A jelly firkin is a structured handbag in translucent plastic, cut in the trapeze silhouette of the great classic city bags. This guide explains what it is, what it is made of, what it costs and how to choose yours. Updated 5 September 2026.
What exactly is a jelly firkin?
A jelly firkin is a rigid handbag moulded in translucent plastic, with a flat base and trapezoid sides, two short handles and a flap on top. Its defining feature: you can see inside. The transparency is not a manufacturing flaw — it is the very design of the bag.
The term describes a family of bags before it describes a single reference. For us, it is our signature piece, the Jelly Firkin, available in twelve colours.
Where the name comes from
"Jelly" describes the material: a plastic dyed through the mass, with the look of set jelly, that lets light pass through. The word has long been used in fashion to describe anything translucent and coloured.
"Firkin" is an old English word. It refers to a small wooden cask, an old unit of capacity: a compact, sturdy container, without ceremony. That is where the name of the house comes from, and the idea behind the bag — an object made to carry, not only to be looked at.
Why everyone is talking about it in 2026
The jelly bag is one of the defining fashion trends of summer 2026: the international fashion press has crowned it (Grazia UK and other titles, August 2026) and Google searches are up +110% (Google Trends, as cited by Grazia UK). The aesthetic revives the codes of the 90s and 2000s, but in a grown-up version: structured, matte, satin-finished — far from the glossy plastic of the original.
The silhouette
You recognise it from a distance. Flat base, sides that rise and flare out, a marked shoulder line, a flap on top, two short handles. It is the geometry of a great classic leather city bag, transposed into a material that has nothing to do with leather. That is the whole point: a serious design, in a material that is not.
The material: frosted TPU
The Jelly Firkin is moulded in frosted TPU — thermoplastic polyurethane. TPU is not PVC, and the difference shows in use: more supple, it does not yellow, withstands the cold without going rigid and copes better with everyday abrasion.
"Frosted" describes the finish: a matte surface rather than a glassy one. It diffuses light instead of reflecting it, holds fewer fingerprints, and softens what can be glimpsed inside — you make out shapes and colours, rarely the detail.
| TPU (today's jelly firkin) | PVC (2000s jelly bags) | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Supple, satin, frosted | Stiff, glossy |
| Ageing | Keeps its clarity and shape | Yellows and hardens |
| Resistance | Highly resistant to wear and water | Scratches and cracks |
| Look | Frosted translucent (hints without showing) | Transparent (everything visible) |
To go further: TPU or PVC, which material for a jelly bag? and the story of the jelly bag's comeback.
The models in the La Firkin range
The house has eleven bags. The first nine belong to the translucent line — the jelly firkins proper. The last two, opaque, are an extension of the house into the classic city bag.
| Model | Price | Colours |
|---|---|---|
| Mini Jelly Firkin | €45.00 | 12 |
| Baguette Firkin | €49.90 | 4 |
| Jelly Firkin (signature) | €53.90 | 12 |
| Jelly Croco | €53.90 | 5 |
| Baguette Croco | €59.90 | 3 |
| Confetti | €59.90 | 3 |
| Confetti Cabas | €59.90 | 11 |
| Croco Glacé | €59.90 | 6 |
| Riviera | €59.90 | 5 |
| Héritage (opaque) | €69.90 | 9 |
| Le Firkin (leather) | €69.90 | 4 |
| Charms | €17.00 to €27.50 | 7 references |
The Mini Jelly Firkin takes the signature silhouette at a reduced scale, in the same twelve colours. The Jelly Croco keeps the line and changes the grain, in five mineral shades: Obsidian, Azure, Jade, Candy, Ivory. The Baguette Firkin leaves the trapeze for an elongated shape worn on the shoulder, and the Baguette Croco takes that shape in the croco grain. The Croco Glacé swaps the frosted finish for a glossy shell, in six shades.
Two totes extend the range towards the large shoulder-carried format: the Confetti Cabas, polka-dotted, in TPU, and Riviera, striped, in TPU as well. The Confetti brings the polka dot back onto the original trapeze silhouette.
