Sometimes when I saw the price of Amal’s clothes, I was desperate … So I decided to post some nice alternatives. Chinese sizes are very small. I am 1.65 and thin, but I have to choose size L.
The Dolce & Gabbana brocade dress
The alternative 39 USD
The Azzedine Alaïa dress
My choice 79 USD
The Alberta Ferretti skirt set
My choice 57 USD
The checked Oscar de la Renta dress
My choice, 48 USD
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/-/1936229785.html
The Oscar de la Renta floral dress
My choice, 48 USD
The Oscar de la Renta red floral dress
My choice, 38 USD
The Alexander McQueen coat
My choice, 148 USD
Amal Clooney Style 
Great job putting this together! My fave Amal dress was that beautiful one with the horizontal and vertical stripes she wore the day before the wedding, have you found anything for that?
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Thank you Kylie. The striped dress was from 2013 D&G collection, so it is quite difficult to find a replica dress. Probably, it is the last time that I will publish a simlar post.
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Oh that’s a shame cause I loved this post! Well thanks for all your hard work putting it together, I will certainly be ordering some of these dresses!
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Good work Nati, I don’t know how you do it!! Have you actually recieved any of the pieces? The sizing does seem small, wondering how it fits, are the sellers reliable, etc. I have not purchased anything from Ali express before.
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Hi Sara,
Yes, I always received my dresses and they are really beautiful. Size M was too short for me. Usually I buy a size L.
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While I like the style, the problem for me, as with animal skins, is that the cheaper line of clothing seems to also compromise ethics. Judging by the pricing, all of these clothes are likely made in sweatshops, where women are treated just as poorly as some people treat animals. I remember seeing one woman interviewed in a documentary that left a lasting impression on me: she worked in a clothing sweatshop, and she basically was only allowed to sleep a few hours per night, crowded in a room with so many other women that the entire floor was covered with their bodies when they slept at night. When she was interviewed, she said that she wished she would die, because she saw no way out of her miserable existence. She made so little money, and what little she made was basically given to her family (her parents). No social life, no time to relax.
However, likely the high fashion clothing is also made in sweatshops, at least to some extent.
Fashion has serious ethics problems, which is why I tend to buy vintage these days….
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Since I really like your taste, which vintage stores do you go to(if in Los Angeles)?
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I completely agree with you and we should all be aware of this problem.
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Thank you for your sweet compliment, jen. I actually end up (due to my job, which keeps me at work or working most days and hours of the week) purchasing a lot of vintage clothing through Etsy and eBay. In fact, because of the problematic ethics behind the jewelry trade these days (sweatshops, mining that destroys the environment, gem trade that kills people, etc.), I even purchase most of my jewelry as vintage or recycled from those online stores (I have particular jewelry designers in mind when I buy vintage). Basically, I just “follow” searches on eBay for certain labels, types of clothing, etc. (and if I know my size in certain brands, I use that in my search terms, as well) and check out the daily results that pop up in my email. Sometimes, I will buy something that is a size too big and have a tailor bring it in. You can almost always err too large, but never too small. Also, I often ask sellers questions and for more photos of the item if something seems unclear.
As you probably are aware, you have to be very careful with clothing by designers that are still well-known and high in demand (like Gucci, Prada, etc.), as there are a lot of fakes out there. For instance, I once bought a “vintage Gucci” dress on eBay that the seller stated was 100% silk, but, after noticing that the dress had no material tag when I received it, a quick test of the material, revealed that it was 100% synthetic and most likely a fake (cut a tiny swatch of the material from near a seam and see how it burns). On the other hand, I just purchased a vintage Gucci wool skirt (from the 80’s, judging by the label) on eBay, and when I brought it into my tailor, before even looking at the label, he told me the material was top quality and he was amazed at the cut and design of the skirt. “They don’t make material or skirts like this anymore.”
You can find great deals on vintage clothing by designers that are not as “hot” (most of whom are no longer producing clothing), and most of my clothing/accessories are from those kinds of designers (I still get a lot of compliments on the pieces). In the end, good design is good design. I am very picky about fabric (natural, not synthetic), so I check to see if photos of the labels state the material content, and if not, I ask the seller if there is a tag that states material content on the piece. Usually, clothing made with natural materials will be better quality, anyway, as natural textiles tend to cost the designer more to use. And, vintage clothing, in general, is usually better made. Even and especially handbags – beaded, embroidered, woven, leather, whatever – it is hard to afford bags made in France, Belgium, Austria, Italy, or even the U.S. anymore, but there are so many available as vintage pieces that are totally affordable (although, if you buy leather, be careful to ask about condition, especially on handles and edges, and you may have to have them professionally cleaned/reconditioned and condition them regularly yourself). All of my purses, leather or not, are vintage, and the few leather jackets/coats that I own are vintage, as well, and they are all better quality than those I see in stores today, even high end stores like Neiman Marcus, etc.
The only things that I do not purchase used or vintage are panties, socks, and shoes (unless it is evident that they were never worn).
