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.
If reddit know the model you want, jump 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. Among collectors, these are known as the quota bags. Ordering one outright is not possible. 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 top-handle tote with two straps, a turn-lock closure, and no shoulder strap. You will most often see it in the 25, 30, and 35 sizes.
Retail Hermès Birkin bag prices begin near $11,000–$12,000 for a Togo leather 25 and rise sharply for exotic skins. On the secondary market, expect $20,000 and up for popular sizes and colors. Diamond-encrusted crocodile Birkins hold the record as the most expensive Hermès bags, with auction prices in the hundreds of thousands.
Hermès Kelly Bag
The Hermès Kelly bag is the older, more elegant sibling — a single 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. In 1956 Grace Kelly made it famous, and Hermès later renamed the bag in her honor.
Retail prices track just under the Birkin, roughly $10,000–$11,500 based on size and leather. Right now the mini Kelly bag (Kelly 20) is the hardest Hermès bag to source, and resale prices frequently double retail.
Kelly vs Birkin 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 Icons You Can Actually Order
Busy boutiques may test your patience, but these styles carry no yearly cap. For plenty of buyers, this is where the smart money lands.
Hermès Constance Bag
This structured shoulder bag with the large "H" clasp is the closest Hermès comes to a logo bag. The Constance works day to night and holds its value almost as well as the quota bags. The Constance 18 starts at roughly $8,500 retail.
Hermès Evelyne Bag
The Evelyne is the house's 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 slouchy, double-zip bag you can carry by hand or over 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
Inspired by a horse's feed bag, the Picotin is a small open bucket style. It skips lining and hardware complications in favor of a simple lock-through closure. If you have searched for a Hermès bucket bag, this is the one people mean. Starting near $3,000, it is often cited as the cheapest Hermès bag in leather.
Hermès Garden Party Bag
This is the practical canvas-and-leather tote for everyday errands. As the workhorse of the range, the Garden Party is also among the easiest styles to find in store. The all-leather versions cost more; the canvas mix keeps the entry price lower.
More Hermès Bag Names You Should Know
There is real depth to the catalog. These styles come up constantly in boutiques and on the resale market:
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 — 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 — the maison's saddle bag design, its clasp lifted straight 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 — 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 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 styles: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — roughly $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — roughly $8,500–$13,000+ retail
Exotics and rare pieces: 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.
How to Actually Get a Hermès Bag
Larger boutiques often carry walk-in stock of the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and similar styles. A Birkin or Kelly realistically comes one of two ways: a purchase history built with a sales associate, or a reputable pre-owned reseller.
On the pre-owned route, authentication is non-negotiable. Know how to tell if a Hermès bag is real before parting with money: examine the heat stamp, the hand-sewn saddle stitch (slightly angled), the hardware engravings, and the 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.
Vintage Hermès bags reward buyers in their own way. Older Kellys and Bolides frequently cost less than new non-quota styles, with patina no new bag can imitate.
What Should Your First Hermès Bag Be?
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 plus Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.
Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained light purple hermes bag
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