Hermès Birkin vs Kelly

The Birkin and the Kelly are the two bags most people picture when they think of Hermès. They share a workshop, the same leathers and the same saddle-stitching, and from across a room they can look alike. In the hand they are quite different bags, built for different days. This guide sets out how they differ, so you can choose the one that suits the way you live.

Two histories

The Kelly is the older design. Hermès made a travelling bag for saddles in the late nineteenth century, and in the 1930s it scaled the idea down into a lady's handbag, the sac à dépêches. In 1956 Grace Kelly, newly Princess of Monaco, was photographed holding one in front of her body, and the bag became known by her name, which Hermès then adopted for it.

The Birkin arrived in 1984. The story, as Hermès tells it, is of Jane Birkin seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermès, on a Paris to London flight, wishing aloud for a bag large enough for everything she carried. Dumas sketched a roomier, softer bag with two handles. It took her name and has been made ever since.

How to tell them apart

	Birkin	Kelly
Handles	Two rolled handles	One handle
Strap	None	Detachable shoulder strap
Closure	Flap with two straps (sangles) and a turn-lock	Flap with a single strap and a turn-lock
Shape	Rectangular, can soften and slouch	Trapezoid, tapers to the top
Feel	Generous, informal	Composed, formal
Common sizes	25, 30, 35 cm	25, 28, 32 cm

Both are finished with a clochette (the small leather bell that holds the keys), a padlock and protective feet on the base. Both are made by a single craftsperson from start to finish, and both carry a blindstamp that records the year of manufacture and the workshop. Our guide to Hermès blindstamps explains how to read it.

Carrying them

A Birkin is carried in the hand or on the forearm. Its two handles stand upright when the flap is closed, and many owners leave the straps unbuckled and the flap tucked in for quicker access. The bag takes a lot: a 30 cm Birkin holds the contents of a working day with room to spare, and a 35 cm carries a laptop and a change of shoes.

A Kelly is more versatile in how it is worn. It can be held by its single handle, carried in the crook of the arm or worn on the shoulder or across the body with its strap. The narrower top keeps the contents tidy and the silhouette crisp. It is the bag for an occasion, for travel when you need your hands free, and for days when one bag must do everything.

Sellier and retourne

The Kelly is made in two constructions. A sellier Kelly is stitched on the outside, like a saddle. Its edges are sharp, its shape is rigid and it stands on its own. A retourne Kelly is stitched inside and turned the right way out, so the seams are hidden and the bag is softer and rounder. Sellier reads as more formal; retourne is easier to live with day to day. Birkins are almost always made in the retourne style.

Leathers

Both bags appear in the same Hermès leathers. Togo and Clemence are grained calfskins that resist scratches and suit everyday use. Epsom is embossed, lighter and holds a sharp shape, which flatters a sellier Kelly. Box calf is smooth and glossy and develops a patina with care. Exotic skins are made too. Our Birkin model guide and Kelly model guide go into more detail on each.

Choosing between them

Choose a Birkin if you carry a lot, prefer a bag in the hand and like a relaxed, lived-in look. Choose a Kelly if you want a strap, a smaller footprint and a bag that looks as composed at dinner as at work. If you want the Kelly's lines in something smaller still, the Kelly To Go is a wallet-on-strap that carries cards, phone and keys. We currently have a Hermès Kelly To Go in Chèvre in the shop.

Buying either pre-owned

Every Hermès piece we offer has been examined in our hands. We check leather, stitching, hardware, stamps and construction against what we expect for the bag's year, and we grade condition in writing. Our Birkin authentication guide and Kelly authentication guide explain what we look at. Browse current pieces on our Hermès page.