"Inspired by" vs. "Tacky ripoff" - YouLookFab Forum

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"Inspired by" vs. "Tacky ripoff"

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

On my shopping adventures (online), I found this pretty red dress by Eliza J - it has a lot of the elements that I like - the peplum, and the volume at the bottom, although I really need to be more daring and try pleats! I also like the bold zipper on the back!

I was reminded, though, of Kate M having a similar dress (Alexander McQ) - #3.

When does a dress cross the mark between being an "inspired by" - I'm sure Alex McQ and Kate M don't have the copyright on "RED PLEATED DRESSES WITH PEPLUM" - vs. "Oh, that's just a cheap rip off of Kate M's dress"?

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14 replies

Latest reply was from Thistle

ManidipaM

Veteran

Hmmm...I am going with inspired by Kate M's dress rather than McQ rip-off in this case---simply because I suspect that is where the economic incentive lies in this instance. Are you perchance too young to recall when women by the droves asked their hairstylists for a 'Lady Diana' haircut?

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

MY MOM HAD THAT HAIRCUT. I had blocked that from my memory. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA.

Going to call her to remind her.

Anonymous

I don't think this is a tacky rip-off, I would go for inspired by also!

Gaylene

Veteran

Great question, Lyn! It's something I've been wondering about, too, with the influx of designer "inspired" lines at discount stores, the "designer" bags and shoes in consignment stores, and the whole "fast fashion" industry that promises me a runway look for only pennies.

My best attempt at answering this question would be to take a long, hard look at the item itself. Does the aesthetic of the item look harmonious--or are design elements thrown together just to riff off a current "look"? For example, the colours in Target's Missoni look-alikes always seemed to be quite harsh and jarring, totally unlike the spirited, bright look of a real Missoni. I'd also look for evidence of attention to quality--a fabric that skims and drapes nicely on the body in a DVF knockoff, for example, or careful pleating and even stitching on the the dress you've shown.

I guess I'm thinking that an "inspired by" item would give a nod to the designer but still stand on its own merits as a beautiful piece of clothing. A "knock off" relies pretty much just on its association with the designer's brand or image for its appeal to a potential customer.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

What thoughtful replies!

I also have been wondering about the influx of designer bags - the way that Michael Kors has a bag that reminds me of the LV Neverfull. I suppose it is true that the LV is a beautiful bag, and so is the MK - they just are inspirations, I suppose, as opposed to the "LV" knock off in Chinatown :p

FlorenceFearne

I guess part of it is also whether you care about wearing a "tacky rip-off." If the cheap version of something is beautiful to me, and the quality is good enough that I see getting use from it, then I will buy it. I don't care if it's a rip-off. And I'd be willing to bet a lot of them ARE rip-offs, but I don't know enough about high fashion to realize it.

But here's how I see it: I cannot pay $750 for a dress. That's more than I pay for rent in a month. I can pay $75 if I save up. And I can pay $20 pretty easily. I'm not OK with the idea that I should live without the aesthetic that I love, just because I cannot afford the designer originals. If the designers wanted my money, they would make items accessible to the masses. They do not. Therefore, I buy from someone that does. And I guess the comparatively small percentage of the world that can afford the originals is free to judge me, but everyone else I know wants to know where I got that fabulous dress.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Tee hee, I figure if I can't have the LV, at least I can play around with my Michael Kors, right? It comes from Nordies, so it can't be that shabby - one of the big disadvantages to online shopping is I can't touch it and feel it and try it on!

Regardless, I bit and ordered: I hope that I can wear it for a Christmas party dress too (which was one of the things I wanted on my list of things that are important to me this fall) and it also helps to strike out the wanted red dress too!

Day Vies

Veteran

Anyone who has a photographic memory of every dress Kate M wore at any given point and are low enough to say that yours is a cheap rip off doesn't have enough going on in their life.
I don't think there is a line unless the dress itself looks poorly executed and is of poor quality materials. Designers copy one another all the time to make a design available to the masses. I think that's the point. If you love the dress and it's flattering on you there is nothing that should stop you from having that experience.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Ah, you're right - I think Kim Kardashian also has the same dress too.

Scarlet

Veteran

In any case I wouldn't worry about it here. Cute dress!

Vildy

Veteran

You can't copyright a fashion design - at least in this country.
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com.....pyrighted/

Adelfa

Veteran

I used to have this thing that if "everyone" was wearing a certain trend, I wouldn't do it. Where this left me was with boring, dumpy clothes. I would hate to think that just because the Duchess can rock wrap dresses, for instance, I need to avoid them!

Cute dress!

Joan Joplin

I tend to think that, because designers influence fashion and set the trends that end up on high street, many trendy prices could be called "knock-offs" by virtue of their trendiness. If your definition of knock-off is that strict, than what do you wear? I think that designer duds carry with them an exclusivity that can't be replicated at H&M or Target, so if I buy designer-like duds at Target, in just following trends. On the other hand, items that attempt to replicate the designer logo would be knock-offs, because they are pretending to have that designer exclusivity. That's the tipping point for me: is it imitating a designer, or pretending to be that designer, label and all?

Thistle

Veteran

You have some excellent replies, and I second what Gaylene and Day Vies said. If the quality and fabrication of the dress stand on their own, it is just fine.

I don't pay any attention to celebrities (royal or otherwise) and would have never known it was a "knock off". Looks like a pretty dress to me and worth a try.