Other clothing stores that I have checked out online, and seem reputable but which I haven’t purchased from, yet, are:
http://www.vintageous.com
http://www.poshgirlvintage.com/
http://dorotheas-closet-vintage.myshopify.com/
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Hi jen,
I wrote a long response to your comment (thank you for the compliment). It is awaiting moderation, likely because I put links in it. Hopefully, it will show up soon.
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WOW, I really appreciate your informative response Lady. Looking forward to those links you sent. Thank you again!
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This is an important message to all Amal’s fans!
I love fashion and very often I would love to wear one of those amazing dresses Amal wears. BUT this is not a reason to buy cheap dresses or coats from China.
I do sew in my free time, I can assure you that sew a floral coat like the D&G one does take AT LEAST 50 hours of working. If you buy such stuff it does mean that people who work for that brand are slaves. They are probably working for just some cents every hour and very often in a unhealthy place.
Think about it!
Fashion is an art but it has a price.
When we do not have the chance to pay expensive designer dresses, then we have either to learn to sew or to find designer dresses in a second hand shop, or to spare money to ask a tailor to sew it for us, BUT IN ANY CASE DO NOT ENCOURAGE SLAVERY IN THE WORLD!
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Dear Laure,
Some people asked me for replicas and it was the reason of my post. That is not encourage slavery ! Retailers like H&M, Primark, GAP, Vero Moda do not respect the rules. Many brands D&G, Alberta Ferretti, etc. make their clothes in China with big gains for their publicity. Sure that you have an Iphone … made in China …
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Dear Nati,
thank you for replying.
The most important thing here is not “how many things do I have made in china” and ” how many do you have” so ” who is best person between me and you”.
The point is to send a message between fashion lovers and to get the chance to receive the support from an amazing blogger like you are.
I am aware that there are a lot of brands – expensive or not- which use slaves all over the world to create their products.
I am also aware that it is very difficult to live in a modern world with no “made in china” (or made in Turkey, Romania, etc) iPhone, clothes, shoes. Sometimes – e.g.for the shoes – there is no second choice : 100% of shoes in a store come from there.
My message was meant to make people aware of the problem.
If you talk about that brand with such positive words, you are making an advertisement.
If this is not a problem for you to encourage such a unethical brand, I am sorry about it, there’s nothing I can do but show another point of view.
We are not going to erase the slavery in one day, but being aware of it we could think more about and may be buy less of those products.
Drops in the ocean.
This was what my previous message was meant for.
I find your blog amazing, very interesting and I am sure you are an open minded person; for that reason I had to say something about it.
best regards,
Laure
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Hi Nati,
I appreciate your comment and blog very much. I realize that you had the best of intentions when you posted your original post. I hope that you didn’t take my previous comment personally – it was meant more as a suggestion that we start looking elsewhere for quality clothing than criticism of your post. We live in a world in which workers are abused not just in China, but anywhere there are sweatshops (like Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.). Even the South African wine industry had its “dop” system that was abusive to workers, so the problem is practically everywhere. Carbon footprint is another factor I usually consider when purchasing items. It is our society, in general, that needs to rethink our everyday choices and push for change. I admit that some of the things I buy are likely made in sweatshops and/or have a high carbon footprint, unfortunately. I try to change my habits to minimize those types of purchases, and it is easy enough to do so for many things. That was all I meant to highlight in my original comment.
There are some things you’ve posted about in the past that seem to be well-made and more ethical, so I hope that those kinds of posts continue (for instance, the post about Amal’s clutch from Sarah’s bag).
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Nati 3873
I am getting a line made in Turkey , same concept .. but ” zara” quality .. If you can wait I can send you a few pieces .. I am getting a blog soon and a line so you can see it .. It will be up Mid February .. id like to get your input ..
Thank you ,
Camilledujour@gmail.com
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Thank you Camille. I will contact you asap.
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The best example is Nespresso with the coffee question in Mexico. The farmers don’t earn enough to send their children to the school and they have to work as child and no right to a decent education. That is a shame, sure that you trink Nespresso coffee … I don’t and don’t have an Iphone …
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Dear Nati,
Just had your last message.
I do not drink Nespresso and do not have an iPhone neither, but I am sure my laptop has been done also in China, or by people payed with nothing.
Again this is not a competition between me and you, just a opportunity to send a message.
If we believe in something, I think we have to do something about it.
We have the chance to live in a free country where we can say what we think.
I am just using this chance inside a blog that I appreciate.
Laure
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My mother used to have her clothing tailor-made for her. It was a lot more common in her day. She also sewed her own clothing. I used to raid her closet, when I was in high school, to wear her old clothing, because it was (and still is) so fashionable – for instance, she used fabrics from Marimekko a lot, and vintage Marimekko is still considered very modern today.
Haute couture, which represents the best of the best, is tailor-made, after all. I wish I could afford that. 🙂
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Dear Nati, I’m a fan of Amal’s style, and you did such an amazing job of finding the replicas. Thank you for sharing. Again, great job.
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Thank you Jen 🙂
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Nati,
Do you have any idea how tall Amal is? And what her weight is?
Thanks in advance.
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Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
58 kg or 128 pounds
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Does anyone
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Does anyone know if the floral suit is good quality if ordered via ali express? I’m absolutely in love with the outfit and have for the longest time searched for something similar to it in vain. I’d appreciate it!
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