{"id":16577,"date":"2024-05-01T18:03:33","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T18:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loveluxury.co.uk\/?p=16577"},"modified":"2024-05-01T18:03:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T18:03:33","slug":"hermes-kelly-and-birkin-bags-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/hermes-kelly-and-birkin-bags-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing Herm\u00e8s Kelly and Birkin Bags"},"content":{"rendered":"

Herm\u00e8s is a brand that has long been considered the epitome of high-end style and effortless luxury.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Founded in France in 1837, the brand started life as a harness workshop and manufacturer of high-quality bridles and harnesses. Over time, the product line expanded to encompass other riding accessories and bags, before branching into the handbag market in 1922.<\/span><\/p>\n

This move was, like so many luxury brands and notable designs, inspired by a lack of suitable products available on the market. In this instance, \u00c9mile-Maurice’s wife (son of the original Herm\u00e8s founder and designer) could not find a handbag that suited her needs and preferences \u2013 and so Maurice set about creating a collection for her.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The rest, as they say, is history.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

But, unlike so many designer brands, an Herm\u00e8s handbag is not simply known as \u201can Herm\u00e8s\u201d. Rather, the individual Herm\u00e8s collections are so iconic in their own right that a buyer need only refer to \u201ca Kelly\u201d or \u201ca Birkin\u201d, and fashion lovers around the world will know exactly what they are referring to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this blog, we\u2019re looking at these <\/span>two luxury market staples<\/span><\/a> as individual bags, highlighting the similarities between them and their differences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Hermes<\/a><\/p>\n

A Similar Story<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Herm\u00e8s Kelly was launched in 1935 and was actually first released under a completely different name. Originally, it was known as the Sac a D\u00e9p\u00eaches, and while it was popular at the time and is still recognised even now as <\/span>the first modern handbag of the age<\/span><\/a>, it did not become really famous until 1955, when Grace Kelly added her own story to the bag.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sac a D\u00e9p\u00eaches had been selected as part of Grace Kelly\u2019s costume in <\/span>To Catch a Thief<\/span><\/i>, giving the bag its moment on the big screen. In 1956, Grace Kelly then used the same bag to cover a growing pregnancy bump \u2013 catapulting the bag to fame alongside the rising starlet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In honour of this moment and the incredible rise in demand seen by Herm\u00e8s once these images were released, they renamed the bag \u2018the Kelly\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Birkin, on the other hand, was not released until 1984 \u2013 though the story behind its release is just as compelling. The Birkin bag was designed following an unplanned meeting between actress Jane Birkin and Chief Executive Officer of Herm\u00e8s at the time, Jean-Louis Dumas. Birkin talked about how there was no single bag that offered all the space she needed as a young mother, and created sketches for what her ideal bag would look like.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dumas took these drawings back to Herm\u00e8s and developed the Birkin \u2013 one of the most coveted, expensive bags in the world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that both the Birkin and Kelly bags have such bold and memorable backstories highlights the first similarity between them. Both owe much of their status to their connection with silver-screen royalty and are named after iconic stars who helped to bring them to life for buyers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, that\u2019s the story behind the bags. But what about <\/span><\/i>their design and the differences<\/span><\/i><\/a> and similarities regarding how the bags are presented and used?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Difference in Design<\/span><\/h2>\n

Perhaps the most notable difference between the Birkin and the Kelly bags is their structure and the way that they hold themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Kelly bag delivers a more formal aesthetic<\/span><\/a>. Its structure is much more regimented, following a trapezoid shape, which makes it a popular option for those attending events and looking to dress up an everyday look.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Birkin bag has more of a slouched, almost informal aesthetic \u2013 in that the lines are less defined. While the Kelly bag has a single strap, the Birkin has two straps, which make the bag easier to open on-the-go, while the bottom corners of the Birkin bag are softer too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the variations in design and the fact that both bags come in a range of materials with different details and hardware finishes, every single bag that is released by Herm\u00e8s from one of these two collections takes upwards of 48 hours to make \u2013 with every element handcrafted by artisan producers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Sizes of the Kelly and Birkin Bags<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Kelly and Birkin bags both come in four different sizes \u2013 though the jump between sizes differs across the two designs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The smallest Birkin is the Birkin 25. Bags then extend to the 30, the 35, and the 40 \u2013 with the number relating to the width of the base of the bag in centimetres.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Kelly is measured in the same way \u2013 however, the smallest bag is actually known as the Mini Kelly, and measures just 20 cm in width. The other sizes are the Kelly 25, 28, and 32.<\/span><\/p>\n

With this in mind, you could conclude that the <\/span>Birkin is more functional and practical<\/span><\/a>, owing to its slightly broader array of sizes and the expanse of the largest model. But the right bag for you will really depend on what you are looking for and whether you want an everyday Herm\u00e8s bag or a formal investment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should I Buy an Herm\u00e8s Kelly or a Birkin?<\/span><\/h2>\n

In short, both bags retain their value and enjoy the kind of coveted status that means they will never go out of style \u2013 both on the fashion market and on the investment market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Herm\u00e8s has become such a core part of the luxury world that bags are often referenced in movies and other pop culture moments. The <\/span>Sex and the City<\/span><\/i> episode where Samantha famously says \u201cIt\u2019s a Birkin\u201d is just one occasion that spiked demand among buyers who are influenced by the brands and products that stars love and use. And you only have to look at the number of celebrities pictured out and about with their own Herm\u00e8s to see how in demand these bags are among the rich and famous.<\/span><\/p>\n

If buying an Herm\u00e8s is on your bucket list and you want to browse the available Kelly and Birkin models, visit a reputable boutique reseller like Love Luxury in store. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Herm\u00e8s is a brand that has long been considered the epitome of high-end style and effortless luxury.\u00a0 Founded in France in 1837, the brand started life as a harness workshop and manufacturer of high-quality bridles and harnesses. Over time, the product line expanded to encompass other riding accessories and bags, before branching into the handbag […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-topics"],"featured_media_global":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loveluxury.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}