Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained hermes bag color names

Author : Rosenberg Fournier | Published On : 17 Sep 2026

Behind every Hermès bag there is a story, a waitlist, or both. The house makes far more than the two icons everyone knows. This guide covers the different Hermès bag names, what each style is for, roughly what they cost, and which ones you can actually walk in and buy.

Already know which model you are after? Skip straight to it below. New to the brand? hermes canva bag to bottom — the styles are ordered by how difficult they are to obtain.

The Quota Bags: Birkin and Kelly

Each year, Hermès restricts how many of its two flagship bags any client can purchase. Collectors call these the quota bags. You cannot simply order one. Boutiques reserve them for established clients, so secondary-market prices for both run well past retail.

Hermès Birkin Bag

The Birkin is arguably the most famous handbag on earth. The design is a structured top-handle tote: two straps, a turn-lock closure, no shoulder strap. Common sizes are the Birkin 25, 30, and 35.

Hermès Birkin bag prices start around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo leather 25, and climb steeply with exotic skins. On the secondary market, expect $20,000 and up for popular sizes and colors. Diamond-encrusted crocodile Birkins hold the record as the most expensive Hermès bags, with auction prices in the hundreds of thousands.

Hermès Kelly Bag

The Hermès Kelly bag is the elder, dressier sibling: one top handle, a sculpted flap, and a removable shoulder strap. Two constructions exist: Sellier, which is rigid with sharp edges, and Retourne, which is softer and relaxed. In 1956 Grace Kelly made it famous, and Hermès later renamed the bag in her honor.

Retail prices track just under the Birkin, roughly $10,000–$11,500 based on size and leather. The mini Kelly bag (the Kelly 20) is currently the hardest of all to get, and resale prices often double retail.

Kelly vs Birkin, summed up: the Kelly is the dressy, fully-closing option; the Birkin is the casual, roomy, easy-access one.

Non-Quota Icons You Can Actually Order

These styles still require patience at busy boutiques, but there is no annual limit. Many buyers consider this the smartest place to spend.

Hermès Constance Bag

A structured shoulder bag built around the bold "H" clasp, and the nearest thing to a logo bag Hermès makes. The Constance works day to night and holds its value almost as well as the quota bags. Pricing opens near $8,500 retail for the Constance 18.

Hermès Evelyne Bag

Hermès positions the Evelyne as its casual crossbody bag. It features a perforated "H" front, a tab-closure open top, and a wide canvas strap. Its original job was hauling equestrian grooming kit, which is why the holes are there. Priced near $3,500–$4,000, it is one of the easiest everyday Hermès bags to actually own.

Hermès Lindy Bag

A slouchy double-zip design, the Lindy works both handheld and over the shoulder. That easygoing shape makes it a travel favorite. In recent years the Mini Lindy has turned into the line's trend piece.

Hermès Picotin Bag

Inspired by a horse's feed bag, the Picotin is a small open bucket style. No lining, no hardware fuss — just a lock-through closure. Anyone looking up a Hermès bucket bag is really looking for this. Starting near $3,000, it is often cited as the cheapest Hermès bag in leather.

Hermès Garden Party Bag

A practical canvas-and-leather tote for daily errands. The Garden Party is the workhorse of the range and one of the easiest styles to find in a boutique. The all-leather versions cost more; the canvas mix keeps the entry price lower.

More Hermès Bag Names Worth Knowing

The catalog goes deeper than most realize. You will see these styles constantly in boutiques and on resale platforms:

Bolide — a rounded zip-top bag with a claim to being among the first zippered handbags ever made.
Roulis — a compact shoulder bag with a signature metal clasp — a subtler take on the Constance.
Herbag — canvas construction topped with a Kelly-style leather flap; the bags swap on one frame.
Geta — a petite curved crossbody in Swift leather that debuted in 2022 and remains in demand.
Victoria — a soft, unstructured tote for travel and daily use.
Della Cavalleria — the maison's saddle bag design, its clasp lifted straight from equestrian hardware.
In-the-Loop — a modern bucket silhouette whose 18 size does brisk business on the pre-owned market.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — adaptable shoulder and crossbody designs that switch between carry modes.

For men, the Haut à Courroies (the Birkin's ancestor), the Steve messenger bag, and the Cityback line lead the Hermès men's bag range.

How Much Is a Hermès Bag?

Short answer: from about $3,000 to well past $100,000. Here is a realistic price ladder:

Entry level (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — around $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather styles: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — about $3,500–$9,000
The structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotic skins and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited runs — from $30,000 into six figures

Expect price increases most years; on the secondary market, quota bags usually trade at 1.5–2x retail.

Getting a Hermès Bag: What Actually Works

Larger boutiques often carry walk-in stock of the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and similar styles. For a Birkin or Kelly, the realistic paths are building a purchase history with a sales associate, or buying pre-owned from a reputable reseller.

If you go pre-owned, authentication is everything. Before spending a cent, learn how to tell if a Hermès bag is real — inspect the heat stamp, the slightly angled hand-sewn saddle stitching, the hardware engravings, and the craftsman blind stamp. A fake Hermès bag is usually betrayed by machine-perfect stitching and lightweight hardware. When in doubt, use a professional authentication service — the price of the check is trivial next to the price of the bag.

Vintage Hermès bags are their own reward. Older Kellys and Bolides frequently cost less than new non-quota styles, with patina no new bag can imitate.

What Should Your First Hermès Bag Be?

Want a single answer? The Evelyne for casual days, the Constance for dressier lifestyles, and the Picotin for the cheapest route into Hermès leather. Chase the Birkin or Kelly once you know the house — or buy authenticated pre-owned and skip the waitlist entirely.

Keep reading: our Hermès leather guide plus Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.