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January 05, 2009


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Christian Louboutin Vs Barratts



Louboutin_barrattss

Nothing normally comes even close to a Christian Louboutin shoes as far as The Fashion Police are concerned, but when our undercover detective squad brought us images of Barratts 'Thistle' sandals, well, even we were surprised. Louboutin's 'Rosazissimno' feather sandals were £400 when they first came out, but have since been reduced to £280 in the Net-a-Porter sale. The Barratts versions, meanwhile, are a mere £45, and now that the party season is over, we're looking for any excuse to justify buying them...

UPDATE: Since we wrote this post, the Barratts shoes have been reduced to a mere £25 in the sale - bargain!


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December 17, 2008


Fraud Squad: Alloy V. Ugg



Ugg_boots_alloy_2

We know, we know - they're not your favourite footwear in the world, but Uggs do have their fans, and it would seem that Alloy are among them: we found these "sweater boots" retailing for $49.50, and looking pretty darn similar to Ugg's crocheted boots, on the left of the picture above, which are rather more expensive at $120. What's the difference? Well, not having tried either of them, we can't tell you, but we do know which pair we'd buy - IF, of course, we were planning on buying a pair of knitted, knee high boots in the first place. Which we're not. Obviously.


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December 03, 2008


Save or Splurge: Prada-esque lace skirts on the high street



Lace_skirts

Remember all those lace skirts Prada sent down the runway last season? Well, those were pretty see-through, but a little bit of flesh-coloured lining makes the look perfectly wearable, and that's something the high street has cottoned onto, producing a similar look, but with added modesty.

Neither of the two skirts above are what you might call outrageously priced, but the Principles version on the right is still more than twice the price of Next's skirt on the left, leaving us to ask: which one would you go for? Would you save or splurge? Or would you wear neither?


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November 27, 2008


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Gucci Vs. Dune fringed ankle boots



Gucci_boots

Gucci's fringed 'Devendra' ankle boots have graced the feet of many a celebrity this winter, but let's face it, at $850, they're not exactly cheap - and that's the sale price. The Fashion Police's detectives, however, have been hard at work and have tracked down these 'Kaya' boots by Dune, which aren't quite as tall, granted, but then again, they're not quite as pricey either, and they'll give you the same basic look - assuming, of course, that it's a look you want to go for. Is it?


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November 13, 2008


Black Halo on a Budget: Jackie dress from Eye Candy Buy Candy



Black_halo_budget

The Fashion Police love Black Halo, and particularly their classic Jackie O dress, which we loved enough to make a Dress of the Day back in March of this year. The dress was $328, but it's now out of stock at Revolve Clothing, and can be hard to get hold of elsewhere, too, so we were pleased to find this budget alternative at Eye Candy Buy Candy for $80. This is also available in hot pink, and the site is currently offering 10% off all purchases - just enter the code GRAND10 at checkout.


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November 05, 2008


Fraud Squad: Gucci's Vs Matalan 'Kelly' sandals



Gucci_matalan

Oh, Matalan! It would be hard to imagine a more blatant knockoff than this version of Gucci's 'Kelly' sandals, which will retail for the grand price of £14 as part of Matalan's Christmas collection. OK, the colour's not the same, and we'd venture to suggest the quality won't be either (although for that price, what do you expect?), but the look is similar enough for the Fashion Police Fraud Squad to have been alerted to their existence.

The Gucci originals were part of the Summer 07 collection, but you can still pick up a pair at Bluefly for $535 in a limited range of sizes.


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November 03, 2008


Fraud Squad: Marc Jacobs V. Moniko Claire



Marc_jacobs_knockoff

Excuse us for having Halloween costumes on the brain today, but this Moniko Claire dress is such a very cheap looking copy of Marc Jacobs' Alessandra dress that the girl on the right looks almost as if she's in fancy dress as the girl on the left, no? Like she bought her dress from one of those cheap fancy dress sites, as some kind of pre-prepared 'Marc Jacobs' costume or something.

