Each Hermès bag comes with a story, a waiting list, or both. The maison produces far more than the two famous icons. 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.
Birkin and Kelly: The Quota Bags
Hermès limits how many of its two flagship bags a client can buy each year. reddit 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
No handbag in the world is more famous than the Birkin. It is a structured tote with two top handles, a turn-lock closure, and no shoulder strap. You will most often see it in the 25, 30, and 35 sizes.
Hermès Birkin bag prices start around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo leather 25, and climb steeply with exotic skins. 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
Older and more refined, the Hermès Kelly bag pairs a single top handle with a sculpted flap and a removable shoulder strap. It comes in two constructions: Sellier (rigid, sharp edges) and Retourne (softer, relaxed). Grace Kelly made it famous in 1956, and the house renamed the bag after her.
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 presently the toughest to obtain, with resale often at twice retail.
The Kelly vs Birkin question in one line: the Kelly is more formal and fully closes with its flap, while the Birkin is casual, roomier, and quicker to access.
Icons You Can Actually Order (No Quota)
Busy boutiques may test your patience, but these styles carry no yearly cap. Many buyers consider this the smartest place to spend.
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. Pricing opens near $8,500 retail for the Constance 18.
hermes bag open 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
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. In recent years the Mini Lindy has turned into the line's trend piece.
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. 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
This is the practical canvas-and-leather tote for everyday errands. The Garden Party is the workhorse of the range and one of the easiest styles to find in a boutique. The all-leather versions cost more; the canvas mix keeps the entry price lower.
Other Hermès Bag Names Worth Knowing
The catalog goes deeper than most realize. 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 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 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?
The short answer: anywhere from roughly $3,000 to well over $100,000. A realistic pricing ladder runs like this:
Entry (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — around $3,000–$4,500
Daily leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — about $3,500–$9,000
Structured icon tier: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — roughly $8,500–$13,000+ retail
Exotic skins and rarities: 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
You can find the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and comparable styles as walk-in stock, particularly at bigger 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.
Going 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. Unsure? A professional authentication service costs a fraction of what the bag does.
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 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. 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.
Every Hermès Bag Type and Name, Explained hermes bag order
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