Hermès, Explained: The Birkin vs the Kelly, How to Buy One and What Holds Value

Hermès is the Paris house that started in 1837 as a harness maker, and it still makes all of its leather goods in France, each Birkin and Kelly by a single craftsperson. It sells those two bags, and the Constance, only in its own stores. That decides how you buy: new, you need patience and a relationship with one Hermès boutique; right away, you buy pre-owned, usually for more than the boutique price. It is also why every Hermès bag, scarf and small leather piece on Vêtir comes from a resale dealer, while the watches, makeup and fragrance, which Hermès also sells through selected department stores, are new. Below, our editors cover the house's history, the Birkin vs the Kelly, the other Hermès bags worth knowing, how to buy a Birkin, what to check on a pre-owned piece, what holds its resale value, and how to wear it.

A short history of Hermès, from harness maker to the Birkin

Thierry Hermès opened a harness workshop on rue Basse-du-Rempart in Paris in 1837. His son Charles-Émile moved the workshops to 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1880 and opened a store there, and the address is still the house's home. The third generation turned Hermès from saddlery toward leather goods: according to the house's own history, Émile Hermès secured exclusive rights to the zip fastener in 1922, and 1937 brought the first silk scarf, Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches, the start of a long series created by his son-in-law Robert Dumas.

Robert Dumas also designed, in the 1930s, the bag that became the Kelly. In the house's telling, its story turned in 1956, when a photograph of Grace Kelly carrying it was published around the world and Hermès named the bag in her honor. You will also read that she first carried it on the set of To Catch a Thief in 1955; that is the version in Sotheby's Kelly guide, which also gives 1977 as the year the name became official.

The Birkin came next. Hermès dates it to 1984 and traces it to a chance meeting on a Paris-to-London flight between Jean-Louis Dumas, who led the house from 1978, and the actress and singer Jane Birkin. Sotheby's, which sold her own prototype in Paris in July 2025 for $10.1 million, a record for any handbag, puts that flight in 1981. What she asked for still explains the bag. According to Jean-Louis's son, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, speaking to CBS's 60 Minutes in December 2024, she wanted "something more loose with bigger handles, and ease, and always open when I carry it." The family still runs the house: Pierre-Alexis Dumas has been artistic director since 2005, and Axel Dumas, a nephew of Jean-Louis, has been executive chairman since 2013.

How Hermès makes a bag, and why that limits supply

For a century, Hermès bags have been made from start to finish by a single craftsperson, CBS reported. The hallmark is the saddle stitch: the artisan works a needle in each hand, pulling a linen thread coated in beeswax into crossed loops that a machine cannot reproduce. The Kelly is the hardest bag to build. It starts as 30 separate cuts of leather and can take 20 hours, four of them for the handle. Hermès trains its own people at a leatherwork school it opened in 2021, and those who master the work go on to the house's leather workshops in French towns and villages. CBS counted 23 of them; the 24th, at L'Isle-d'Espagnac, opened in 2025, and the house says its leather goods are made only in France.

Two things follow for a buyer. Supply grows only as fast as Hermès can train artisans, so stores rarely have a Birkin or Kelly to sell. And each bag is signed: the artisan's hidden mark is part of how Hermès bags are authenticated, which matters when you buy one secondhand.

Birkin vs Kelly: the differences that matter

The two bags look related because they are: both have a flap, two leather straps and a turn-lock, and both come with a padlock and keys kept in a small leather bell called the clochette. The differences decide how you carry them.

The size number is the length of the base in centimeters, so a Kelly 25 measures 25 centimeters across, as Sotheby's explains. Leather changes the character of either bag more than most first-time buyers expect. According to Sotheby's Birkin guide, Togo, introduced in 1997, is a matte calfskin with an irregular pebbled grain that resists scratches and softens with use; Clemence has a flatter grain and a heavier, softer feel that slouches with age; Epsom is embossed, holds its shape and is easy to care for; and Box calf, a heritage leather, is smooth and glossy, shows scratches and water marks, and develops a patina. Choose Togo if the bag will be carried every day, Epsom if you want the lines to stay crisp, and Box only if you like leather that records its life.

