Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained mini hermes bag keychain

· 4 min read
Hermès Bag Types: Every Style and Name Explained  mini hermes bag keychain

Every Hermès bag has a story, a waitlist, 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.

If you already know the model you want, jump to it below. Starting fresh? Go in order, since the styles are grouped by availability.

The Quota Bags: Birkin and Kelly

Each year, Hermès restricts how many of its two flagship bags any client can purchase. These are what collectors call the quota bags. You cannot just walk in and 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. It is a structured top-handle tote with two straps, a turn-lock closure, and no shoulder strap. The most common sizes are the 25, 30, and 35.

Retail Hermès Birkin bag prices begin near $11,000–$12,000 for a Togo leather 25 and rise sharply for exotic skins. On resale platforms, sought-after sizes and colors fetch $20,000 or more. 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. It comes in two constructions: Sellier (rigid, sharp edges) and Retourne (softer, relaxed). The bag shot to fame with Grace Kelly in 1956, and the house eventually named it 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.

Kelly vs Birkin in one line: the Kelly is more formal and fully closes with its flap, while the Birkin is casual, roomier, and quicker to access.

Non-Quota Icons You Can Actually Order

Busy boutiques may test your patience, but these styles carry no yearly cap. 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. The Constance works day to night and holds its value almost as well as the quota bags. Retail starts around $8,500 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. At around $3,500–$4,000, it ranks among the most attainable everyday Hermès bags.

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. Lately, the Mini Lindy has emerged as the trend piece of the family.

Hermès Picotin Bag

The Picotin takes its shape from a horse's feed bag — a small, open bucket design. There is no lining and no hardware fuss, only a lock-through closure. If you have searched for a Hermès bucket bag, this is the one people mean. It starts near $3,000, which also makes it a frequent answer to "what is the cheapest Hermès bag" in leather.

reddit  Bag

A practical canvas-and-leather tote 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. These names surface again and again in boutiques and across 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 distinctive metal clasp; a quieter alternative to the Constance.
Herbag — canvas construction topped with a Kelly-style leather flap; the bags swap on one frame.
Geta — a small curved Swift-leather crossbody introduced in 2022 and still hard to find.
Victoria — a soft, unstructured travel and everyday tote.
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?

Short answer: from about $3,000 to well past $100,000. Here is a realistic price ladder:

Entry (canvas and small leather): Herbag, Garden Party canvas, Picotin — around $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather styles: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — around $3,500–$9,000
Structured icons: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotics and rarities: 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 Get a Hermès Bag

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. 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 are their own reward. Older Kellys and Bolides frequently cost less than new non-quota styles, with patina no new bag can imitate.

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 and Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.