The Internet recently lost its collective mind over the Wirkin (no longer available), a knockoff of the famed Hermès Birkin bag offered via a third-party vendor on Wal-Mart. The bag promptly went viral, then sold out and spawned a bunch of think pieces on whether it's the end of luxury as we know it (short answer: nope) and/or whether it's signaling a class revolt (well, maybe). In case you're not familiar with the Hermès Game, the Birkin (named after the famous model Jane Birkin, who was previously known for using a literal basket as a handbag) and the Kelly (the Birkin's older, slightly more structured shoulder bag, named after the iconic Grace Kelly) are highly controlled in terms of inventory and only offered to clients who spend a certain amount of money with Hermès—e.g. you can't just walk in off the street and buy one when the mood strikes. Oh, and they start in the high four figures. This scarcity—plus the fact that they're hand-stitched by actual French artisans—is what makes them so luxurious, so the irony of a dupe being offered at the most pedestrian, middle-American mass-market store of them all is not lost on me. Granted, you're not going to fool anyone with a Wirkin (especially if you're shopping at Wal-Mart), but that's beside the point. Yes, Hermès has been duped for years, but when a luxury item is knocked off so much, it can lose its luster. Shall we topple the aristocracy?
Do I own any real Hermès items? Yes. Do I own any dupes? Also yes. These
A New Day slippers were $15 at Target, and while they're faux, they're a pretty good dupe of the lamb-fur version of the famous
Oran sandals. They're comfy, they're chic, and did I mention they're $15? Size down. Read on for more Hermès dupes.
1. While we're on the topic of Oran sandals, they've been duped to high heaven, but arguably the most democratic entry is Steve Madden's $60 Haydn sandal, a real leather style they keep bringing back year after year.
Steve Madden Haydn slide $59.95
2. The secret, of course, is that Orans actually aren't very comfortable at all; if you can handle the dorkiness of the Birkenstock-esque Chypre, it's a much more walkable sandal. Steve Madden's version doesn't have a leather footbed, but overall, I think it's a pretty damn good dupe.
Steve Madden Mayven $89.95
3. The Birkin and the Kelly get all the notoriety, but I personally prefer the slouchy look of the Picotin, which, if you're lucky, you can sometimes order directly on the Hermès website (and often for under $5k, a veritable bargain!). This, however, is a good bag to dupe, because the logo stamp is on the inside of the bag, making it somewhat easier to pass off as the real deal—if that's what you're going for.
Amazon leather bucket bag $79.88
4. All luxury brands are dupe-able if you ask Tiffany & Fred—a search on Rue La La brings up faux Bottega Veneta, Celine, Balenciaga, and so on. I am partial to their scaled-down take on the Garden Party tote, another more under-the-radar Hermès bag.
Tiffany & Fred Paris Pebble Cashmere & Leather Tote $169.99
5. But if it's a quota bag you want, Lily & Bean makes ridiculously tiny, candy-colored versions of the mini Kelly that, at this price, seem actually cute; as a so-not-authentic bonus, you can add your name or initials (I'd be tempted to go with, simply, DUPE).
Lily & Bean Hettie bag $144
