Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained women's hermès hermes kelly sellie
Author : Norris Huffman | Published On : 18 Sep 2026
Each Hermès bag comes with a story, a waiting list, 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.If a specific model brought you here, jump to its section below. New to the brand? Read top to bottom — the styles are ordered by how difficult they are to obtain.
Quota Bags Explained: Birkin and Kelly
Hermès caps the number of its two flagship bags a client may buy per year. Among collectors, these are known as the quota bags. You cannot simply order one. They are offered to established clients only, which is why resale prices for both sit far above retail.
Hermès Birkin Bag
The Birkin is the most famous handbag in the world. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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 presently the toughest to obtain, with resale often at twice retail.
The Kelly vs Birkin question in one line: the Kelly is dressier and closes fully with its flap; the Birkin is more casual, roomier, and faster to get in and out of.
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 with the big "H" clasp — the closest thing Hermès has 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. The design includes a perforated "H" on the front, an open top secured by a tab, and a wide canvas strap. Originally built to carry horse-grooming gear — hence the ventilation holes. At roughly $3,500–$4,000, it is one of 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. 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. reddit skips lining and hardware complications in favor of a simple 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 serves as the range's workhorse and is one of the simplest styles to locate in a boutique. Expect to pay more for all-leather editions; the canvas blend keeps the entry price accessible.
More Hermès Bag Names You Should Know
The catalog runs deep. 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 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.
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.
How Much Does a Hermès Bag Cost?
In short: from around $3,000 to far beyond $100,000. A realistic pricing ladder runs like this:
Entry (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — roughly $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — around $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — around $8,500–$13,000+ at retail
Exotics and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited editions — $30,000 up to 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
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.
Going 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. Unsure? A professional authentication service costs a fraction of what the bag does.
Vintage Hermès bags reward buyers in their own way. An older Kelly or Bolide often undercuts new non-quota styles on price and carries patina no new bag can replicate.
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. Save the Birkin or Kelly for when you know the house — or choose authenticated pre-owned and bypass the waitlist completely.
Related reading: our Hermès leather guide and Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.
