Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained hermes ring bag

Author : Rees Forrest | Published On : 18 Sep 2026

Every Hermès bag has 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. If you are starting from zero, read in order — the styles are grouped by how hard they are to get.

Quota Bags Explained: Birkin and Kelly

Hermès limits how many of its two flagship bags a client can buy each year. These are what collectors call the quota bags. You cannot simply order one. Boutiques offer them to established clients, which is why the resale market for both runs well above 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. The most common sizes are the 25, 30, and 35.

reddit start around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo leather 25, and climb steeply with exotic skins. Pre-owned, popular sizes and colors command $20,000 and up. The most expensive Hermès bags on record are diamond-set crocodile Birkins, which have hit six figures at auction.

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. The bag shot to fame with Grace Kelly in 1956, and the house eventually named it after her.

Kelly prices sit close to Birkin territory: roughly $10,000–$11,500 retail depending on size and leather. hermes bag sale — the Kelly 20 — is presently the toughest to obtain, with resale often at twice 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

These styles still require patience at busy boutiques, but there is no annual limit. For plenty of buyers, this is where the smart money lands.

Hermès Constance Bag

A structured shoulder bag with the big "H" clasp — the closest thing Hermès has to a logo bag. The Constance works day to night and holds its value almost as well as the quota bags. Retail starts around $8,500 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. Originally built to carry horse-grooming gear — hence the ventilation holes. At around $3,500–$4,000, it ranks among the most attainable everyday Hermès bags.

Hermès Lindy Bag

The Lindy is a relaxed double-zip bag that carries by hand or on the shoulder. Its relaxed shape makes it a favorite for travel. The Mini Lindy has become the trend piece of the line in recent years.

Hermès Picotin Bag

The Picotin takes its shape from a horse's feed bag — a small, open bucket design. There is no lining and no hardware fuss, only a lock-through closure. Anyone looking up a Hermès bucket bag is really looking for this. With a starting price around $3,000, it regularly comes up as the cheapest leather Hermès bag.

Hermès Garden Party Bag

A practical tote in canvas and leather, made for daily errands. The Garden Party is the workhorse of the range and one of the easiest styles to find in a boutique. 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. You will see these styles constantly in boutiques and on resale platforms:

Bolide — a rounded zip-top design and one of the first zippered handbags in history.
Roulis — a compact shoulder style with a distinctive clasp, for those who find the Constance too loud.
Herbag — a canvas body under a leather Kelly-style flap, with interchangeable bags on a single frame.
Geta — a small curved crossbody in Swift leather, launched in 2022 and still in demand.
Victoria — an unstructured, soft tote suited to travel and everyday carry.
Della Cavalleria — the house's saddle bag silhouette, with a clasp drawn from equestrian hardware.
In-the-Loop — a contemporary bucket shape, especially popular pre-owned in the 18 size.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — versatile shoulder and crossbody styles that convert between carries.

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.

Hermès Bag Prices: How Much Is a Hermès Bag?

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 — roughly $3,000–$4,500
Daily leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — about $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotic skins and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited editions — $30,000 up to six figures

Retail prices climb most years, and quota bags typically resell at 1.5–2x retail.

Getting a Hermès Bag: What Actually Works

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. Know how to tell if reddit is real before parting with money: examine the heat stamp, the hand-sewn saddle stitch (slightly angled), the hardware engravings, and the blind stamp. A fake Hermès bag typically reveals itself through machine-perfect stitching and flimsy hardware. If in doubt, pay for professional authentication — the fee is nothing compared with the bag's price.

There is a separate reward in vintage Hermès bags. An older Kelly or Bolide often undercuts new non-quota styles on price and carries patina no new bag can replicate.

What Should Your First Hermès Bag Be?

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

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