Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained why did hermes give odysseus the wind bag

Author : Bendtsen Frederick | Published On : 19 Sep 2026

Each Hermès bag comes with a story, a waiting list, or both. Hermès offers much more than the two bags everyone recognizes. In this guide you will find the different Hermès bag names, what each style does best, approximate prices, and which models you can realistically buy in store.

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

The Quota Bags: 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 just walk in and 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. It is a structured tote with two top handles, a turn-lock closure, and 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. The most expensive Hermès bags ever sold are diamond-set crocodile Birkins, with auction results in the hundreds of thousands.

Hermès Kelly Bag

Older and more refined, the Hermès Kelly bag pairs a single top handle with a sculpted flap and a removable shoulder strap. You can choose between two builds — the rigid Sellier and the softer Retourne. In 1956 Grace Kelly made it famous, and Hermès later renamed the bag in her honor.

Kelly prices sit close to Birkin territory: roughly $10,000–$11,500 retail depending 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.

The Kelly vs Birkin question in one line: the Kelly is the dressy, fully-closing option; the Birkin is the casual, roomy, easy-access one.

Icons You Can Actually Order (No Quota)

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. It transitions from day to night and retains value nearly as well as the quota bags. hermes monsieur b bag around $8,500 for the Constance 18.

Hermès Evelyne Bag

Hermès positions the Evelyne as its 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. That easygoing shape makes it a travel favorite. Lately, the Mini Lindy has emerged as the trend piece of the family.

Hermès Picotin Bag

The Picotin is a small open bucket bag inspired by a horse's feed bag. It skips lining and hardware complications in favor of a simple lock-through closure. When people search for a Hermès bucket bag, this is the one they mean. Starting near $3,000, it is often cited as the cheapest Hermès bag in leather.

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. All-leather versions carry higher prices, while the canvas mix keeps entry costs down.

More Hermès Bag Names You Should Know

There is real depth to the catalog. You will see these styles constantly in boutiques and on resale platforms:

Bolide — a rounded zip-top bag, one of the first handbags ever made with a zipper.
Roulis — a compact shoulder bag with a signature metal clasp — a subtler take on the Constance.
Herbag — canvas body with a leather Kelly-style flap; interchangeable bags 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 — Hermès's saddle bag shape, finished with a clasp borrowed 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 — flexible shoulder and crossbody styles built to convert between carries.

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

Hermès Bag Prices: How Much Is a Hermès Bag?

In short: from around $3,000 to far beyond $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: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — around $3,500–$9,000
The structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — around $8,500–$13,000+ at retail
Exotics and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited runs — from $30,000 into six figures

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

How to Actually Get a Hermès Bag

You can find the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and comparable styles as walk-in stock, particularly at bigger boutiques. To land a Birkin or Kelly, your realistic options are building purchase history with a sales associate or going pre-owned through a reputable 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. A fake Hermès bag is usually betrayed by machine-perfect stitching and lightweight hardware. If in doubt, pay for professional authentication — the fee is nothing compared with the bag's price.

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.

Which hermes kelly lakis bag Makes the Best First Buy?

If you want one answer: the Evelyne for casual daily use, the Constance if you dress up more often, and the Picotin if you want 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 and Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.