Ironically enough, though, this isn't exactly a "cheap" option. It's $210 to the $428 original price of the Marc Jacobs dress, but given that the original went down to $150 in the Neiman Marcus sale before selling out, we think you'd be kicking yourself if you ended up paying more than that for the copy, don't you?


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October 28, 2008


Save or Splurge? Lace ankle boots by Roberto Cavalli and Topshop



Lace_ankle_boots

This isn't a look for everyone. It's not, for instance, a look for us, because something about the words "lace ankle boots" turns us off. There's no doubt that lace is hot right now, though, or that ankle boots are still very much in fashion (are they ever not?), so assuming that you wanted to see the two come together, in the form of a lace ankle boots, what we want to know is: would you save or splurge on them?

The Topshop boots on the left aren't exactly cheap at £70, but that's but a drop in the ocean compared to the £695 price tag on the Roberto Cavalli versions on the right, which are from Net-a-Porter.

Which do you prefer? Save? Splurge? Or, like us, neither?


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September 24, 2008


Roland Mouret v. Debenhams - the Moon dress (again)



Mouret_moon_dress

Did you think Roland Mouret's famous Moon dress was so very last season that all the copy-cat versions would've totally dried up by now? Well think again, friends. Oh, Debenhams may have added a belt and called it their "Body Con Dress", but we know a Moon dress when we see one, and this is... well, actually it isn't a Moon dress, but it's a damn good attempt at one considering it only costs £30 and we actually quite like the addition of the belt to break things up a little.

We know it's not exactly up-to-the-minute, but if you still find yourself hankering after this style, now's the time to get it, and you can get it here...


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September 16, 2008


Fraud Squad: Black Halo Vs. Arden B cami dresses



Black_halo_arden_b

This is one occasion where we'd much rather splurge on a designer dress than save money on the cheaper copy...

We love Black Halo's $345 Cami Dress - in fact, we loved it so much back in February that we even made it our Dress of the Day - but even although Arden B's Ruffle Front Duet Dress is a fraction of the price at $128, we think this one would be worth coughing up the extra for: is it just us, or is the skirt on the Arden B dress just that bit too short to make it a worthy alternative?

Still, if the shorter skirt meets with your approval, this dress will give you the same basic look as the more expensive Black Halo version. Which one would you buy?


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September 09, 2008


Fraud Squad: peep toe shoes from Versace, Forever 21 and ASOS



Versace_knockoffs_2

Even without our helpful annotations, there would be absolutely no prizes for spotting the designer shoe out of this little bunch. The Versace shoes stick out like Britney at last year's VMAs, and not just because they're gold and shiny, either. The Versaces, of course, were the original manifestation of this particular style, and we think they were the best, too. Still, $660 is a lot of money, and you'd be lucky to find these in stock now anyway, so Forever 21 and ASOS have jumped in to make sure we don't have to go without. Very chivalrous of them, we're sure.

The Forever 21 shoes are the cheapest, at $32.80 and also come in, er, white patent leather. ASOS, meanwhile, as selling their versions in black or red, for $93.

Which pair would you buy, if any?


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August 29, 2008


Fraud Squad: Bow detail tops at Oasis and Dorothy Perkins



Bow_tops

We know high street retailers often like to take "inspiration" from the designers, but this seems to be a case of the high street taking inspiration from itself, as Dorothy Perkins (left) and Oasis (right) produce these very similar looking satin bow tops. The price isn't quite so similar - Oasis are charging £45 and Dotty's just £25, and the Dorothy Perkins top also comes in green and purple.

Personally, we think we'd like these tops better if they came with just a few less bows (yes, you did read that correctly), but what do you think? Which one would you buy, if either?


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July 14, 2008


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Christian Louboutin's 'Anemone' and Moda in Pelle's 'Dazy'



Louboutin_anemone

Christian Louboutin's 'Anemone' pumps were one of the most recognisable shoes of last season, so there's really no mistaking where Moda in Pelle found the influence for their 'Dazy' pumps from, is there?