Choosing a Birkin

Choose the Birkin if you want one bag for everything and do not need it on your shoulder. The 25 is the smallest standard size and the one resale buyers prize most; it holds a wallet, phone, keys and sunglasses. The 30 adds room for a small makeup case and a paperback and is the most practical all-day size. The 35 is closest in proportion to Jane Birkin's original, and the 40 works as a travel bag. For a first Birkin, a 25 or 30 in a neutral Togo (black, gold or etoupe, a soft gray-brown) is the version you will carry most. It also works the way she asked for it: leave the straps unbuckled and tuck the flap inside, and you are not undoing the turn-lock every time you want your phone. To compare other houses' structured bags, see our designer top-handle bags. Every Birkin in this module is pre-owned, sold by a resale dealer rather than by Hermès.

Choosing a Kelly

Choose the Kelly if you want the option of a shoulder or crossbody strap, or if you dress more formally. A Sellier Kelly in Epsom keeps its sharp edges and looks right with tailoring; a Retourne in Togo is softer, holds a little more and suits jeans and knits. The Kelly 25 and 28 are the practical everyday sizes. The Mini 20 fits a phone, a small wallet and a lipstick and is the size collectors chase, and the Kelly Pochette, a clutch with a small handle, is the evening version. These Kellys are also pre-owned, from resale dealers.

Beyond the Birkin and Kelly: the other Hermès bags

Some of the best Hermès bags are the ones that rarely make headlines, and on the resale market most cost a fraction of a Birkin.

• Constance. A compact, structured flap bag closed by a large metal H and worn on a long strap. Like the Birkin and Kelly, it is sold new only in Hermès stores. The 18 is an evening and weekend size; the 24 is the one for every day.
• Evelyne. A soft crossbody bag with an H punched through one side and a wide adjustable strap. It is the most relaxed Hermès bag and one of the least expensive ways into its leather secondhand.
• Picotin Lock. An open bucket bag with two short handles and a small padlock at the front; the 18 and 22 are the everyday sizes.
• Lindy. A soft, wide bag with a zip, two handles and a shoulder strap, easy to wear across the body.
• Garden Party. A tote closed with a single snap, in canvas trimmed with leather or all in leather, and the most practical Hermès bag for work.
• Bolide and Jypsière. The Bolide, sold as the Bolide 1923, is a domed bag with a zip that runs around its top; the Jypsière is a messenger bag with a turn-lock.

All of these pieces are pre-owned from resale dealers.

How to buy a Birkin (or a Kelly) from Hermès

Start with what Hermès says. Its US customer-service page states that the Kelly, Birkin and Constance are sold exclusively in Hermès stores, invites you to discuss availability with your local store, recommends an appointment where one is offered, and notes that each store chooses its own assortment. The Birkin is not sold on Hermes.com. Pierre-Alexis Dumas described the process to CBS as a long one: you get an appointment, meet a salesperson and explain what you want, and then, in his words, "It's not available. You'll have to wait." The store comes back to you, he said, eventually. Sotheby's Kelly guide adds a detail that shapes expectations: sales associates cannot place custom requests and rarely know in advance what will arrive, so the bag you are offered may not be your first choice of size, color or leather.

1. Pick one boutique and one sales associate, and keep going back. Because each store decides what it stocks, continuity with one team matters more than visits to many.
2. Be clear about the bag and open about the details. The more sizes, leathers and colors you would happily accept, the more of what reaches that store can work for you.
3. Buy only what you would buy anyway. Hermès does not publish how it decides who is offered a Birkin or Kelly, so there is no purchase that guarantees one.
4. Ignore anyone selling access. Only Hermès sells new Hermès, and no outside service can promise you a bag from a boutique.

If you want one now, the resale market is the only route, and you will usually pay more than the boutique price. In 2025 the average Birkin 30 sold at Sotheby's for about $22,300, the auction house says, well above what Hermès charges for a new one.

Buying Hermès pre-owned: what to check

Every Hermès bag on Vêtir is pre-owned and sold by a resale dealer, not by Hermès, although some are listed as never worn, with the protective plastic still on the hardware. Before you buy, check five things.

