for a while, when I wanted something expensive, I would think to myself, "oh, let me just look for a cheaper version of it." I end up settling for something that isn't good in any of the ways that made me want the expensive version.
Throw that out. You can get fantastic pieces for cheap, you can thrift a wardrobe you love, but if you're trying to find a cheap copy of something expensive, it's not going to work.