Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained hermes kelly bag pre owned

Author : Rossi Lehman | Published On : 18 Sep 2026

Behind every Hermès bag there is a story, a waitlist, or both. Hermès offers much more than the two bags everyone recognizes. Below we break down the different Hermès bag names, the purpose of each style, rough pricing, and which ones are actually available to walk-in buyers.

If you already know the model you want, jump to it below. Starting fresh? Go in order, since the styles are grouped by availability.

The Quota Bags: Birkin and Kelly

Hermès caps the number of its two flagship bags a client may buy per year. Collectors call these the quota bags. You cannot just walk in and order one. Boutiques reserve them for established clients, so secondary-market prices for both run well past retail.

Hermès Birkin Bag

The Birkin is the most famous handbag in the world. It is a structured top-handle tote with two straps, a turn-lock closure, and no shoulder strap. The most common sizes are the 25, 30, and 35.

Expect Hermès Birkin bag prices to open around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo 25, climbing fast once exotic skins enter the picture. On the secondary market, expect $20,000 and up for popular sizes and colors. reddit -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. You can choose between two builds — the rigid Sellier and the softer Retourne. Grace Kelly made it famous in 1956, and the house renamed the bag after her.

Retail prices track just under the Birkin, roughly $10,000–$11,500 based on size and leather. Right now the mini Kelly bag (Kelly 20) is the hardest Hermès bag to source, and resale prices frequently double retail.

Kelly vs Birkin in one line: the Kelly is more formal and fully closes with its flap, while the Birkin is casual, roomier, and quicker to access.

Non-Quota Styles You Can Realistically Buy

Busy boutiques may test your patience, but these styles carry no yearly cap. For many buyers, this is where the smart money goes.

Hermès Constance Bag

This structured shoulder bag with the large "H" clasp is the closest Hermès comes to a logo bag. The Constance moves from day to evening easily and keeps its value almost on par with the quota bags. The Constance 18 starts at roughly $8,500 retail.

Hermès Evelyne Bag

The Evelyne is the house's casual crossbody bag. It has a perforated "H" on the front, an open top with a tab closure, and a wide canvas strap. It was designed for grooming equestrian gear, which explains the ventilation holes. 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. The soft silhouette has made it a go-to for travel. In recent years the Mini Lindy has turned into the line's trend piece.

Hermès Picotin Bag

The Picotin takes its shape from a horse's feed bag — a small, open bucket design. 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

This is the practical canvas-and-leather tote for everyday errands. As the workhorse of the range, the Garden Party is also among the easiest styles to find in store. Expect to pay more for all-leather editions; the canvas blend keeps the entry price accessible.

Other Hermès Bag Names Worth Knowing

The catalog runs deep. These styles come up constantly in boutiques and on the resale market:

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 distinctive metal clasp; a quieter alternative to the Constance.
Herbag — canvas body with a leather Kelly-style flap; interchangeable bags on one frame.
Geta — a small curved Swift-leather crossbody introduced in 2022 and still hard to find.
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-shaped style, popular in the 18 size on the pre-owned market.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — adaptable shoulder and crossbody designs that switch between carry modes.

The Hermès men's bag range is led by the Haut à Courroies — the Birkin's ancestor — alongside the Steve messenger bag and the Cityback line.

How Much Does a Hermès Bag Cost?

Short answer: from about $3,000 to well past $100,000. A realistic pricing ladder runs like this:

Entry point (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — around $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather styles: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — roughly $3,500–$9,000
The structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotics and rare pieces: 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.

How to Actually Get a Hermès Bag

Walk-in stock exists for Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and similar styles, especially at larger boutiques. A Birkin or Kelly realistically comes one of two ways: a purchase history built with a sales associate, or a reputable pre-owned reseller.

If you go pre-owned, authentication is everything. Learn how to tell if a Hermès bag is real before you spend anything: check the heat stamp, the stitching (hand-sewn saddle stitch, slightly angled), the hardware engravings, and the craftsman blind stamp. Machine-perfect stitching and lightweight hardware usually give a fake Hermès bag away. If in doubt, pay for professional authentication — the fee is nothing compared with the bag's price.

Vintage Hermès bags reward buyers in their own way. Older Kellys and Bolides often cost less than new non-quota styles and carry patina no new bag can fake.

Which Hermès Bag Should You Buy First?

One answer, three lifestyles: Evelyne for casual daily wear, Constance for dressing up, Picotin for the lowest-cost entry into Hermès leather. Chase the Birkin or Kelly once you know the house — or buy authenticated pre-owned and skip the waitlist entirely.

More on this topic: our Hermès leather guide plus Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.