Behind every Hermès bag there is a story, a waitlist, or both. Hermès offers much more than the two bags everyone recognizes. 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 you already know the model you want, jump to it below. If you are starting from zero, read in order — the styles are grouped by how hard they are to get.
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. 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. The most common sizes are the 25, 30, and 35.
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 ever sold are diamond-set crocodile Birkins, with auction results in the hundreds of thousands.
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.
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 currently the hardest of all to get, and resale prices often double 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)
These styles still require patience at busy boutiques, but there is no annual limit. For many buyers, this is where the smart money goes.
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. The design includes a perforated "H" on the front, an open top secured by a tab, and a wide canvas strap. It was designed for grooming equestrian gear, which explains the ventilation holes. At roughly $3,500–$4,000, it is one of the most attainable everyday Hermès bags.
hermes taupe bag is a relaxed double-zip bag that carries by hand or on the shoulder. That easygoing shape makes it a travel favorite. The Mini Lindy has become the trend piece of the line in recent years.
Hermès Picotin Bag
Inspired by a horse's feed bag, the Picotin is a small open bucket style. There is no lining and no hardware fuss, only a lock-through closure. Anyone looking up a Hermès bucket bag is really looking for this. 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. The Garden Party serves as the range's workhorse and is one of the simplest styles to locate in a boutique. All-leather versions carry higher prices, while the canvas mix keeps entry costs down.
Other Hermès Bag Names Worth Knowing
The catalog runs deep. These styles come up constantly in boutiques and on the resale market:
Bolide — a rounded zip-top bag, one of the first handbags ever made with a zipper.
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 small curved crossbody in Swift leather, launched in 2022 and still 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 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 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 — about $3,000–$4,500
Everyday leather: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — roughly $3,500–$9,000
Structured icon tier: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotics and rarities: crocodile, ostrich, and limited pieces — $30,000 into 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
Larger boutiques often carry walk-in stock of the Evelyne, Picotin, Garden Party, and similar styles. 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.
If you go pre-owned, authentication is everything. 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. When in doubt, use a professional authentication service — the price of the check is trivial next to the price of the bag.
Vintage Hermès bags are their own reward. 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?
Want a single answer? The Evelyne for casual days, the Constance for dressier lifestyles, and the Picotin for the cheapest route into Hermès leather. Chase the Birkin or Kelly once you know the house — or buy authenticated pre-owned and skip the waitlist entirely.
Keep reading: our Hermès leather guide and Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.
Hermès Bag Styles: The Complete Guide to Every Name hermes kelly bag top handle leather
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