These are £65 to Louboutin's £480, and are the latest in a growing number of designer-inspired shoes from Moda in Pelle. They were recently forced to destroy thousands of pairs of shoes and pay £100,000 in damages after Gina took them to court for copyright infringement, so these shoes are clearly different enough from the Louboutin originals to keep them out of trouble - after all, when it comes to Louboutins, there's no mistaking the genuine article, is there?


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July 04, 2008


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Steve Madden is "inspired" by Dior's Extreme Gladiator Sandals, as seen in the Sex and the City movie



Steve_madden_dior

Steve Madden has been "inspired" again, folks. That seems to happen fairly often, doesn't it? The man must be just be one big burning ball of creativity. This time he's been "inspired" by Dior's extreme gladiator sandals, as seen on Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City movie. These are being touted as the "It" shoe of the moment, and are sold out everywhere, which will give fans of the style quite the dilemma: the Steve Madden versions (called 'Madalynn') are available for pre-order now, and cost just $109.75 to Dior's $770, but could you live with the knowledge that your hard-earned cash was being used to support Steve Madden, who waved goodbye to all pretense at originality and creativity quite some time ago, and has been churning out cheap versions of other people's work ever since? Or does the fact that you can't buy the originals anyway make you think, "well, why not?"


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June 24, 2008


Identity Parade: Which shoe is the designer version?



Idintity_parade

We think you're probably going to guess this one right away (and not just because the designer version of this shoe is rather distinctive), but let's have a quick game anyway, and see if it really is as easy to tell the difference as we think it is.

One of these shoes is designer, the other is a high street copy. Your job, ladies and gentlemen of the Fashion Police Jury, is to see if you can spot the difference and tell us which is which. Let the Identity Parade begin - and don't forget to check back later and see if you were right!


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May 12, 2008


Spot the Difference: Stripe dresses from Topshop and Principles



Stripe_dresses

What's the difference between the two dresses shown above? Well, "About a tenner" is the only answer we can come up with going by the pictures alone, because while Topshop's stripe jersey dress. on the left, is £35, Principles have decided to add an extra £10 to their black and white stripe dress on the right, which is £45.

Of course, there is the small matter of colour. Topshop's stripes are navy while Principles are black. Can we assume that black fabric dye is £10 more expensive than the navy stuff, do you think?


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April 28, 2008


Mistaken Identity: Debenhams' version of the Luella Edith bustier dress



Luella_edith_dress

Love Luella? Love Luella's Edith bustier dress? Wish you could just knock a sly £700 off the price? Well, you can't. Sorry. What you can do, though, is pick up Debenhams' yellow tier prom dress, which doesn't have quite the same dramatic impact of the Luella dress, but which follows the same basic principles (Yellow, ruffles, sweetheart neckline, black waist belt), and is perhaps, dare we say it, a little more wearable. Oh, and it's £700 cheaper. Result!

What's New at NET-A-PORTER


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April 24, 2008


Mistaken Identity: YSL and ASOS do star sandals



Star_sandals

Just one week away from May, and we're still seeing stars...

If you thought the stars you'd been seeing were confined to dresses, skirts and even jumpsuits, though, think again: they're now showing up on our feet, too. Getting sick of it yet? We know we are, but if you can still find a place in your heart (and shoe cupboard) for some star-spangled shoes, you can spend either $595 at YSL or a very slightly cheaper £25 at ASOS.


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April 21, 2008


Steve Madden has gone too far this time...



Steve_madden_balenciaga

Remember Balenciaga's lego shoes? The ones only a handful of our readers and Beyonce seemed to actually like? We bet Balenciaga thought they were pretty safe from the copycats with those bad boys. They probably thought, "Hell, these are just too damn fugly for anyone to want to copy them. Why, even Steve Madden would shy away from these babies!"

Well, we're sorry to break it to Balenciaga, but no, he wouldn't. Steve Madden, you see, clearly has absolutely no shame at all - either that or he genuinely thought no one would notice the similarity between his 'Bukled' peep toes and one of the most recognizable shoes in the entire world.

