Need suggestions for 'relaxed/yet elegant' Kelly

MaiTai

MaiTai

O.G.
Sep 24, 2007
7,808
966
#1
To all Hermès Experts;
I'm planning to purchase my first Kelly. I'm looking for a classic, elegant, yet relaxed style. I'd still like it to wear in twenty years time (I"ll be in my mid sixties then).
Here are my thoughts so far:
1. 32cm, sellier, combined with a 'relaxed' leather, such as togo or clemence. Colour: chocolate or ebene, hardware not sure.
2. 32cm, retourne, more structured leather, such as vache liegée. Colour: as above.
I have seen many photos of bags in Clemence, but a lot seem have a collapsed look about them, which I don't like. Has anyone seen a sellier in Clemence? Does the shape hold?
Looking forward to hearing your suggestions and ideas. Thanks!
 
#3
I have seen the sellier clemence bags and the bigger the bag, the more it will slouch. I remember seeing a 28cm bleu jean sellier Kelly that held it's shape pretty well, but it was brand new and probably might not stay rigid for too long.

Agree with GF, go for your second option.
 
#4
Agree with the second option. A look that looks great is a combo of brown or gold leather (or Barenia) with toile. Very elegant but relaxed. Admittedly, this works better for spring and summer, but I love the look. Also, a 32 Rouge H retourne Kelly in box will have a relaxed yet elegant look.
 
#5
If you want relaxed go for retourne but if you don't want the thing to collapse in a puddle go for a leather with more stiffness to it - vache ligee, barenia ( if you can get it) and you will be OK for life!
 
#6
Dear MaiTai,

I would suggest that you chose a rigid Kelly ( sellier) in box leather (chocolat ) or in an exotic skin ( croc miel or graphite for instance)....because the Kelly rigid is a bag that you can dress down very easily, while the souple one ( retourne) is much harder to dress up...

In my experience, you can't go wrong with a rigid Kelly 32.
You can wear it on your arm ( like a Birkin) , at your hand, on your shoulder with the narrow strap...on your shoulder again with the large canevas strap that you can have shortned at Hermes for a more speedy look.....

Also, you can wear it with jeans and flats, with jeans and heels, with dress and kneehigh boots, with dress and strappy sandals, with business suit and pumps, with dress suit and.... so on.....anything !

If you want to buy only one bag , I would suggest a lighter brown that goes with ALL colors, as Noisette, or Havane, or even better : the quintessential Rouge H.
Of course if it is exotc skin you can choose Miel, Cognac, Havane, Cocaon, Graphite, Rouge H ....any non black neutral will do a fantastic job !

If you want to take a further step, go for a bright red : Rouge Garance is in my opinon the all time PERFECT red by Hermes. Goes all day all year. very sexy in any occasion . Red is a classic. That red is really perfect. I bet it will stay perfect for the next 20 years !!! ( Rouge Garance comes now in Chamonix...)

A word about shape: Sellier Kelly could be made of any leather, it will hold its shape forever or so. It is due to the consruction of the bag. No matter the material, the bag will stay rigid. ( At least for the next twenty years !)
 
#7
I love my two slouchy (retourne) Kellys... Both in clemence leather. I have a more down to earth look and tend to go out a lot in jeans and leather jackets, so my bags are perfect to my own style. Mine hold their shapes well and I try not to overload them. So I would go for the second option, but it is really up to which style you prefer yourself! And has to do a lot with the fact where and how you want to carry your bag.
 
#8
Just got back from visiting my local Hermès store (in France), where they had three Kelly retourné in Clemence (which they call Taurillon).
Those bags fitted the bill exactly, and didn't slouch too much. They looked elegant but relaxed. Utterly gorgeous bags!
One was a 32 in Vermillion with gold H/W, another a 32 in black with PH and a 35 in black, also with PH.
Three fabulous bags, all of which I could have taken home there and then, but my heart is set on Ebene.
Just for the record: the 32's were 4050 Euros (approx. 5730 USD)and the 35 was 4150 Euros (approx.5870 USD)

The store visit left me with two remaining questions:

1. The SA told me, that Ebene has been discontinued and been replaced by an almost identical color, called café.

In Togo (which I originally envisaged) neither ebene or café exsists any more. If one wants dark brown, it has to be havanne (it has got a hint of red in it, which I don't like).
In Clemence, only café will be available when placing a new order.

In the forum-thread Current Color/Leather Availability Ebene is still listed as an available color for both Togo and Clemence.
Does anybody know what exactly is going on?

2. I have always assumed the 32 would be perfect for me. The very charming SA told me that in his view, the 35 suited me much better. I am 5"7 and 123lbs. I admit, it didn't look bad, but I don't want to appear as if I'm lugging the weekly grocery shopping around with me. What do you think?

A note on waiting lists: As far as I can see, there is none. I've been told that all new orders are being placed in February 2008, to be delivered beginning of autumn 2008.
So yes, I will have to wait for almost a year for my bag, but I don't call that a waiting list. Seems to be just an order procedure.

