Best Ever

kou- I'm a neophyte and my opinion therefore doesn't count for much but to me it would be the Kelly for these reasons:

1. classic, timeless, elegant design- as good today as when it first appeared
2. Perfect for business/daytime but also works as an evening bag 9esp. sellier)
3. range of sizes allows the same look to be worn by women of different sizes, heights etc, allowing all to look sleek and in style
4. the vintage Kellys have such charm and character- how many bags can you say look almost better 25 years on than the day they were new- esp. in box leather (and I think Kellys are the quintessential bag for box)

My 2 cents.
 
I'd have to agree with taxvixen and go with the Kelly.

Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE the Birkin for it's "look"...but to me, owning a Birkin is like owning a Rolls Royce: gorgeous to look at, lovely to sit in and to be seen in - but so darn impractical to use! Guess I just have such a hard time with hand-carried bags. And while I love, Love, LOVE my JPG Birkin, I would love to ask Jean Paul: What WERE you thinking when you failed to include an inside pocket?!!!:confused1:

So why do I consider the Kelly to be the best bag that Hermes has created? Well, I love :heart:the fact that I can carry my Kelly in my hand or with the shoulder strap - I love that it opens from the top instead of hanging "open", I love it's look and it's compartments....everything:heart::heart:.

And I still get the "WOW, is that a real Hermes Kelly?!" compliments where ever I go!

The most practical bag from Hermes? IMHO, I'd say the cabas herbag. I have two and use them as my everyday "work horses". They fit a ton of stuff, have practical interior pouches, key fobs....are interchangable....just wonderful.

Fun thread....thanks Koukanamiya:yes:

Lisa
 
nef-
yes, I forgot about the shoulder strap option- another reason I love the Kelly! With a broken arm at the moment I much prefer shoulder bags to leave my one good hand free to carry other things. I haven't been wearing my Kelly, though, because I was wearing it when I fell (than goodness no damage to it- just to me) and need some time to heal from thinking about the incident.
 
I cannot disagree with anything Taxvixen says, but for me it is the Birkin.
I carry a Birkin almost every day and it is so practical for my needs.

IMHO, the proportions of the Birkin are more pleasing than those of the HAC, from which it came.

Owning Birkins has made my life happier. Does that sound too silly? Sigh....
 
I cannot disagree with anything Taxvixen says, but for me it is the Birkin.
I carry a Birkin almost every day and it is so practical for my needs.

IMHO, the proportions of the Birkin are more pleasing than those of the HAC, from which it came.

Owning Birkins has made my life happier. Does that sound too silly? Sigh....

Not silly at all golconda :yes: I happily own both Birkins and Kelly's - but I just love the Kelly's a wee bit more!!!

I really wish my JPG birkin had an interior pocket....it would probably be the perfect bag for me if it did!!!

Lisa
 
I'm debating between the Shoulder Birkin and Kelly. Here are my reasons:

SHOULDER BIRKIN:
Pros -
- It's big but its East-West style doesn't make it look boxy
- Can be hand-held or carried by the shoulder
- Can tug in the flap so it makes going in and out of the bag much easier
- The huge lock can be used as a weapon if someone decide to mug you (this is VERY important)
Con -
- No inside pockets!! I agree with NeferiousMuze, I also wondered what JPG was thinking when he neglected to add inside pockets

KELLY:
Pros -

- Hand-held and portable by shoulder (shoulder strap)
- Great compartments
Con -
- Hard to get in and out of
 
Not silly at all golconda :yes: I happily own both Birkins and Kelly's - but I just love the Kelly's a wee bit more!!!

I really wish my JPG birkin had an interior pocket....it would probably be the perfect bag for me if it did!!!

Lisa

I totally agree! This was actually why my friend wanted to special-order a vibrato shoulder birkin with an inside pocket, but so far there has been no news
 
Not silly at all golconda :yes: I happily own both Birkins and Kelly's - but I just love the Kelly's a wee bit more!!!

I really wish my JPG birkin had an interior pocket....it would probably be the perfect bag for me if it did!!!

Lisa

Nefariousmuze and others who love JPG Birkin, I would love to hear more reasons why. I am fascinated by the JPG, but have worried that it would be too heavy, awkward. I am 5'7'', so my size is not my concern. I did try on a friend's, but that was not enough to decide. I am getting a little panicky that it will soon be too late to get one.
 
Nefariousmuze and others who love JPG Birkin, I would love to hear more reasons why. I am fascinated by the JPG, but have worried that it would be too heavy, awkward. I am 5'7'', so my size is not my concern. I did try on a friend's, but that was not enough to decide. I am getting a little panicky that it will soon be too late to get one.

I'm 5' 8", but most bags that are bigger than a letter-size paper look big on me - including the Kelly 32cm in sellier. I think in my case it has to do with my body proportions as I have a twiggy upper body. For that reason, I don't like big bags because they look boxy (the structured ones) or they just look messy and cheap on me (the slouchy ones). I like JPG because although it's a big bag, its East-West shape takes away the bigness when I carry it (via paper cut-out). It's an optical illusion but it works. Also, JPG has bigger hardwares and I think that also takes away from its size. Last but not least, JPG is stylish and modern-looking. Most modern-looking bags look ugly on me, but JPG (once again via a cut-out) look good on me and does not make me look ridiculous.

So in a nutshell, it's a modern and trendy bag that looks good on me rather than making me look ridiculous. I guess I'm not much help ...
 
i love the kelly. i love the fact that the flap has to be closed in order to carry it. it just looks so well put together this way. very neat and tidy. very prim and proper. very sophisticated and timeless. also, whenever i carry a kelly, i feel "grown up" (although i am already 33yrs old!) there's just really no other bag out there shaped like the kelly.
 
Although my dream bag is the Birkin, I agree with most of you that the Kelly is the best design... it's so classically Hermes and so chic. It's so classy and understated, and it's nice that you can both hand and shoulder carry it.