This week, My Melrose returns with the second edition of designer bag dupes. From rhinestones, to signature monograms, silhouettes, and plaid; we bring you four styles inspired by designer brands Alexander Wang, Valentino, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry. Be inspired and read more on elevating your style with affordable designer bag dupes.
1) Alexander Wang Heiress Pouch in Rhinestone Mesh $695 vs. "Pink" Mini Crystal Pouch $13.99 & "Pink" Small Rhinestone Wristlet $12.99
The Alexander Wang Heiress pouch in rhinestone mesh features white crystal rhinestone with the designer label logo on the top handle. The majority of the bag is made of the crystal glass material, while some has cowhide. Reality TV star Kendall Jenner has been photographed carrying this piece in a PopSugar UK article.
My Melrose selected the "Pink" Mini Crystal Encrusted Handbag as the main designer dupe. This bag is completely covered in rhinestone, much like its designer label counterpart. The handle for the "Pink" Mini Crystal Encrusted Handbag has the same shape, however; no brand logo is present. Comparing the silhouettes of each bag, Wang's Heiress pouch showcases a sturdier build while the My Melrose version is a more relaxed look.
We wanted to feature our "Pink" Small All Rhinestone Wristlet in this designer dupe due to the body of the bag sharing the same shape as the previous one mentioned. The difference between the My Melrose choices is the method of carrying said bag. One is a handle style, the other wraps around the wrist.
Both of these bags are a great choice to take on a night out. Try pairing either of the My Melrose dupes with this curated outfit.
2) Valentino Rockstud Leather Crossbody Bag $645 vs. Cherie Acrylic and Faux Leather Purse with Gold Tone Studs $21.99
When rock n' roll meets high fashion, you get the Valentino Rockstud Leather Crossbody Bag. This crossbody bag features genuine black leather, gold toned hardware with studded accents and a lock closure in the front. Celebrity supermodel, blogger and entrepreneur Nicole Trunfio was seen sporting this iconic Valentino bag; the image was featured on Purse Blog.
The designer hand bag dupe for the Rockstud crossbody is the edgy Cherie Acrylic and Faux Leather Purse with Gold Tone Studs. This piece features a similar flap and lock closure design as the Valentino Rockstud crossbody. The Cherie faux leather purse features a more square shaped silhouette, more studs, a clear outer shell, one panel down the middle, and a handle.
The My Melrose choice is easily a statement piece to pair with a sharp outfit like this one. Another idea for the Cherie faux leather bag is to have it as part of a shoulder padded pant suit, pointed toe stiletto high heels, and narrow cat eye sunglasses.
3) Louis Vuitton Monogram Pallas MM $1700 vs. Chunma Signature 3-in-1 Tote Bag $26.99
We couldn't do another designer handbag dupe without paying homeage to one of the most recognizable signature monogram prints in history; French fashion label Louis Vuitton. At the age of 16, Louis Vuitton began his career as an apprentice trunk master in 1837 at the atelier of Monsieur Maréchal. In 1853, Vuitton was appointed the official box-maker for the Empress of France, María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox-Portocarrero de Guzmán y Kirkpatrick - the wife of Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (Napoleon III).
Years after Louis Vuitton's passing, his son Georges Vuitton designed the brand's signature monogram in 1896 in honor of his late father. The piece we chose to highlight is the 2015 Louis Vuitton Monogram Pallas MM. The handbag features hard genuine leather, rolled handles, a single adjustable shoulder strap, brass hardware, and top zipper closure.
The signature Louis Vuitton monogram print inspired the Chunma Signature 3-in-1 Tote Bag. Both bags share the same silhouette with their monograms showcasing two letters for their label and clover-esque geometric patterns along with rolled handles. The Chunma handbag does have a shoulder strap but there is a snap closure instead of a zipper at the top. Another big difference between the Louis Vuitton handbag versus Chunma is the Chunma is pleather with a gold turn lock and a mini-coin purse attached.
For a piece like the signature Louis Vuitton bag or its dupe counterpart, wearing solid colored outfits works well to help the bag be the focal point that pops in your look. These types of bags were meant to be worn with polished, professional, or high fashion (or high fashion inspired) outfits. A fall trend to experiment with are clashing prints (the fall trend of maximalism also applies), see how to print clash on Belle Tag. To see some printed tops from My Melrose, check out our ladies apparel page or go see us in your nearest store for all of our options.
4) Burberry Check E-Canvas Bowling Top-Handle Bag $1350 vs. Chunma Bowler Satchel Plaid $28.99
For the plaid lovers and prep fashionistas, we present the famous British fashion label Burberry. The Burberry brand was established in 1856 by founder Thomas Burberry with the belief that clothing should protect their wearer from the British weather. Burberry was the inventor of gabardine (patented in 1888) – a revolutionised concept that made the fabric more lightweight and breathable while protecting the wearer from the weather, particulalry the rain.
Burberry's signature check pattern was first introduced to fashion as inner lining (see a modern look here) to the brand's rainwear in the 1920s. In this timeframe, the print became a registered trademark. In 1955, the late Queen Elizabeth II presents a Royal Warrant to the Burberry label as a Weatherproofer. Later in 1990, Burberry recieves another Royal Warrant from the Prince of Whales as an Outfitter.
The Burrberry piece we chose to highlight for the designer handbag dupe is the Burberry Check E-Canvas Bowling Top-Handle Bag. This handbag has rolled top handles, rolled top handles, a removable adjustable crossbosy strap and a zipper closure with a padlock. The material of the bag is a mix of e-canvas and genuine calf leather.
The Chunma Plaid Bowler Satchel is a close match to its famous luxury label counterpart. Burberry's satchel has a more structured and sturdy finish on their silhouette, due to the calf leather lining toward the edges of the base, creating a precise roundness. The Chunma satchel has a more loose structure with the edges showing the sewn thread rather than a leather lining. Both bags feature rounded handles with a similar shape that attaches the handles to the base of the bag.
How do you dress with a bag with this pattern? If you're lucky you could get creative and attempt to match the plaid as Burberry does with their collection. Since most of us aren't so lucky, the easiest way to approach this is to refer to our previous challenge (see our last blog post); playing with different shades of the same color. Let's go into depth in this post by choosing the beige color in the Chunma satchel.
Notice the beige color is about a medium shade; refer to this range of shades. Keep in mind the red, black, grey and white colors on the bag, they will be what stands out. Our suggestions would be to take the medium beige, find the closest shade to it that can piece with darker shades. Choosing darker shades will help with the pops of color needing to stand out from the bag.
Take the third color from the image and dress with the two colors preceding it. Try the first color as your base (top and pants combo) and the second color as your outerwear (long trench coat). For the shoes experiment with the sixth color or refer to your outerwear color and match it exactly. Another approach is finding a similar shade with a more grey tone.
