What is the BIG DEAL about Birkins & Kellys?

isus

isus

tommye48
Sep 1, 2006
3,335
22
#1
Why why WHY do they get so much attention? Aside from the celebrity factor....why the waiting ( sometimes ), why the demand for these styles ( especially the Birkin ) when there are other H styles just as gorgeous, well made, and timeless?

Just what is it? A person would that that's ALL there is to choose from. Are we just following the trends? Are we wanting to buy what Paris H ( gorgeous young lady, but heaven forbid ) does?

Where are the questions about the Bolide, the Ball de Golf, the Evelyne, the Picotin, where's the rush to buy the Constance? Why aren't we fighting ( kidding! ) and storming the stores over a new Paris Bombay?

These are also costly bags, fine leathers, fabuously made....

What is it....please tell me!

( Susi.....who has owned several Birkins & Kellys but who also loves the other styles and who is just kicking up trouble on a Monday morning:wlae: )
 
#2
I know there's been quite a lot of Evelyne activity lately and I love it! :yahoo: Even when I was at H this weekend a customer asked to see what Evelynes were available. I love Birkins and Kellys and know I will own them someday (Birkin in '08 :yahoo: ) but right now I'm in loooove with the Massai and want one of those first (in rouge H or some red color!) :love:
 
#3
Dear Susi, I love when you start Monday morning trouble! That having been said, I have no good answer from you. I love all my H bags and all the styles they make. :yes:
 
#4
isus- I'll jump into the fray, though others will no doubt disagree with what I write. Why the Kelly and Birkin? For many of us it is our first "exposure" to Hermes, and these bags are so quintessentially Hermes that they enjoy the most cachet. When I decided to make the plunge and plunk down large $$ on a Birkin and Kelly I was, in part, purchasing the timeless elegance of Hermes and the Birkin and Kelly (esp. the Kelly for me) speak to that the most directly. When I purchased my Kelly I remember thinking that I was planning (hoping) to carry it for the next 50 years and wondered who I would be during each decade I carried it (where would I be living, what would I be doing etc.); I don't think I would have engaged in the same sort of thinking if I had purchased one of the other H bags. The other H bags are beautiful indeed but for me the Kelly is a forever bag.

The Birkin and Kelly also make a statement because they are readily recognizable by almost anyone who knows anything about handbags. Just what the statement is probably differs for each of us, but for me it is a statement about loving something classic, which has endured (in the case of the Kelly) for more than 50 years and is as perfect today as it was 50 years ago. I tend to like the original in almost every product line more than the variations on a theme, esp. if the original is what landed the item on the map as being a forever classic. Thus, I like classic Chanel slingbacks with the black toe cap more than later Chanel designs.

With the Birkin I suppose the statement is also (please don't laugh) about my determination- this is a bag which is difficult to find and I was determined to find the right one for me even though it took a lot of looking and investigating. So when I wear my Birkin it's almost a sign of triumph.

There is also (for me) a statement that I'm not garden-variety- that I don't carry a garden variety handbag but instead have held out for the best. Yes, other H bags are also of superior quality, but I believe more hours go into producing the Birkin and Kelly and to my mind they are the pinnacle of Hermes quality.

Having said all of that, I've just purchased a Christine and am loving it. It is totally "me" and a perfect everyday bag. I also own a pan pochette and have worn it out to dinner once and was mesmerized by how lovely it is. I am thrilled to own both of these bags. But if there were a fire in my house tomorrow and I could grab only one it would be either the Kelly or the Birkin (probably the Kelly) because it speaks to forever more than any other bag.

TV
 
#5
I don't know what the big deal is, all I know is that I got my first Kelly 26 years ago (when P Hilton probably wasn't even born) and my first Birkin about ten years ago (when she was probably still at grade school). They are my favourite styles, although I also have a Bolide, a Plume and a Masai which I love very much...In fact, over the years, I have had other styles that I liked aswell: the Evelyne and Tsako (which I've since sold) So really, for me, it all boils down to what I like and what works for me...Also, I think that here in Europe, H bags are much less of a big deal than they are in the US or Asian countries...
 
#6
My SA told me that when she was in Paris for the MTG., she was told that all the Parisians want a non-Hermes looking bag from them right now and that the Plume is the one the most often want.
 
#7
Forgot to add - when I lived in Germany about 3 years ago there was nothing but bit**ing and moaning about the women who went around with their Hermes bags OPEN - the Germans worry about theft and they say you are encouraging it if you walk around with an open bag. If you sat in a cafe in Dusseldorf or in Cologne, you could overhear this endless complaining about "Americans" going around with their bag open and on more than one occasion I saw an American being scolded by a stranger for this "bad behavior"! That said, as an American I kept my bag closed.
 
#8
For me owning a Birkin and Kelly (especially the Kelly) is like having a piece of history. The Kelly reminds me of old hollywood. In addition to the feelings behind it I absolutely LOVE the craftsmanship, the leathers, colors, ect. of Hermes. My first H bag was a black Kelly. To me it is the ultimate handbag. It has everything I want ..... nostalgia and superior craftsmanship. My second H bag was a bolide in potiron. I LOVE the bolide for everyday. It is very easy to get in and out of. It can be carried as a satchel or worn on the shoulder which is convenient. I chose potiron because that color is so quintessential Hermes (and because I LOVE it). I've recently discovered the Christine and am considering it as another option for everyday. I must admit I've been pining for a Birkin since day one. My handbag collection would not be complete without it.
 
#9
Hmmmmm......I just love Hermes bags but it's true that I gravitate most toward the Kelly. Ever since seeing pics of Grace Kelly eons ago I've wanted one....it seemed so un-attainable then and only now as I roll into my 50th year am I going hog-wild with Hermes! You can NOT beat the consistant quality, style and cachet of an Hermes creation. From RTW to bags it's all there. I'll pay the price but with that comes how I feel when I go out and about carrying one of my bags......I walk a little taller and feel like a lady. In a town where tie-dye is the fashion statement of the year, this is a BIG achievement!!!!!
 
#10
I don't see a post I could possibly disagree with:smile:

I understand everyone's feelings and wondered if there were many Bolide lovers or Evelyne or Christine lovers or.....well, I know that there are but it's nice to see the replies even tho I admit my heart beats a little faster when I see a Birkin or Kelly ( and THAT may be a reason others like them too??) but I'm also loving so much more of what Hermes is and what is out there.....the porcelains, the accessories, the RTW.....well, you've all said it too!

Interesting about the European reaction to the American's with their open bags.
 
#13
I also found the open bag comment interesting...I tend to wear my bag in the same fashion regardless of where I am in the world... That said, I have a "special wallet" for travels...it is quite small and fits in the zipper pocket of my birkin (and other bags)... When the birkin is open, the flap actually covers the zip pocket and makes it quite difficult to get in to... (Knocking on wood for continued good karma on travels...my mother had her wallet stolen on the tube in London and at the Vatican in London...something about my DM seems to scream, "Take mine!".)
 
#14
lizhanover said:
Forgot to add - when I lived in Germany about 3 years ago there was nothing but bit**ing and moaning about the women who went around with their Hermes bags OPEN - the Germans worry about theft and they say you are encouraging it if you walk around with an open bag. If you sat in a cafe in Dusseldorf or in Cologne, you could overhear this endless complaining about "Americans" going around with their bag open and on more than one occasion I saw an American being scolded by a stranger for this "bad behavior"! That said, as an American I kept my bag closed.
Click to expand...
Heehee.:lol: They are going to do a lot of hollering should I ever step foot on German soil.:hysteric:
 
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