The Budget Fashionista

March 27, 2007 fashiongirl wrote:

I KNEW that dress looked familiar when I saw it at Forever 21 last week!

March 27, 2007 jj wrote:

The problem is, the Forever 21 dress will probably fall apart in three wearings while the DVF will be in your closet for decades.  I’ve tried things on at Forever 21 and had the seams fall apart in the dressing room!  If you just want the dress for a couple wearings $33 is a steal.  But if you wore a $400 DVF dress just once a month for 5 years, the price per wearing is down under $7… and less if you can pick the dress up on Bluefly.  Given that a well chosen DVF wrap dress from the 70’s is still wearable today, I think she’s one designer where I wouldn’t go for the rip-off.

March 27, 2007 shopdiary wrote:

yup. an eagle eyed reader of mine alerted me to this too. here are more finds at forever 21: tory burch (http://www.shopdiary.com/2007/03/15/fast-fashion-finds/) and marc jacobs (http://www.shopdiary.com/2007/02/20/inspired-pieces-from-forever21) “inspired pieces”. i’m sure there’s more. cheers!

March 27, 2007 lc wrote:

I identified two more knock-offs:
http://fopsanddandies.blogspot.com/2007/03/forever-21-assessment.html

March 27, 2007 Rachel wrote:

That’s cute I’m going to have to get me to forever 21!

March 27, 2007 Maddie wrote:

I think this dress is adorable, however I think its wrong for Forever 21 to knockoff this design. Diane Von Furstenburg or her design team took time to create this dress and to have Forever 21 to copy it is just plain wrong.

March 27, 2007 christal wrote:

Like I have said before, who will know where it comes from unless you tell them.  Those dresses are identical.

March 27, 2007 Melissa wrote:

Yes it is a cute dress Iam not crazy about yellow but what is the big deal so it was found at forever 21 buy the cheaper one and be happy

March 28, 2007 Maureen wrote:

Very cute dress. I love Forever 21. Bought stuff there when I was skinnier and could wear their sizes. If you can get a knockoff cheaper then buy it. I would.

March 28, 2007 brooklynbee wrote:

I’m totally going to F21 to find that dress! I have a store credit there… the only problem w/ F21 - at least here in NYC - is that it’s SO crowded and disorganized, I don’t have time to wait an hour for a dressing room, so I usually just buy w/o trying on and return later if I don’t like it (hence my store credit!) I just went to the DVF outlet at Woodbury commons and it was really picked over, I couldn’t find any of the styles I was looking for.

March 28, 2007 Jody wrote:

I think it’s great and more publicity for designers.

It’s not like DVF and Marc shoppers are all of a sudden going to stop buying there and go to forever21 because it’s cheaper.  Lets be serious.

It’s flattery and if people who shop at forever 21 (especially the younguns) are really into the designs and exposed to it at a young age, they may grow up to become DVF shoppers when they have the money.

March 29, 2007 Model Citizen wrote:

I just read this in the NY post… I guess they read TBF.

March 30, 2007 sassy wrote:

THE LIMITED stores was known for its famous knockoffs. Look at all the men on the street selling knock off coach, fendi, LV bags.
everyone’s trying to make a buck.
DVF dresses might not necessarily be made better. A lot of designers clothes come from CHINA as well..........

April 12, 2007 Tracey wrote:

“It’s not like DVF and Marc shoppers are all of a sudden going to stop buying there and go to forever21 because it’s cheaper. Lets be serious.”

Exactly. There is no way that I can buy a DVF dress but Forever 21 is within my budget. They all knock one another off and the dress has a different color as well as broader border. There is always a looks for less section that shows you a duplicate outfit or piece for a lot less.

As far as I know, designers do not get to patent their designs so unless they fight for that right then there will always be copies. We folks who can’t afford a $200+ dress are grateful for them.

April 12, 2007 sassyT wrote:

Let’s be serious - the knockoff LOOKS cheap.  Not to mention the fact that it’s probably poorly made (since most of the clothes are from places like Forever21).  Not a real big fan of the whole “knockoff” thing or being a “copy cat”, but I have not problem with using your own originally to create a similar look.  Fashion is what you make it, so make it look good.........NOT cheap!!

April 13, 2007 Elle wrote:

i think a better term would be “designer inspired” - fashion trickles down from the high end, from the runway to the streets. you don’t have to pay $3000 for a dress to be in style.

April 18, 2007 Chantal wrote:

I dont think its wrong that forever21 remade the same dress..I think its wrong that there are clothes out there that cost 3000 dollars, thats absurd..unless its made out of platinum and covered in diamonds, but its not, its just a piece of fabric and you pay for a stupid label.

April 18, 2007 Chantal wrote:

And also, I’m sure that if you go back in time, the ‘original’ is ripped off from another design as well, since everything these days is..."we cant come up with anything new so we re-use the old styles.”

July 9, 2007 Layla wrote:

The expensive designer should be flattered.  This is just how art is, so if they can’t stand the world of design, they should stay out of it.  Tons of people look at and are influenced by other pieces of “original” art.  Look at Leonardo Di Vinci’s work!  See how people still use his great techniques and styles today.  It is a different dress still.  It’s a different color, and the bottom hem is cut halfway on the expensive designer’s dress.  I’d be really glad, as a designer myself, if someone tried to mimic my works.  That just shows how good the expensive designer’s ideas are.  Forever 21 isn’t the only store that does this, and it’s not worth sueing over, no matter how identical these dresses are.

August 24, 2007 Joy wrote:

There will always be knock-offs.  Forever 21 is not the first to do it.  I know Forever 21 is cheap, but by the time it falls apart, I’ll be sick of it anyway.  I would never wear something once a month for five years, especially in such a loud pattern.  I can’t afford to buy the originals on my budget.  In my opinion, you don’t have to spend a lot to look good.  If I could afford it, maybe I would, but I can’t.  It’s all about how you put things together.  I think some people think that the more they spend on their clothes, the classier they are, and I don’t think that’s true.  I personally love Forever 21 because they are fashion forward and affordable.

October 17, 2007 B GILMORE wrote:

THE FOREVER 21 DRESS ISN’T EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE DIANE VON FERSTENBERG DRESS, THE BOTTOMS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFRENT. PEOPLE SHOULD STOP BAGGING ON FOREVER 21, IT’S A NICE FASHIONABLE STORE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T AFFORD HIGH END CORTURE.