Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained hermes petit h (petit hache) bag charm

Author : Brantley Lynggaard | Published On : 12 Sep 2026

Behind every Hermès bag there is a story, a waitlist, or both. The maison produces far more than the two famous icons. 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.

Already know which model you are after? Skip straight to it below. Starting fresh? Go in order, since the styles are grouped by availability.

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. Ordering one outright is not possible. They are offered to established clients only, which is why resale prices for both sit far above retail.

Hermès Birkin Bag

No handbag in the world is more famous than the Birkin. The design is a structured top-handle tote: two straps, a turn-lock closure, no shoulder strap. You will most often see it in the 25, 30, and 35 sizes.

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 resale platforms, sought-after sizes and colors fetch $20,000 or more. 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. You can choose between two builds — the rigid Sellier and the softer Retourne. The bag shot to fame with Grace Kelly in 1956, and the house eventually named it after her.

Pricing lands close to the Birkin: about $10,000–$11,500 retail, depending 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.

Non-Quota Styles You Can Realistically Buy

You may still wait at busy boutiques, but no annual limit applies to these styles. For many buyers, this is where the smart money goes.

Hermès Constance Bag

A structured shoulder bag with the big "H" clasp — the closest thing Hermès has to a logo bag. It transitions from day to night and retains value nearly as well as the quota bags. hermes togo swift medor bag gold 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. If you have searched for a Hermès bucket bag, this is the one people mean. 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. 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. 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 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 travel and everyday tote.
Della Cavalleria — the maison's saddle bag design, its clasp lifted straight 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?

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

Entry (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — roughly $3,000–$4,500
Daily leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — roughly $3,500–$9,000
Structured icon tier: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — around $8,500–$13,000+ at retail
Exotics and rare pieces: crocodile, ostrich, and limited editions — $30,000 up to six figures

Prices rise most years, and secondary-market prices for quota bags typically sit 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. 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.

On the pre-owned route, authentication is non-negotiable. 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. 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.

There is a separate reward in vintage Hermès bags. Older Kellys and Bolides often cost less than new non-quota styles and carry patina no new bag can fake.

Which Hermès Bag Makes the Best First Buy?

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.