Two models, finally, are not jelly bags and do not claim to be: Héritage, a retro bag with a reptile grain, entirely opaque, and Le Firkin, in full-grain leather, with a gold or silver buckle. They share the silhouette of the house, not its material.
The model-by-model detail: the guide to the models. To decide between the full size and the Mini: which size to choose.
The colours
The Jelly Firkin comes in twelve shades dyed through the material: Cherry, Sunset, Sky, Mint, Butter, Pearl, Blush, Onyx, Lilac, Lavender, Lagoon and Cherry Blush. The colour runs through the wall instead of being applied on the surface.
The choice is not only aesthetic: the lighter the shade, the more you can make out what is inside. An Onyx only reveals volumes; a Pearl lets colours show through. The complete guide: which colour to choose.
Customisation
The jelly firkin is a blank canvas: cherry charms, cords and trinkets clip onto the handles and the key fob. On a translucent bag, the charm is the only opaque element — it becomes the focal point. Charms range from €17.00 to €27.50.
Who it is for
Anyone who wants a bag that gets noticed and owns it. It works best with a calm outfit, where it becomes the single accent, and it has one advantage no pale leather offers: a damp cloth is enough to make it look new again. It is not a discreet bag, though. If you do not want anything on show, pick a dark colour and slip an opaque pouch inside — we explain the method here.
Care
A soft, slightly damp cloth is all it takes. Air-dry, away from any direct heat source. TPU withstands rain and splashes. Never solvents, never the washing machine, never heat: the complete care guide.
Where to buy a jelly firkin — Switzerland, France, Europe, United States
La Firkin is a house established in Switzerland, in Lausanne. On lafirkin.com, Swiss prices are shown in francs and European prices in euros, with all taxes and fees included in the European Union and Switzerland — nothing to pay on delivery. Elsewhere, import duties may apply depending on the country.
Tracked shipping, dispatched within 24 working hours. It is free across the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Latin America, and charged at CHF 16 to Norway, Canada, Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. Allow 6 to 9 working days for Switzerland, 4 to 9 working days for France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States; over thirty countries served. Returns are possible, with return shipping costs borne by the customer — the details are in our terms and conditions of sale.
How to sort through the shops selling this bag: the 6 points to check before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
Is a jelly firkin waterproof?
The material does not absorb water: a shower or a spilled glass wipes off with a cloth, without leaving a mark. The bag is not watertight, though, as the flap is not sealed. In real rain, protect anything fragile.
Is it heavy?
No. The bag is moulded in one piece, with no lining or reinforcement, and stays light when empty. What weighs is what you put inside. The structure holds its shape on its own: no need to fill it for it to stand.
Can you really see through it?
Yes, that is the principle. The frosted finish blurs what can be glimpsed: volumes and colours rather than identifiable objects. Legibility depends on the shade and the light — in full sun, everything shows more clearly.
Does it yellow over time?
TPU does not yellow the way PVC does, which dulls and turns yellow as it ages. That is one of the reasons we chose it. A damp cloth from time to time is enough.
Which size to choose?
The Mini for the essentials: phone, keys, a card, a lip balm. The signature for a full day, with a small bottle, a pouch, a book. The Jelly Firkin measures 35 × 27 cm, the Mini 28 × 25 × 12 cm. If in doubt, measure the bag you use every day.
Is the jelly firkin a counterfeit?
No. It borrows a silhouette — scalloped flap, padlock-style clasp, round handles — that belongs to the shared vocabulary of leather goods. It carries no logo, no name and no distinctive sign belonging to another house. A bag sold under the name or logo of a luxury house, on the other hand, is a counterfeit.
How much does a jelly firkin cost?
At La Firkin, a jelly firkin ranges from €45.00 for the Mini Jelly Firkin to €59.90 for the most elaborate models, with the signature at €53.90. The house goes up to €69.90 for its two opaque bags, Héritage and Le Firkin, which are not jelly bags. Prices include taxes, and shipping is free across the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Latin America. Below €30, it is almost always PVC rather than TPU.
Guide updated 5 September 2026 by La Firkin, Swiss house — Lausanne.