first order of business: what you'll learn about me here is that i LOVE a good dupe. in my humble opinion, there are instances where you should spend the money and get the name-brand; for instance, toilet paper and underwear. but often i find that dupes are perfect subs for trendy or non-committal items, like the latest loungewear set or luxury costume jewelry.
i enjoy finding deals- it's like a weird thrill for me. but, i also understand the value of the things that i'm buying and the motivation behind the purchase. not to get to existential with you or anything, it does help determine whether or not i should spend designer money or dupe money.
that being said, a lot has to do with my personality. i know what i should be trusted with and what i shouldn't. we will start here with this gorgeous Reformation Fantino Cashmere Cardigan:
its soft, oversized and simple, aka: right up my alley. i was almost ready to "add to cart" when i caught sight of the price... $298.00. i will follow that up with the fact that i am hard on my ish. i wear my clothes, shoes and jewelry TO. THE. DEATH. which is exactly why my mom (who's ish could belong in the national archives; that's how well she cares for her things) is always very hesitant to let me borrow said things. but i digress, looking at this gorgeous cardigan, i knew immediately that i cannot and should not be trusted with such a delicate item at such a price tag. let's be clear, it's not that i don't take care of my stuff. i do; i'm just simply very choosy on which items i spend my time nurturing. and i know that cashmere is a fabric that must be tended to- something that i am not willing to do. i have kids, after all and that's a lot.
so, when i saw this dupe on amazon I did not hesitate. to be completely transparent, in my haste, i did not realize that the images that this amazon seller used were actually taken from the Reformation listing on nordstrom's website, so i really wasn't making a decision based on facts. however, when the item arrived i was open minded. it was shipped in a vacuum packed bag, so it was all sorts of creased. i did a quick once over with my little steamer and a butterfly emerged.
i mean, for $36 bucks, it's GOOD!
i've learned to buy (dupes and inexpensive) things with zero expectations, simply so that i'm not disappointed when they end up being complete junk. but this one surprised me! it's super soft, seemingly well made (enough for my current needs) and at an unbelievable price point. after wearing it all day and receiving two unsolicited compliments, i came home and ordered another one in black. because if nothing else, i am consistent.