for you!!
xo, Maggie
