Each Hermès bag comes with a story, a waiting list, or both. Hermès offers much more than the two bags everyone recognizes. 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. 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 caps the number of its two flagship bags a client may buy per year. Collectors call these the quota bags. You cannot simply order one. Boutiques reserve them for established clients, so secondary-market prices for both run well past 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.
Expect Hermès Birkin bag prices to open around $11,000–$12,000 retail for a Togo 25, climbing fast once exotic skins enter the picture. Pre-owned, popular sizes and colors command $20,000 and up. 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 older, more elegant sibling — a single top handle, 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.
The Kelly vs Birkin question 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.
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
A structured shoulder bag built around the bold "H" clasp, and the nearest thing to a logo bag Hermès makes. 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. 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 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
Inspired by a horse's feed bag, the Picotin is a small open bucket style. No lining, no hardware fuss — just 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.
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.
reddit Should Know
The catalog goes deeper than most realize. 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 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 — an unstructured, soft tote suited to travel and everyday carry.
Della Cavalleria — the house's saddle bag silhouette, with a clasp drawn from equestrian hardware.
In-the-Loop — a contemporary bucket shape, especially popular pre-owned in the 18 size.
24/24, Halzan, Jypsière, Kelly Danse — adaptable shoulder and crossbody designs that switch between carry modes.
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: Evelyne, Lindy, Bolide — around $3,500–$9,000
Structured icon tier: Constance, Kelly, Birkin — about $8,500–$13,000 and up retail
Exotics and rare pieces: crocodile, ostrich, and limited pieces — $30,000 into 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.
Going pre-owned? Authentication is everything. Before spending a cent, learn how to tell if a Hermès bag is real — inspect the heat stamp, the slightly angled hand-sewn saddle stitching, the hardware engravings, and the craftsman 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 often cost less than new non-quota styles and carry patina no new bag can fake.
Which Hermès Bag Makes the Best First Buy?
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. Save the Birkin or Kelly for when you know the house — or choose authenticated pre-owned and bypass the waitlist completely.
Related reading: our Hermès leather guide plus Birkin vs Kelly deep dive.
Hermès Bag Styles: The Complete Guide to Every Name hermes constance bag white
·
4 min read