Will anyone buy them, though? That's what we'd like to know, so tell us: would you?

[Via Fashionista


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April 10, 2008


Mistaken Identity: Rosette heeled shoes from Hale Bob and Coast



Shoes_2

We suspect this is probably one of those "love it or loathe it" shoe styles, and while some will love these flower heeled shoes, others will find them totally nauseating, with all of those petals weighing them down at the back. Ours is not to question why shoe designers have suddenly started adding what appears to be entire bouquets to the backs of their shoes, though -ours is simply to point out the similarities between these two pairs of shoes by Hale Bob on the left ($119) and Coast on the right (£99). If you'd like to tell us whether you love our loathe 'em, though, that would be nice, too.


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April 08, 2008


Identity Parade: Satin peep toe shoes



Peep_toe_shoes_2

It's Tuesday, which means it's time to identify some Style Suspects in a Fashion Police Identity Parade. It's how Fashion Police cadets ears their stripes, you know...

This week we're taking a look at some black satin peep toe shoes. One of the shoes above is suspected of being a designer shoe, while the other is from the high street, and a mere fraction of the price. Can you spit the difference, though, and identify that designer shoe? Leave a comment to tell us what you think, and remember to check back tomorrow to find out if you were right! 


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April 02, 2008


Mistaken Identity: Vera Wang V. Oasis one shoulder dresses



Vera_wang

These dresses don't need an Identity Parade in order for us to be able to tell them apart, so instead we will content ourselves with pointing out that if you fancy wearing a one-shoulder dress in the style of Vera Wang's gorgeous yellow prom dress (which is now, sadly, out of stock), and you don't mind sacrificing the "gorgeous yellow" bit, you'd better head over to Oasis, where you'll find a similar style in black, for just £70. Which is rather less than a Vera Wang...


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April 01, 2008


Identity Parade: Blue bubble hem dresses



Dresses

It's time for another Fashion Police Identity Parade, folks. Two dresses stand before you. Both are blue. Both are bubble-hemmed. Both are strapless. But one of these dresses is suspected of being an expensive, designer number, while the other is but an impostor. Which is which? Leave your comment below and tell us which is the designer bubble hemmed dress?

(And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the answer!)


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March 25, 2008


Identity Parade: Can you spot the designer tote bag?



Tote_bags

We're still feeling in a bit of a holiday mood after the Easter break (read: "We can't be bothered doing any work") so we thought we'd play a little game. We suspect this game will probably be a little too easy for most of you, but if you like it, we'll try and make it more challenging next time.

The rules are simple: up above, you'll see two patent tote bags with perforated designs on the front. One is a designer handbag, the other... isn't. It's up to you to see if you can pick the designer bag out of this Fashion Police identity parade - extra points if you can tell us which designer it is. We'll post the answer in the comments field later today!

So, Bag A or Bag B: which is the designer? (And just to satisfy our curiosity, which do you prefer?)


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March 18, 2008


Primark's version of Luella's floral mini dress, as seen on Kelly Osbourne and Kimberly Stewart



Luella_floral_print_dress_2

We loved it on Kelly Osbourne last month, and now we can love the style of Luella's floral print mini dress all over again, courtesy of good old Primark- well, we can if we can actually find the thing in store, of course. Luella's version is on the left, Primark's is on the right, and as you can see, there's more than a passing resemblance there, right down to the tulle underskirt. Primark, of course, are charging considerably less than Luella Bartley: their dress is just £12, and is apparently in stores now. Anyone seen it?


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March 11, 2008


Mistaken Identity: Forever 21 V. Adrianna Papell



Dresses

The colours are different and one has a bubble hem rather than a colour block, but if you're looking for a jewel-necked satin shift dress, here are two choices for you: Adrianna Papell's version on the left ($81.90) and Forever 21's on the right ($29.90). They're close, but no cigar...

Thanks to Fashion Police officer Kelly for alerting us to this one - keep 'em coming!


