TRIANGL authenticity: how to tell if a TRIANGL bikini is real or fake

When searching for a better deal on Triangl bikinis on shopping apps or the Internet, it’s important to be able to tell the difference between the real deal and a well-constructed look-alike. After all, nobody ever likes shelling out money for a fake.

Theoretically, the only way to ensure that your Triangl is authentic is to purchase directly from the Triangl website. However, if you’re dying to get your hands on a suit and can’t afford to go that route, check out my tips for ensuring that your suit, whether from eBay or Poshmark or wherever else you’ve found it, is indeed authentic.

Here goes!

1. Ensure there are no raw hems. With bandeau-style tops like the Milly, Brigitte, Winnie, etc., look near the labels. Authentic Triangls will not have any raw, unfinished hems, while dupes will leave the edge raw, revealing the white rubber-like material underneath the cloth.

2. Check for bar codes. If the seller has the original plastic bag packaging available for you to see, ensure that there is a bar code sticker underneath the word “TRIANGL.” If it is a dupe, there will instead be a small, white, circular sticker with the size on the bags.

3. Care cards. It seems that in 2014, bikinis came with two cards that were the same size. One contained care instructions and the other contained instructions for returns and exchanges. This was changed in 2015. Bikinis now come with one smaller card with care instructions and one larger card, over twice as large as the first, containing a return form. Make sure that your seller has both cards!

4. Confirmation email. Triangl sends a confirmation email to each person who purchases a bikini. It will contain their name as well as the name of the top and bottom they have purchased. If possible, ask for a screenshot of the email. Some sellers may not want to show you this if they feel it reveals too much personal information, but they can always just scratch out any information they want hidden.
Note: In 2013, invoices were sent from Craig (craig@triangl.com.au), one of the co-founders of Triangl. The company name was Triangl Limited. Since then they have changed the look of their invoices; "TRIANGL" is written boldly across the top, and they are no longer from Craig himself.

5. Hygienic liner. Triangl bottoms have a figure-eight shaped, matte hygienic liner with only words on it; it should say “HYGIENIC PROTECTION REMOVE ONLY AFTER PURCHASE.” There is literally nothing else on the liner. Some dupes have a few small, circular, cog-looking pictures on it, and the font is different. The liner will also appear to be more glossy and have an outline.

6. Labels. The Triangl labels should be black and say "TRIANGL" in white stitching. Dupes sometimes just have a white label in its place.

7. The color of the interior. Go on the Triangl website and ask their Live Help what color is on the inside of a bikini top/bottom you're interested in. I've seen several dupes that are nearly an exact match except for the color on the inside (e.g. black when it should be orange on the inside of one of the bottoms).

8. General flaws in the design. Triangl is meticulous, and rightfully so as their bikinis are pricey, so if you see a few too many “errors,” such as uncentered stitching or metal weights on the Chloe that appear to be a bit too cheap and plastic-y, stay away.

9. Look closely and be very wary! Many sellers will do anything to make a quick buck, including telling potential buyers that their bikinis are “100% authentic.” However, if they are unable or unwilling to show you proof, you should walk away (or just leave their page, y’know).

*Be aware that Triangl has made some minor adjustments to their bikinis since they started out; there is no one set design. For example, on Chloe tops, the stitching color on the cups has varied. In addition, the shape of the bottoms has changed; the back once had more straight edges but are now more curved, perhaps to cover more booty. Some of the original bottoms also had a straight edge in each of the side corners, one in the front of one side and one on the back of the other side, but those have been smoothed out since then.

Also, if a seller says that they can order directly from the manufacturer for you, they are definitely selling dupes. It is literally (*Chris Traeger voice*) impossible for anyone to do that.

If nothing else, I'd say that your best bet to prove authenticity is just to ask the seller for the confirmation email. Sellers can accidentally throw away the plastic bags with bar codes or the care cards, but that email is the one thing that should be stored safely in their inbox. If they say they "don't have it anymore," I'd be extremely wary.

I hope this post was helpful!

Big thanks to Betty for sharing her Triangl knowledge with me!