Anyway, I feel confident that eventually I am going to get what I want and therefor I am very happy and excited!

To all the contributors on this forum: Thank you so much for sharing so generously your invaluable information. A special thanks to those, who took the trouble to answer my questions.
Without you all, there would have been no chance to accumulate so much knowledge in such a short time.
This knowledge gave me enormous confidence to enter the store and express my wishes. The SA even complimented me on my expertise, which was a very fine moment (given the fact that I have never discussed a Hermès bag with anyone ever before)!
I'll be posting a photo of my Kelly in fall 2008....
 
#9
MaiTai: I believe Togo is still offered in Chocolat, which is a nice rich brown, without red in it. I have seen Cafe which is very nice. Ebene is a very dark brown/black and Cafe looks much lighter to me---the color of a Hershey's kiss.

Good luck with whatever you order.
 
#10
Blueparrot;
I live in Europe (France) and therefore I've got no idea what a Hershey kiss looks like!


BlueParrot said:
MaiTai: I believe Togo is still offered in Chocolat, which is a nice rich brown, without red in it. I have seen Cafe which is very nice. Ebene is a very dark brown/black and Cafe looks much lighter to me---the color of a Hershey's kiss.

Good luck with whatever you order.
Click to expand...
 
#11
MaiTai said:
Just got back from visiting my local Hermès store (in France), where they had three Kelly retourné in Clemence (which they call Taurillon).
Those bags fitted the bill exactly, and didn't slouch too much. They looked elegant but relaxed. Utterly gorgeous bags!
One was a 32 in Vermillion with gold H/W, another a 32 in black with PH and a 35 in black, also with PH.
Three fabulous bags, all of which I could have taken home there and then, but my heart is set on Ebene.
Just for the record: the 32's were 4050 Euros (approx. 5730 USD)and the 35 was 4150 Euros (approx.5870 USD)

The store visit left me with two remaining questions:

1. The SA told me, that Ebene has been discontinued and been replaced by an almost identical color, called café.

In Togo (which I originally envisaged) neither ebene or café exsists any more. If one wants dark brown, it has to be havanne (it has got a hint of red in it, which I don't like).
In Clemence, only café will be available when placing a new order.

In the forum-thread Current Color/Leather Availability Ebene is still listed as an available color for both Togo and Clemence.
Does anybody know what exactly is going on?

2. I have always assumed the 32 would be perfect for me. The very charming SA told me that in his view, the 35 suited me much better. I am 5"7 and 123lbs. I admit, it didn't look bad, but I don't want to appear as if I'm lugging the weekly grocery shopping around with me. What do you think?

A note on waiting lists: As far as I can see, there is none. I've been told that all new orders are being placed in February 2008, to be delivered beginning of autumn 2008.
So yes, I will have to wait for almost a year for my bag, but I don't call that a waiting list. Seems to be just an order procedure.

Anyway, I feel confident that eventually I am going to get what I want and therefor I am very happy and excited!

To all the contributors on this forum: Thank you so much for sharing so generously your invaluable information. A special thanks to those, who took the trouble to answer my questions.
Without you all, there would have been no chance to accumulate so much knowledge in such a short time.
This knowledge gave me enormous confidence to enter the store and express my wishes. The SA even complimented me on my expertise, which was a very fine moment (given the fact that I have never discussed a Hermès bag with anyone ever before)!
I'll be posting a photo of my Kelly in fall 2008....
Click to expand...


Hi, I am about 5ft 11in in heels and about your weight. The 32 is fine for me as a going out bag, I find the 35 more a "work briefcase" look. 28 looks weird on me as I have big hips, but ok as an evening bag. Hope that helps. Looking forward to your pics!
 
#13
I am your same size and bought a 32cm Kelly in souple for casual everyday use and have loved it for the last 7 years. It is a very nice size. However I am now in the market for a Birkin and want the 35cm size. My handbag crosses over into 'carry everything' category and serves as partial briefcase, diaper bag and constant travel companion--personally I need a larger handbag (and have been carrying various Louis Vuittons for the last year to fit this need). But regarding your specifications, I think the 32cm is an excellent size for your frame and will serve you well for two decades. Be careful of being talked into a bag that you might later feel is like luggage. The 32 is an elegant, all around classic. If you might use the extra space in a handbag, then go for the larger size. Otherwise with your long-term goals for the Kelly, stick with your original plan of 32cm is my recommendation. How may 50-year old socialites carry an oversized bag around? Not classy. My opinion only. Good luck!
 
#15
hi MaiTai - just wondering how you have found the 32 kelly size wise? are you pleased you got the 32 rather than the 35? im 5ft8 and have ordered the 32 - although i love my birkin size 35 - just wondering! thanks


Lyanna Stark said:
Hi, I am about 5ft 11in in heels and about your weight. The 32 is fine for me as a going out bag, I find the 35 more a "work briefcase" look. 28 looks weird on me as I have big hips, but ok as an evening bag. Hope that helps. Looking forward to your pics!
Click to expand...
 
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