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January 18, 2008


Fashion Fraud Squad: Jimmy Choo V. Steve Madden



Jimyychoostevemadden_2

It's been a while since we last called out the Fashion Police Fraud Squad, but then, it's been a while since we last took a wander through the Steve Madden website. When we did, we instantly recognized these 'Percy' sandals , which aren't exactly dissimilar to the Jimmy Choo patent sandals we featured earlier today. Jimmy Choo successfully forced New Look to withdraw thousands of shoes last year, claiming they'd copied one of his designs: I'm not sure you can copyright the idea of "pink sandals with an anke strap", though, so maybe Steve will be safe this time around...


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Another Mouret-Style Moon Dress Spotted



Mouretmoondress They're everywhere at the moment, these Moon Dress-alikes, but let this be a lesson to you to snap them up when you see them... (If you want one, that is.)

When I first  spotted this dress at Debenhams just a few days ago, I bookmarked it, thinking it could come in handy the next time I had an occasion coming up that seemed to call for a designer-inspired dress for only £25. This afternoon, though, when just such an occasion found its way into my diary, I went back to buy it, only to find that it was sold out. In every size. Already.

The lesson? When you see something you like, buy it instantly. Just don't blame The Fashion Police when you don't have any money left because if it.

Please get some new stock in, Debenhams. I have £25 just burning a hole in my pocket here...

More 'Moon' dresses: at Oli; at Lipsy; the original


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December 20, 2007


Fashion Fraud Squad: Giuseppe Zanotti V. Bebe



Designershoes

The colour may be different, but the execution is pretty similar between these two shoes, no? On the right Giuseppe Zanotti's bronze buckle peep toes, on the left, Bebe's 'Audrina' shoes. On the right, $598, on the left, just $139. Which would you choose?


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November 26, 2007


Fashion Fraud Squad: Alexandra Dillon V. Marchesa



Siennamillermarchesa

Er, hang on a minute - haven't we been here before? Like, a couple of times now? This Alexandra Dillon dress is a much better copy - sorry, I mean "tribute" - of the Marchesa dress Sienna Miller wore earlier this year than the version ASOS brought out, but I still say nothing beats the original in this case. The Dillon version is currently on sale at Victoria's Secret for $119, but while it's certainly pretty, I'm not sure about those hems, which, in close-up, are looking a bit like someone attacked them with the garden shears.

So, who's next to copy this dress then, do you think? 


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November 14, 2007


Fashion Fraud Squad: Topshop do Burberry



Burberryshoes

Yes, it's another "designer inspired" shoe, folks, and for once in a way, the culprit isn't Steve Madden, but Topshop. Their studded crossover platform bears more than a passing resemblace to Burberry Prorsum's black leather studded platform, on the right of the picture. The price difference: £65 for the Topshop versions, £495 for Burberry.


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October 31, 2007


Fashion Fraud Squad: Madden Does Miu Miu



Miumiumadden

If you thought Steve Madden was content to restrict himself to producing cheaper versions of Christian Louboutin's shoes, think again. Here he is with his own version of Miu Miu's famous patent brogue-detailed court shoes, and - kerrazy colour scheme aside - there's really no mistaking where the influence came from for these, is there?

Miu Miu's Venice Pop Pumps are on the left of the picture (not that you'd need me to point that out to you, of course), while Steve's 'Specs' are on the right - and are available in a rather dizzying array of colours. Steve Madden - we love you, but have you no shame?!

[Source]


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October 24, 2007


Fashion Fraud Squad: ASOS V. Chloe's Silverado shoes



Chloeshoes

The gold-trimmed heel, the multiple buckles (OK, the Chloe versions have three, but who's counting?), the rounded toes... Chloe made these shoes famous last season, and while ASOS are far from the only ones to bring out their own versions of the style, they're certainly the latest.

The Chloe versions are getting hard to find now, without resorting to eBay, but the ASOS versions are in stock in both black and brown, and will set you back £50.


