SHOPPERS have been racing to get their hands on a £24.90 Uniqlo bag which is a dupe for a designer bag that costs nearly £600 more.
The purse-friendly shoulder bag previously caused a stir last year, and sold out quickly after shoppers started to compare it to a Porter bag.
For those who aren’t familiar, Porter is a Japanese brand, which was established in 1962 by Yoshida & Co and is famous typically for bags inspired by military MA-1 bomber jackets.
Porter Tanker bags retail from anything between £20 and £620 – so it is clear to see the appeal of the £24.90 Uniqlo dupe.
Their purse-friendly Multi-Pocket Shoulder Bag comes in three colours, black, beige and olive – with beige being a new addition.
The main compartment has a sleeve big enough for a tablet device, and a total of seven pockets on the inside and outside to keep your belongings organised.
The Uniqlo bag is not only a lot cheaper but also may be easier to get your hands on, as Porter bags – sold with retailers END and Ssense in the UK – tend to sell out.
Many shoppers have left glowing five-star reviews on the website after snapping up the Uniqlo dupe.
One said: “I saw this bag when it first came out online and was desperate to get a hold of it, but just couldn’t as it was always sold out.
“It’s the perfect work bag and fits my 13-inch laptop with ease. Looks well made, I love it!”
Another added: “It offers plenty of space for all sorts of odds and ends. And it looks good too, what more could you want!”
And a third commented: “A beautiful colour, plenty of compartments, and a sturdy, adjustable shoulder strap.”
It’s not the only Uniqlo bag to rack up a cult following.
Popular bag
Last year, their £15 Round Mini Shoulder Bag was all the rage on TikTok with social media users hailing it a Mary Poppins bag for being deceptively big inside.
It was so popular that numerous retailers made replicas, including Aldi.
It came in a variety of colours, including classic black, white and camel shades.
If you missed out on stocking up, it is back this year and is currently in their sale at £9.90.
Why you should always buy a dupe over designer…
Fashion Editor Clemmie Fieldsend says it’s time fashion snobs stopped looking down their noses at affordable versions of designer buys.
Bargain US supermarket Walmart became a social media sensation when its £60 dupe of Hermès’ Birkin bag, dubbed the Wirkin, went viral.
Influencer @styledbykristi gushed: “Eighty dollars (£60), you can pretend that you got a Birkin. I mean, everyone will probably know it’s not, because who the hell has the money to spend on the real Birkin? Not me.”
Me neither. And why bother? I would never spend that on a designer bag (although if someone wants to buy one for me, that’s a different story).
Plus, if I splashed that much, I’d feel I was being ripped off…
We’ve all been told how the leading brands use the finest leather, thread, dyes and craftsmanship in the world.
But all that is inflated by fashion houses to create the desired illusion of exclusivity.
Just last year, Dior came under investigation for paying £44 to assemble a bag that sells for £2,000.
So while you might think you are paying for top-level craftsmanship carried out by a true artisan, chances are the poorly paid workers are not seeing any of your hard-earned cash.
Dupes — not to be mistaken for knock-offs that copy everything from the logo to the inside label — are a more practical and all-round sensible way to go.
I bought my first when I was 18. It lasted me four years and only broke after I wore it in the shower.
And these days, British high streets have plenty of dupes. In the past three years, Marks & Spencer, H&M and Mango have all seen huge spikes in sales thanks to their canny copies. They use the same viral, must-have marketing tactics that pricey brands have.
Fashion folk will tell you that you are making an investment and buying a “heritage piece” and will turn their noses up at a high street equivalent. But we’ve been wearing looks inspired by catwalk designers for decades.
If we can buy a bag that’s the spitting image of the pricier version, but doesn’t mean you have to remortgage, why not?
