How to Spot Fake The North Face

The North Face has become an increasingly popular brand in recent years, particularly for their puffer coats. With winter fast approaching, The North Face puffer coat seems like the perfect staple to keep you warm; but how do you know if you’ve bought the real deal or a fake? The more popular this brand becomes, the more fake products there will be on the market, making it much harder to determine if what you have purchased is legitimate.

Figure 1. Supreme X The North Face Coats

The North Face was named after the most challenging side of the mountain. The brand has equipped explorers since 1966 and is now seen across the globe from everyday street style to the catwalk .

In 1977, The North Face created their Gore-Tex products. These were made for skiers to stay protected in the harshest conditions and were the first dry, breathable gear suitable for all conditions.

The iconic Nuptse jacket was released in 1992 and was instantly a hit. This has since become the most popular and recognisable North Face coat, really putting the brand on the market for casual street style and not just expedition wear.

For full information on the history of The North Face, visit The Edit, or watch our video here.

Figure 2. Nuptse Jackets

Collaborations

Since The North Face has become more and more popular, many other huge brands have collaborated with them to create the ultimate iconic pieces.
Gucci –

Figure 3. Billie Eilish in TNF X GUCCI

The most obvious collaboration is with Gucci. While still including the iconic Nuptse jacket in the collaboration, Gucci has also added big changes to the original North Face style. The Gucci X The North Face collaboration includes T-shirts, hats, dungarees, scarves and obviously coats, and is most recognisable from the ‘GG’ print puffer coat. Celebrities have loved this collaboration, and has been seen on huge names like Billie Eilish, Chris Brown and A$AP Rocky.

Figure 4. Supreme X TNF

The first ever Supreme X The North Face collaboration was released in 2007 and included The North Face Summit jackets. These were made with bright colours and earth tones, and featured a leopard print lining. The following year, the collaboration released 3 Denali zip-up fleeces with a 90’s vibe to them. The pair have since collaborated every year for spring/summer and fall/winter collections. Like all other Supreme collections, these are only available for a limited time when they drop, but they can still be found on reseller sites like StockX.

Commes Des Garçons –

Figure 5. Comme Des Garçons X TNF

Another The North Face collaboration was with Commes Des Garçons. This collection was announced in 2020 and was mainly targeted towards Japan. The small collaboration consisted of a T-shirt, a hoodie and a dress shirt, all featuring The North Face logo and the Commes Des Garçons heart logo. The collection is no longer available to buy but items can be found on eBay.

What to look for?
Many of us aren’t sure where to start when looking for clues on how to tell a fake from a real product. These are a few tell tale signs to look out for:

The hang tag – the hang tag is the removable tag in the back of any item of clothing when purchased, usually including details about the item, as well as the price. The real hang tag is a dark blue colour and has a very clear, high resolution image. The fake one, however, has a lower resolution image, and the colour is much darker, almost black.

Figure 6. Real vs Fake Hang Tags

The zip – The zip on an original North Face puffer coat is much thicker compared to its replica. The text stamped onto the metal is also bolder and wider than the fake. On the original puffer, the actual shape of the zip is much wider where the hole is, whereas the fake zip stays quite narrow.

Figure 7. Real vs Fake Zip

The chest logo – Arguably the most important part is the main logo on the front of the coat. On the fake coat, the shape part of the logo does not align straight, and is one of the more obvious signs of a fake North Face puffer. As for the text, the font is much thinner compared to the real deal, and again, not aligned. The thickness of the thread used for the logo tells us that the fake coats use a much thinner thread, and is of much poorer quality.

Figure 8. Real vs Fake Logo

The ‘700’ text – Similarly to the chest logo, the ‘700’ text on the sleeve has thicker thread, and bolder, clearer lettering, compared to any fake North face puffer.

Figure 9. Real vs Fake Text

The product code – The product code is written on a small white tag in the bottom of the coat. On a fake puffer, the font and sizing of the text is much smaller and thinner. It is also more of a grey odour, than a bold black. The actual white tag itself is much smaller than the tag on the original, and often is made from a more textured material.

Figure 10. Real vs Fake Label

The holographic tag – The holographic tag is one of the biggest giveaways for a replica North Face coat. The holograph should always have cuts on the corners, which the fake coats do not. A replica coat may not even have a holographic tag, making it easy to tell straight away that it is not a legitimate North Face puffer.

Figure 11. Real vs Fake Hologram

Fakes – are they sold often?

If purchased from a reputable brand, The North Face puffers will be genuine. This includes buying directly from The North Face, or retailers like ASOS, Very and Footasylum. If you wish to be more sustainable and purchase a jacket second hand, you may have to be more careful. Places such as Depop, Vinted and eBay can be home to many replica items; some sellers may even try and sell these replicas as the real deal. The North Face is a highly counterfeit brand so it is recommended to always purchase directly from trusted retailers, or make sure to ask for proof of purchase when buying from resellers.

Figure 12. Fake TNF puffer from DHGate

Copycat brands

The North Face Nuptse puffer is generally easy for other brands to replicate as it is a classic puffer coat and therefore a staple piece. Most fashion brands sell a black puffer coat around winter time as this is one of the most common and easy to style ways to stay warm during the cold months.

Primark are currently selling a cropped black puffer coat for £22, which is also available in cream and khaki. This is perfect for people who want to recreate the classic puffer style look, but on a budget. Slightly more expensive, Urban Outfitters are selling a wide range of puffers in different colours to suit all looks. Specifically, an Iets Frans black puffer is almost identical to the Nuptse puffer, retailing at £79. This is more than three times the price of the primark puffer, but is still a way cheaper alternative to The North Face puffer, which is currently £300.

Figure 13. Iets Frans Puffer Coat

TNF PUFFER STYLE BOARD