The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Spot the Real: Sincerely Jules Celfie Tee

Can you guess which Celfie tee costs more?
The blogger behind Sincerely Jules created a line of cool message tees, including the 'Célfie' tee you see here ($49, revolveclothing.com). Basically, everyone has/wants/needs one. Recently I spotted a look for less at my favorite big-box store (and yes, I confess, I bought it) that retails for $12.99 and comes in plus-size, too. (Use code MEM30 to save 30% off the lookalike.) Can you spot the real from the steal above? Click a link below to find out!


LEFT / RIGHT


P.S. Browse my Memorial Day sales round-ups here and here!

Comments
I bought the tee from Target yesterday. It was on clearance for $9.08 at my store!
#1 Niki @ Cheapalicious (Homepage) on 2015-05-25 16:15 (Reply)
I am shocked. Thanks for sharing.

Liv

www.livforstyle.net
#2 Liv (Homepage) on 2015-05-25 20:44 (Reply)
Saw this the other day at "TAR-JAY"! The fabric isn't as good as the original, but definitely worth the savings(:

Great post, as always!

Cheers,

Brooke Lee
RUNWAY WITHIN REACH
xx
#3 Brooke Lee (Homepage) on 2015-05-26 10:19 (Reply)
I used to want this shirt so badly, but I think its owned by waaaayyy too many bloggers at this point!

Wishes & Reality
#4 Heidi (Homepage) on 2015-05-26 15:50 (Reply)
This is in no way disparaging to Dianna or anyone commenting who has bought this shirt, so I hope no one takes it that way. I completely appreciate finding designer lookalike pieces at cheaper prices (that's why I've been a long-time reader!) However, I am curious to know what the opinion is on large retailers (Target, Urban Outfitters) borrowing designs from smaller, independent designers. The shirt at Target appears to be exactly the same as the one on Revolver - is there any concern about these gigantic companies co-opting independent designs? I think this is fresh in my mind because of what happened with Sandilake and Target a few weeks back.

Again, this isn't meant as criticism of anyone on this site - I love you guys and have been reading for years! I'd be very interested to know Dianna's/other authors feelings on this topic as it has been becoming more of a "hot button" recently.
#5 Jade on 2015-05-26 22:23 (Reply)
No offense taken whatsoever, I'm glad you brought this up as these posts are created as much to provoke conversation as to show products. I'm not sure I have the answer although I've been pondering the issue since I started this blog. I'd much rather see big companies do designer collaborations than steal designers' work outright, no doubt about it. That's why Target collabs are so great. Even Forever 21 now has an amazing branded shop where they work to showcase the work of small labels: http://fave.co/1Fg8jdf
I wasn't aware of the Sandilake incident, so I had to Google it, and I definitely feel for the designer. I hope Target takes the right steps. At the same time I can see how a company of their size would have a hard time vetting every single item they sell - it would be next to impossible. In many instance, however, they can't claim ignorance. But how do you copyright a "meme"? I saw the Celfie tee sold at Nordstrom and many Etsy sellers, too. It's tricky. And it seems there are different audiences - the people who read Sincerely Jules will buy the original, and probably by the time the tee shows up at Target, they're already on to the next trend and it's not really cool to them anymore, haha! That's where I step in...I just can't spend much on a white tee that already has popsicles stains on it thanks to my toddler ;-) Hopefully there's a place for both items to co-exist in the fashion ecosystem.
#5.1 The Budget Babe on 2015-05-27 08:33 (Reply)
Thanks for the thoughtful response Dianna - loved to read your take on this. I agree with the fact that there's not really an answer on how to copyright a meme. Who can really say they were the absolute first one to come up with a cute saying or design for a shirt? Also, what you said in your comment reminds me of SJP's motto for her old Bitten clothing line: fashion is a not luxury, it's a right. If you take out the thinking that all major clothing retailers are evil corporations only interested in taking money (which is a separate issue altogether), what's left is the purpose they serve - bringing affordable clothing to people who want something cute but can't/don't want to pay for designer prices. Is that aspect really so bad?

There was a TED Radio podcast awhile back called "What is Original" talking about intellectual property protection and how fashion designs are some of the only artistic entities that cannot be copyrighted. The person they spoke to actually felt that the lack of copyright laws made designers have to be more creative and drove innovation. If you have a chance to listen, the segment on fashion is pretty short and may be interesting to you! http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/321797073/what-is-original

Sorry for the long reply - I just find this stuff so interesting to discuss!
#5.1.1 Jade on 2015-05-27 15:52 (Reply)
You make some excellent points, as does that TED Talk - it's one of my favorites!! Everyone should hear it. :-)
#5.1.1.1 The Budget Babe on 2015-05-28 07:38 (Reply)
While I agree with both of you, arguments are strong for both viewpoints..however, unless an item is patented or copyrighted, the big box retailers are going to go ahead and market the design...personally, I would not wear anything with the US flag on it...yet another issue to discuss! Great insights on the thorny issue of cheap fashion vs high fashion.
#5.1.1.1.1 margot on 2015-05-28 19:37 (Reply)
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