1. The seller. Buy from a dealer that authenticates every piece, shows detailed photos and accepts a return if an independent authenticator disagrees.
2. The stamps. Each bag carries a craftsperson's stamp that can show when and where it was made. Good dealers state the year in the listing; ask for a clear photo if they do not. Exotic skins carry a symbol beside the Hermès stamp: two dots for Niloticus crocodile, a caret for Porosus crocodile and a small square for alligator. A horseshoe marks a special order.
3. Condition. Dealers use their own grading words, usually running from new or never worn through excellent and very good to good and fair, so read the notes and look at the photos rather than trusting the grade. Wear shows first on corners and handles; check the hardware for scratches and the lining for marks.
4. The set. A Birkin or Kelly should come with its lock, two keys and clochette. The box, dust bag and original receipt add to the price and help with authentication, and some bags also come with their rain cover.
5. The price against the details. Size, color, leather, construction, condition and the year on the stamp all move the price, so compare like with like.

Hermès resale value: what holds its value

Sotheby's calls the Birkin and Kelly the most traded handbags in the world, and the auction house alone has sold nearly $160 million of them since 2021, according to its valuation guide. The same guide sets out what moves the price, and it is a useful checklist if you buy with resale in mind:

• Smaller sells for more. The resale market reverses boutique pricing: the Birkin 25 and the Mini Kelly 20 lead, and larger sizes trade for less.
• Neutrals and soft pastels. Black, gold, etoupe and etain are the cornerstones; bright reds, oranges, yellows and greens have a smaller audience.
• Sellier over Retourne. The sharper Sellier construction usually trades at a premium.
• Togo and Epsom. The two leathers collectors prefer for structure and wear.
• A recent stamp, and a full set. Bags made within the last five years typically sell for more than older ones in the same condition, and store-fresh bags with their box, dust bag and receipt command the biggest premiums.

None of this makes an Hermès bag a guaranteed investment. Prices move, and the price a dealer pays you is lower than the price it sells at, so buy a bag you will carry and treat resale value as a cushion rather than a return.

New Hermès on Vêtir: watches, makeup and fragrance

Hermès sells its watches, makeup and fragrance through selected department stores as well as its own boutiques, so the pieces in the next three modules are new.

Watches. Hermès first sold watches in 1928, and watchmaking became a craft of its own at the house in 1978, under the name La Montre Hermès, according to its history. The Heure H has a case shaped like the house's H; the Cape Cod is a rectangle, and some of its dials carry the anchor-chain motif; the Arceau is round. Hermès names Heure H and Cape Cod sizes by the height of the case from lug to lug, so the case is narrower than the number: the Heure H Mini, sold as 21 mm, is 17 mm wide, a size for a slim wrist. The Cape Cod is also made on a double-tour strap that wraps twice around the wrist and reads almost as a bracelet. The Heure H and Cape Cod pieces here run on Swiss-made quartz movements; the Arceau Petite Lune is self-winding, with a moon phase. To compare them with other houses' designs, see our designer watches.

Makeup. Hermès added beauty, its sixteenth craft, in 2020, starting with Rouge Hermès lipsticks. They come in lacquered and brushed metal cases designed by Pierre Hardy, each refillable when the color runs out, in satin, matte and shine finishes. The Rose Hermès blush has a refillable pan too. If you want one Hermès thing to use every day, this is the most useful place to start.

Fragrance. Twilly d'Hermès is built on ginger, tuberose and sandalwood; Barénia is a chypre by the perfumer Christine Nagel, in a bottle inspired by the Collier de Chien bracelet; 24 Faubourg, composed by Maurice Roucel in 1995, is warm white flowers and iris; Jour d'Hermès is an all-floral scent; Eau d'Orange Verte, created by Françoise Caron in 1979 as Eau de Cologne Hermès and renamed in 1997, was the house's first cologne; and Un Jardin en Méditerranée is built around fig. For day, choose the cologne or the garden scent; for evening, 24 Faubourg or Barénia. There are more houses to compare in our designer fragrance edit.

Silk, pre-owned. Hermès silk is not sold new on Vêtir, but pre-owned Twillys, the house's narrow silk scarves, are the least expensive way to own a piece of it, and several are listed as new and never worn. Tie one around a bag handle, knot it at the neck with a shirt, or wrap it twice around the wrist, and see other houses' silk in our designer scarves. These Twillys come from a resale dealer.

