How to find Good Designer Dupes on AliExpress
I have been asked many many times, where do I get my outfits from? I tend to wear designer dresses like Zimmermann and Self Portrait but what a lot of people don’t know (OK, maybe now they do!) is that they’re occasionally designer dupes!
While I do own genuine pieces, sometimes styles go out of stock or something happens to my garment where I can’t seem to find a replacement for it anymore (so sad!). The key is to know how and where to search.
My go-to is AliExpress. I have made written many articles about this online Chinese marketplace and how much I love it! I personally think it’s one of the best online shopping platforms to find just about anything.
What is AliExpress?
If you’re unfamiliar with AliExpress, think of it as the Amazon of China.
AliExpress is an online retail service based in China owned by the Alibaba Group. It was launched in 2010 and is designed to enable small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to sell products to international buyers. But it’s also evolved and branched out a separate retail part – known as AliExpress – where shoppers such as you and I can buy items in smaller bulk or individually.
Why Choose AliExpress?
I’m not going to bore you with all the details, essentially to summarize, I love AliExpress over other platforms for several reasons. One reason is that they have the best buyer protection and return/refund policies out of all the online platforms out there.
I also love the website’s ease of use. It’s certainly not glitchy like some of the other ones I’ve tried. I feel as though all the info, pictures and contact, etc. are all located in easy-to-find places.
But if you are interested in knowing more on why I think AliExpress is the best online platform for designer inspired and luxury dupes, check out my other post here which go over in detail why you should give them a try!
How to Search for Good Luxury & Designer Dupes
It’s easy to be fooled when shopping online because you are relying on pictures and descriptions of products through a screen. You can’t inspect anything before you purchase. So I’ve put together some helpful tips that’ll make it easier for you to scope out a quality purchase.
Use the AliExpress Image Search (Mobile App)
The first thing you want to do is use AliExpress’ helpful image search tool which can only be found on their mobile app.
This will help you find the exact item or as similar as possible based on the image you searched for. Normally on AliExpress, sellers use pictures of products found from their actual websites or from big-wig influencers. The image search is pretty robust and will usually find what you’re looking for (if it’s available). If its a really popular luxury good, its most likely on AliExpress!
Dont forget the Web Version Image Search!
After some digging around I found a really nifty third-party website that helps you image search on the Chinese platform. It’s called AliSeek and I gotta give a shout out to the Reddit user, u/aliship, for creating this!
Check out AliSeeks here: https://www.aliseeks.com/search.
They’ve also put together a Chrome Extension for those of you that use Google Chrome to browse.
Compare the photos in the listing
So you’ve now found the exact product through image search on AliExpress, what’s next?
The next thing you’ll want to do is read the description carefully by reviewing the sizing dimensions (if there are any) and by also reviewing any photos that’s featured on the listing.
If there’s no additional photos of the product that showcase the ACTUAL item itself (meaning, it’s just got stock photos or Instagram-type photos) or there’s only repetitive stock photos, then personally for me this would be a pass. More often than not, these types of listings will sell you bait and switch products. You’ll receive something far different from what you ordered.
In the example above and below (same listing), you’ll see that this one has photos of the actual product AND there’s also a short video of the dress itself. You get a better feel for what you’ll be receiving if you decide to order.
Does the price make sense?
If after you’ve viewed the listing’s photos and/or videos, you’ve decided it is still a worthwhile purchase, ask yourself: Does the price (with shipping) make sense for what I think I would be receiving?
In other words, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is! The dress in the above example totals out to just under $55, which to me is a very reasonable price for the dress showcased in the photos. Now if it was priced at anything under $20, I would be giving it the hesitant side-eye.
Research & Contact the Seller Directly
Whenever I browse on AliExpress, I’m not only looking for inspiration and cute outfits, I’m also looking for reliable sellers that cater to my taste and that I can become a repeat customer of theirs.
And if you’re like me and have a similar mindset, you’ll want to reach out to the seller. Sellers often have their WhatsApp in the product description. This is a good sign because they’ll usually have a separate catalog off of the platform.
One of the first things I’ll ask them is if they have a catalog of everything they’re selling. These catalogs are merely websites of theirs that showcase much better photos of the products. Logos and brands are normally not blurred out and you get a much better and bigger selection to browse. Sellers on AliExpress don’t post all of their products on the platform because they want to be discreet with certain things!
I HIGHLY recommend taking your discussions off of AliExpress and on WhatsApp for better information exchange and for more photos. Once you decide what you want to purchase, you can always have them make you a link of the product(s) on the AliExpress platform..
In addition, also check out the seller’s reviews and feedback from other buyers. Sometimes buyers will post pictures of their order. You can use this to compare with what they’re listing and sort of gauge at the quality of their luxury designer dupes.
In Conclusion
I hope my guide has helped you shop better on AliExpress! By leveraging the platform’s image search tools, scrutinizing listings for authenticity, and establishing direct communication with sellers, you can find designer dupes that look just like your favorite high-end styles!
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