For color,
Definitely a black birkin then If Patti Smith. But maybe I’m distracted by Apfels glasses, I almost think Appel would do bright color. . . I definitely don’t see either woman choosing a light neutral which I think you mentioned as a possibility. Not gold or etoupe or tan or noisette birkin. Apfel is also not what I would consider minimal or avant-garde in the way I imagine Patti Smith (Smith could rock a dries van noten or come dea garçons style though) . . . Though maybe both of them would do raisin. patti smith would do rouge H but I’m not sure Apfel. . . Prune or Bordeaux with phw maybe?
what is your hw preference? I think I’d Appel more ghw, whereas Patti smith is definitely phw.
i forgot to mention think my swift B weighs more than the barenia. I can weigh it later. VN or Box would be lighter.
I'm definitely more Patti than Iris as I tend to like brands like Comme Des Garcons,Rick Owens,Anne DeMulemeester, The Row, Loewe, Old Celine-BUT I also wear a lot of vintage 70's long dresses in strong colours (hence the Iris thing I suppose in that I'm not afraid of colour and I often layer clothes-but although I wear glasses I dont do a 'wacky' look with them, nor do I wear chunky necklaces but I do like a bracelet and big rings )
I veer towards PHW but having said that I do Mix gold and silver rings so I'm not anti GHW (though I would hate rose gold !) I have 2 cape cod watches both GM one black face with silver metal strap the other white face with double tour red strap -that is silver too.
I wear a few Hapi layered up and all those have PHW and I have 2 CDC one black with PHW and one tan with GHW....So I suppose I'm more of a PHW woman but there is something about GHW on a Birkin or HAC that still looks fabulous.
I mention my jewellery tastes because I think again that gives an insight into my style-most my Hermes bracelets and watches I've worn almost daily for many many years
When I mentioned a light neutral I was thinking a rich deep patina like you'd get on an old saddle in which case I think GHW would look great but I think you're right I'd probably regret not getting a dark colour.
I need a bag that will go with my 'bright clothing' days as well as my Black or dark clothing days.
At 5'3 I worry that a HAC may be too 'long' even though I love them I dont want to scrape the bottom of the bag walking up stairs

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Sorry for information overload I really really value any input as when buying pre-loved its almost always online and therefore not possible to actually hold the bag in front of a mirror on me until I've brought it.
Also In London Hermes stores Birkins are few and far between to try hence me considering a 40cm which I now realise would be a BIG mistake.....I AM the woman who brought a pre-loved Loewe Holdall online ...forgetting that I was buying from a US reseller I thought the measurements were in CM not INCHES....omg!!! the bag turned up and it was huge a weekend bag not a daily tote..I've used it once and ended up asking my husband to carry it most the day because it weighed so much

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I dont want to make the same mistake again