How to wear Hermès

An Hermès bag does the work in an outfit, so keep everything around it plain and well cut. Four formulas to start from:

1. Weekday: a gold or etoupe Togo Birkin 30, a camel coat, a cream crewneck, straight dark jeans and brown loafers. Tonal browns flatter the leather, and gold hardware matches gold jewelry.
2. Office: a black Epsom Kelly Sellier 28 carried by the handle, a navy or charcoal suit, a white shirt and low heels. The Sellier's sharp edges echo the tailoring.
3. Weekend: an Evelyne across the body, a cable-knit sweater, wide trousers and leather sneakers or ankle boots, with a Twilly knotted at the neck.
4. Evening: a Kelly Pochette or a Constance 18, a black dress, fine gold jewelry and a Heure H on a black strap.

One rule covers all four: wear one H at a time. A Constance, an H belt and H sandals together read as a logo, and a Birkin looks best with clothes that let it lead. If you would rather have the whole outfit built around a bag you already own, ask our AI stylist to style it.

If you like Hermès, look at these houses too

• Chanel: quilted leather and the flap bag, the other great bag house of Paris, with a deep pre-owned market of its own.
• The Row: quiet, logo-free leather bags such as the Margaux; see our guide to The Row.
• Bottega Veneta: woven intrecciato leather and no logos; see our Bottega Veneta guide.
• Loewe: a Spanish leather house with softer, sculptural bags.
• Cartier: if the Cape Cod appeals, the Tank is the other rectangular watch to try on.

How we chose

Everything in these modules is Hermès. The bags, Twillys and small leather goods are pre-owned, sold by resale dealers, and appear only under headings that say so; the watches, makeup and fragrance are new. We favored the designs the house keeps making, from the Birkin, Kelly and Constance to the Evelyne, Picotin, Lindy and Garden Party, in the neutral colors and leathers that wear and resell most easily. We read each listing's notes on size, leather, hardware and condition, compared every photo with its description, and confirmed each piece was live on Vêtir before including it. History and craft facts come from Hermès, CBS and Sotheby's, linked where we use them.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a Birkin and a Kelly?

The Birkin has two rolled handles and no shoulder strap and is usually softer and roomier; the Kelly has one top handle and a detachable shoulder strap, and in Sellier form has sharp, structured edges. Hermès dates the Birkin to 1984; the Kelly was designed in the 1930s and took Grace Kelly's name after a 1956 photograph of her carrying it.

How do you buy a Birkin?

New, only in an Hermès store: Hermès says the Birkin, Kelly and Constance are sold exclusively in its stores, and the Birkin is not sold on Hermes.com. Build a relationship with one boutique and be flexible on size, leather and color. If you want one immediately, buy pre-owned from a dealer that authenticates, including through Vêtir.

How much does a Birkin cost?

Hermès does not sell the Birkin online, so its boutique prices are quoted in store. On the resale market the answer depends on size, leather, color, condition and age: in 2025 the average Birkin 30 sold at Sotheby's for about $22,300, above the boutique price, and a Birkin 25 usually costs more than a larger size in the same condition.

Which Hermès bag holds its value best?

Smaller sizes (the Birkin 25 and the Mini Kelly 20) in neutral colors, in Togo or Epsom leather, with a recent date stamp and the full set of box, dust bag and receipt, according to Sotheby's. Sellier construction adds a premium.

What does the stamp inside an Hermès bag mean?

It identifies the craftsperson and records when and where the bag was made. Sellers use it to date a bag, and newer stamps usually sell for more. Exotic skins and special orders carry an extra symbol beside the Hermès stamp.

Why are the Hermès bags on Vêtir pre-owned?

Hermès says its leather goods are sold only in its stores and on Hermes.com, so any Hermès bag sold elsewhere is secondhand. Ours come from resale dealers and are labeled pre-owned; the Hermès watches, makeup and fragrance are sold new.

Keep reading

• Bottega Veneta, explained: intrecciato, the Andiamo and how to buy well
• Designer bags worth investing in
• The best work bags for women, chosen around the laptop you carry
• The best designer scarves and how to tie them
• Luxury perfume gifts: how to choose a scent for someone else