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October 23, 2007


Floral Print Dresses: Monsoon v. Kate Moss for Topshop



Floralprintdresses

When Kate Moss brought out her now infamous pansy print dress for Topshop it was a pretty safe bet that the other fashion retailers would follow suit. Kate now has clover print and poppy print dresses as part of her various Topshop collections (lucky girl!) but they remain expensive and sometimes hard to get hold of - especially if you're buying them on eBay!

This floral print tea dress by Monsoon isn't exactly the same as the various 'Kate' dresses, but it's less expensive, and you won't have to rummage around eBay for hours to find one in your size. This style of dress looks great with boots and tights for winter - Kate would be proud...


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October 01, 2007


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: 'That' Kate Moss for Topshop stripe sweater V. Primark's budget alternative



Stripesweaters

I'm cheating just a little bit with this one because as you can see, these sweaters are two different colours. They're both stripe crewnecks with cashmere, though, the two big differences being that one is 100% cashmere while the  other is just 5%, and one is £45 while the other is just £25. So, can you guess which is which?

Well, the sweater on the left is by Kate Moss for Topshop. It contains 5% cashmere but is the more expensive option at £45. The sweater on the right, meanwhile, is Primark's 100% cashmere offering which is £25. Just goes to show what the Kate Moss name can do to a price tag - although I have to admit to loving those pink and black stripes, and if it wasn't for the fact that the pink would clash horribly with my hair, I'd be all over it...


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July 19, 2007


Shoe of the Day: Topshop's metallic t-bar Miu Miu lookalikes



Topshopmiumiualikes

Looks like someone's beeen taking notes from Miu Miu here, doesn't it? I don't care, though. These shoes don't have quite the beauty of those Miu Miu t-bars I so admired a few months ago, but then, not much in life can compare to those shoes. These Topshop versions are doing a pretty good job, though, and I'm in love with that silver/blue combo, which will look fabulous with everything from jeans to party dresses. And at £50, they're an awful lot cheaper than the Miu Miu, too.


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July 18, 2007


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Josh Goot v. Topshop



Joshgootdress

Time for a quick game of "Spot the Difference", my fashionable friends. On the left Josh Goot's zip-front scuba dress; on the right Topshop's zip-front bodyconscious dress. On the left, £320; on the right, £32. (Hey, maybe they just forgot the zero on the end?) I know which one I'd buy, is all I'm sayin'.*

* Actually, I wouldn't buy either of them. I'm afraid my years of wearing body-con dresses are long since past, by which I mean, "never even started". Gah.


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May 18, 2007


Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Prada V. New Look



Pradafashionpolice

Again, these shoes aren't exactly the same, but it's really just the different colourways that sets them apart. On the right, Prada's Tricolour Platform sandals. On the left: suede platform sandals from New Look. Not a huge amount of difference going down there now, is there? (And no, the New Look shoes aren't freakishly small, in case you were wondering - that's just the best picture I could find of them.)


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Fashion Police Fraud Squad: Faith v. Valentino



Valentinofashionpolice

A different colour, I know, and a slightly different execution, but it seems to me that these Faith sandals are at least a little bit inspired by Valentino's platform bow slingbacks. The bow is exactly the same on them both, although I think I'll be sticking with the Valentino version - in my dreams, natch, where I can actually afford to spend $675 on shoes...


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March 18, 2007


Fraud Squad - Promod do Primark



Primarktunic

Remember the floral tunic Primark brought out not so long ago? The one they were selling for £8, but which was permanently sold-out in store, so if you wanted it you were forced to pay a whole lot more than that on eBay? Well, do mine eyes deceive me, or is that not the exact same dress selling in Promod for £28? If it's not the same, it's not a kick in the ass off it as my mother would say. So why the £20 price difference, Promod?


