You may have only heard of the Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags, but in actual fact, there is a whole list of Hermès bags waiting to be discovered. Not that they are undiscovered or rare at all. They’re just less well known than the staple Birkin or Kelly bags. Take a look, maybe they will surprise you.
An introduction to Hermès
Hermès started with pretty small beginnings. In fact, they began as a harness workshop in Paris, which crafted and designed equestrian accessories for the rich and royalty. Although the Hermès brand was invented in 1837, it wasn’t actually until the 1900s when Hermès introduced their first bag to customers. This bag didn’t look like the ones we carry and see today. It was designed as a method of carrying riders’ saddles. Throughout the 1920s, the Hermès brand continued to grow and include other accessories like clothing, travel bags and the handbags we know today.
The Hermès Birkin is seen as the ‘holy grail’
The Birkin bag is the ‘it’ girl of handbags. It’s a bag that is extremely coveted, and simultaneously hard to get hold of. If you want one of these, chances are it may take you years to get one. The Birkin comes in numerous colours and various sizes, ranging from 25 to 40. The great thing about this bag is that even with the smaller size (the 25), you can still fit all your everyday necessities in it. Allegedly Hermès stores are only allowed to sell a certain number of these bags every year, so even if you walk into a Hermès shop asking for one, there’s absolutely no guarantee you’ll be walking out with one. So, if you’re looking for an investment piece, a bag to sell onwards once you’ve finished using it. The Hermès Birkin is the bag for you.
Next popular is the Hermès Kelly bag
You might have also heard of the Hermès Kelly bag, it’s the second most popular bag the brand offers. The Kelly bag was a firm favourite of the American actress Grace Kelly, who famously used the bag to conceal her growing pregnancy bump from awaiting paparazzi. The Kelly bag is like the more elegant older sister of the Birkin. Where the Birkin is supposed to be used as an everyday bag, the Kelly was mainly made as an evening (or slightly more formal) handbag. The Kelly bag is available in a slightly smaller size than the Birkin, a 15, and also a slightly larger size, a 50. Perfect for those of you who may be a minimalist, or maximalist.
Then comes the crossbody Hermès Constance
Moving on with a couple of bags you may not have heard of before. The Hermès Constance is a versatile bag that can either be worn over the shoulder or crossbody and features an H locking clasp. As the story goes, the bag was designed by Catherine Chaillet who was expecting a child at the time she was creating the Constance. Catherine gave birth to her daughter, Constance, and decided to name the bag after her.
Don’t forget the equestrian-inspired bag
Going back to the roots of Hermès, the Picotin is a handbag that is inspired by a horse feed bag. You can see the influence this had on the shape of the bag. The wide and round shape of the bag means that you’ll have plenty of room to put all your necessities in. The lock closure also means you can be assured that your items won’t spill out. As with all of Hermès bags, practicality is key, and we can definitely see that throughout their designs.
There are plenty of Hermès designs to choose from
Every designer has that crucial bag that made them who they are today. For Hermès, that may be the Birkin. However, sometimes it’s nice to take a look at some of the other designs Hermès have to offer. If you wanted to be a little more unique with your style, maybe you’d prefer to opt for the Picotin over a larger Kelly for example. Whatever you need from your bag, we’re sure that Hermès are the perfect choice of luxury accessory.
