a dupe by any other name

and why I’m using the word ‘lookalike’ instead

Anna sent me a link to this jacket last month (a gorgeous fringed suede jacket priced at $2,855) accompanied by a text that read,“Danggg and a knock off of this.” I responded with my new favorite emoji (Saluting Face Emoji) and got to work. Within 30 minutes (I checked the timestamps!), I sent her a link to this jacket on Poshmark, which she ended up buying for $40.

A quick aside: I am absolutely not advocating for or promoting knock-offs of independent designers. But I think there’s a significant difference between purchasing multiple fast fashion dupes (ew, I hate that word) of designer garments per season from Zara or H&M and scouring the internet for a secondhand version of a jacket that deeply speaks to you but costs more than many people’s clothing budget for an entire year.*** I also think that if you produce a version of a very common design (not snark! just true), it’s okay to seek out the original inspiration. “Dupe” culture makes me uncomfortable in general, which is why I’m using the word “lookalike” until I find something better.)

High off of my success, I decided to undertake a slightly more difficult and personal quest: find a lookalike for the Tibi aviator leather oversized bomber, a $1700 dollar dream of a jacket, a centerpiece for coolgirl moodboards across the internet.

Here it is in Sienna, and below in Distressed Brown.

This would be a harder mission—while the Kallmeyer jacket is a pretty direct replica of a common Western style, the Tibi one is slightly off, which is what I like about it (and what makes it so hard to find lookalikes for Tibi clothing in general—this element of “offness” is intentional and thoughtful.) This jacket is more modern—no clunky hardware, uneven pocket placement. I like the point collar, the way it hangs loose, the straight silhouette as opposed to the blousy shape of a traditional bomber jacket. I try to buy leather and suede secondhand as much as possible, so I like to think that even if I had $1700 to spare, I would put it to better or at least different use. (Anyone with an extra $1700 to spare is welcome to share the wealth and put me to the test directly!)

My search terms: some variation of “brown leather aviator jacket” (I could have expanded this search to black, I just narrowed it down because I already have a black leather jacket)

My initial specifications (these may be too stringent—we’ll see if I need to be more flexible):
-The pockets need to look like cartoon drawings of pockets (I want the flaps, not welt pockets)
-No snap or button closures on the pockets
-No fabric ribbing on the bottom—I could work with elasticized leather, but I don’t want the typical bomber jacket fabric trim
-I’m not concerned with size, which is absolutely a privilege—I’m assuming that anything from a women’s small to a men’s large could potentially work as a slightly oversized jacket, so I’ll narrow down later if I need to
-I’m also not going to be picky about the lining yet, even though I’d prefer it not be polyester or acrylic. I know that the majority of vintage jackets will likely be lined in one of those fabrics, and I’m still under the perhaps misguided impression that a jacket lining can be removed/an alternate lining can be installed by a skilled tailor (as a quilter, I have no idea how fabric fits together in 3D.)

Where I looked:
My first stop is the RealReal, partly because I know I’ll be able to scroll through relatively quickly. I am briefly distracted by this Coach jacket—too expensive, and not what I’m looking for!

Next stop: Depop.

-This Oklahoma jacket fits almost all criteria save for the pockets, which I’m starting to think may be hard to find.
-This Roundtree and Yorke jacket is darker than I was looking for, and has welt pockets, but is really simple and beautiful. Someone should get this.
-I love the silhouette of this Wilson jacket, but it’s lacking pockets, which I want for both form and function here. I also don’t like the gathering on the back, which I think would probably create more shape than I want when zipped.

Next stop: Poshmark.

This Friitala jacket is close: the color’s right, not much hardware, barely elasticated waist. The leather detailing feels too busy for me, though (and no cartoon pockets.)

Next stop: Etsy.

I think we have a contender. Look at the pockets! The double collar detail doesn’t feel too busy, and there’s barely any hardware or shape to the jacket. And it’s $77.

Next stop: eBay

Getting closer pockets-wise, but everything I was seeing on eBay felt too broken-in, if that makes sense.

Quick open and close of the thredup app—nope, still absolute chaos!

The Final Decision
The Etsy one was ultimately the closest match I found. it’s a pretty close color match for the Distressed Brown, has the pockets, and is simple and relatively free of hardware.

Plot twist: I did not buy it! I have many midweight jackets already, and I truly don’t need it. I’ll let it linger in my likes, and maybe I’ll revisit it in a month or two, but ultimately if someone buys it on my recommendation I will actually be thrilled. The joy is also in the find, and not solely in the acquisition.

<3 E

***It may very well cost that much to produce. Objectively, this is just an extremely expensive jacket!