Telfar Bag Or Faux?

How To Spot The Real Thing

Has there ever been an It bag like the Telfar Shopping Bag? Not quite.

Before the "Bushwick Birkin" was just as difficult to snag as an actual

Birkin, it loomed under the radar for years. The boxy tote, crafted of

vegan leather and inspired by department store shopping bags, first

launched in 2014 to complement founder and designer Telfar Clemens'

innovative, ungendered ready-to-wear. But the bag has taken on a life of

its own, surging in popularity to the point that its weekly drops sell out in

minutes, if not seconds. Considering Oprah officially deemed it one of

her favorite things of 2020, that's not surprising.

Since then, Telfar has consistently kept the buzz alive with innovation

and collaborations. The brand made headlines when it announced the

Bag Security program in August 2020. For 24 hours, shoppers were able

to preorder Telfar bags in any size and color without the fear of

competing against bots or other frenzied customers. In 2021, the brand

began introducing more and more colors, meaning every drop could

feature the hues you know and love, or something new and exciting to

collect (think shades like Sage which first appeared on HBO's Insecure

—Margarine, Green Screen, Eggplant and Azalea). Also that year the

brand introduced Telfar TV, a new kind of public access channel where

fans can both submit content and literally secure the bag via QR codes

meant to fly under the radar of bots. 2021 also saw limited edition

collaborations with Moose Knuckles on nylon 'puffer' style totes and with

Ugg Australia on shearling and fleece options. And then, on the F/W

2022 runway a brand new bag appeared, this time in the form of a circle

emblazoned with the now-familiar Telfar logo.

With all that hype, you might think that by now Telfar bags exist in the

rarefied realm of other exclusive luxury icons. But you won't find that

here. Instead, the Telfar bag represents the brand's core values of

accessibility and inclusivity, effectively turning the traditional "It Bag"

concept on its head. Solange, Chloë Sevigny and AOC all own one—but

more importantly, countless members of the brand's diverse following do

too. After all, Telfar's tagline states that "it's not for you—it's for

everyone." Preventing its most dedicated fans from buying a bag would

go against everything Telfar stands for.

That said, if you missed the latest drop (or drip as it's known on TCTV),

there's also the secondary market to consider, but it comes with a

caveat. "Faux bags have been seen on a well-known replica site, which is

unfortunate, but not surprising due to Telfar bags' current popularity and

minimalist yet iconic design," says The RealReal Senior Fashion

Valuation Manager Kiara Cooper. Luckily, she has a Telfar bag of her own

and has inspected a number of the bag's iterations, so she knows how to

spot the real deal.

Real Telfar Bag: The Logo

When inspecting a Telfar bag, pay close attention to the logo at the front

of the bag. "Telfar bags feature a single debossed logo at the front,"

notes Cooper. "The logo should always resemble a T within a C." There

should be no stitching or textured delineation around the Telfar logo; the

transition between bag and logo should be completely smooth.

Real Telfar Bag: The Construction

Telfar bags are produced in small, medium and large, and while the

construction is consistent across these different sizes, there are

specific details to look out for. "Authentic Telfar bags should be made of

100% vegan leather with a twill, synthetic interior lining," explains

Cooper. "Telfar Shopping Bags feature a boxy silhouette that has a

structured appearance. Over time, the medium and large bags should

become slightly more relaxed with use, but the small should remain

structured."

"Authentic Telfar

bags should be made

of 100% vegan

leather with a twill,

synthetic interior

lining"

The stitching, and particularly the bag's corners, can also help you

determine its authenticity. "Basic, straight machine stitching is used

throughout, and at the bottom corners of each side there should be a

small, 45-degree-angle stitch," says Cooper.

The bags' straps should include rolled, smooth edges with stitching

along either side; however, aspects of the straps have changed as new

bags have been produced. "Telfar bags should feature two types of

straps - double top handles and double shoulder straps," says Cooper.

"The sizes and shoulder strap lengths have shifted over the years,

though. For example, the small shopping bag's longer straps used to be

shoulder-strap length, but more recent iterations include longer straps,

allowing the bag to be worn as a crossbody. The medium shopping bag

has changed as well, and was originally smaller in height and width

compared to the current medium bags."

Real Telfar Bag: The Interior Details

Peek inside a Telfar bag and look out for a couple of essential authenticity

clues. “A single jacquard square logo tag should be found attached to the

back interior wall,” says Cooper. “This should not be sewn down all the way, but instead reinforced only at the top corners with a horizontal stitch. There should

also be stitching along each side of the tag, but not along the top and bottom. The logo tag doubles as a secret slit pocket, so the tag should look split.

The logo on this tag may be black or white, depending on when the bag was produced. Prior to 2020, the interior square logo tag was white with a white

Telfar logo — a monochrome appearance. Bags produced in 2020 or later should feature the black-and-white logo.” There should be limited hardware on a Telfar bag.

“Telfar bags are very minimal and feature little hardware,” says Cooper, “but all sizes should include a magnetic snap closure.” Some sizes may include a

pocket with zipper closure, while large bags include a spacious back compartment with a zipper closure and a front interior pocket. "If a zipper is present,

it should be silver-tone and may be branded YKK," says Cooper.

Check the bag’s base for an additional brand tag. “Select bags will also include a brand tag in the bottom back left corner,” notes Cooper. “This long, folded

white tag should be sewn into the lining, feature the Telfar logo and say ‘TELFAR / EST. 2005, NYC’ in a black, bold font. All letters should be capitalized. Note

that this tag is not included in all bags and all sizes. We’ve seen some small, 2020-produced bags with the white folded tag, while some medium, 2020 bags

have been seen without. Bags produced prior to 2020 have not been seen with this tag.”

Shop TRR’s selection of Telfar bags and more now.

All items are pre-owned and consigned to The RealReal. Trademarks are owned by their respective brand owners. No brand owner endorses or sponsors

this ad or has any association and/or affiliation with The RealReal.

Please note: Brand standards, logos, and other identifying features may have changed since the time of publication.