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February 28, 2007


Fraud Squad: Paul Smith and ASOS Do Shirt Dresses



Shirtdresses_1

You know that advert? The one where the man and woman are getting ready to go out, but she can't find anything to wear, so she gets changed about a million times (because that's what we girls are like, dontchya know!) before thinking to herself, "I know! I will totally just sling a belt around my husband's white shirt and go out to dinner in that because it's been washed in <insert name of washing powder> and now it's just SO SOFT!" And then they walk into the restaurant, and she's all, "GOD, look at me, totally rockin' the house here in this white shirt", and everyone else is all "What a tit"? That one? Well, now you can look like that too. Aren't you glad?!

On the left, Paul Smith Blue's oversized cotton shirt dress, a snip at just £460. On the right, the ASOS version - £22. Is it just me, or does the Paul Smith dress look like a nurse's outfit? (And not a sexy nurse, either...)


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February 19, 2007


Fraud Squad: ASOS do Sienna Miller's Marchesa Dress



Siennamiller_2

She's made more than a few fashion mistakes in her time - and how - but this Marchesa dress was one of Sienna Miller's finest moments: no wonder ASOS have seen fit to make a cheaper version. It's not a patch on the original, of course, but at £35 you can't really complain, can you? It's also available in a not-nearly-as-dramatic midnight blue. I wonder when ASOS will be bringing out the Sienna Miller style granny pants?


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November 21, 2006


Fraud Squad: Faith Try To Do Christian Louboutin - Fail.



444255

OK, Faith, repeat after me:
We are not Christian Louboutin
We are not Christian Louboutin
We are not Christian Louboutin


A red heel on an otherwise dull shoe does not a Louboutin-alike make. Is that understood, Faith? Yes, we know you're not the only ones to have the bright idea that, hey! We could totally stick a red sole on our shoes and everyone will think they're designer! Suckers! You're not the first and you won't be the last, Faith, but that doesn't make it right. If all the other shoe stores jumped in the fire, would you jump too?*

Now, go to the bottom of the class.

* Probably.


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November 03, 2006


Fraud Squad: Stella McCartney V. ASOS



Fraudsquad

On the left, Stella McCartney's canvas pumps - £275 at Net-a-Porter. On the right, ASOS's 'Coleen' peep toes, £25. Similar, no? And OK, there are some pretty significant differences: the McCartney shoes aren't peep toes, and the ASOS versions aren't made of canvas, but the basic aesthetic is the same, and it's the thought that counts, isn't it? 


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October 27, 2006


Fraud Squad: Luella Bartley V. Additions Direct



Checkmate01

My apologies for the size of the picture - it was the best the website had to offer, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you'll cope. Anyway, on the left - the fabulous Luella Bartley and her beautiful tartan dress. (It's a measure of how very impressed I am by this dress that I loathe and detest tartan... but I still love this). On the right - Additions Direct, formerly owned by Argos. On the left, a few hundred dollars worth of dress - on the right, £35. Amazing.


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October 26, 2006


Fraud Squad: Gucci Versus Next



Gucci

Next does designer - who woulda thunk it? We're used to thinking of Next as the place to buy boring old work suits and inoffensive leisure wear, and suddenly they go all Gucci on us. I'm seriously tempted by the dress on the right - I mean, obviously I'd be tempted by the Gucci version, on the left too, but I bet it's several hundred pounds more expensive than Next's copy, which is a mere £36.99. So, should I get it? Decisions, decisions...

One tip, though? If you do decide to buy either version of this dress, do us a favour and give the "bright purple socks over dark purple tights" look a miss, yes? Top marks to Next for accessorising this one far more successfully than Gucci have managed. Shame on you, you so-called Italian fashion masters!


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October 17, 2006


Designer v. High Street: Diane Von Furstenberg v. Dorothy Perkins



Dvf

Good ol' Dotty P's, hey? Where would we be without it? This isn't, of course, an exact copy: the DVF version is sleeveless, the DP version sleeved, the DVF version is pretty, the DP version.. not so much, but it's a Diane Von Furstenberg copy for £20, for Christ's sake, so quit your whining.

The DVF dress is £295 from Net a Porter, the Dorothy Perkins dress, as we've mentioned, just £20. Take your pick, ladies...


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