I'd love your input on my continued conundrum. I've spent years thinking about whether I should buy Hermes. I buy for style, quality, function, brand cache and good resale in that order. So buying Hermes resale seems like a great idea as it meets 3 of the 5 criteria (quality, cache, resale).
But, I struggle with the first one - style. I can't "get" myself to love most of the designs. And the ones I like seem to have issues that would be deal breakers (like the Kelly having a difficult opening or the Constance having the limited capacity and the big H on the front or the Birkin being heavy). To spend the extra money, I should be insanely in love with the bags.
And, I can't get a good read on function because I can't see them / try them in store. I've made sooooo many mistakes buying sight unseen that I can't take the leap on a 5 figure bag.
So, I'd like to get your (and other Hermes buyers and non lovers) opinions on why the brand works or doesn't work for you. I feel like I'm not "getting it". Just like several years ago I didn't "get" the brands I buy now. I appreciate all comments.
Is the quality really that much better than say Gucci? Are the styles more functional than some on TPF have stated? Will I just need to buy one to "get it"?
Hmm, well, this is a tough one since style is so personal and what functions well for one person is terrible for another. The Birkin is a good example of that: ladies who love the B talk about how easy it is to access your stuff. But for me, a bag that can’t be carried on my shoulder is useless. And yes, it’s HEAVY. So you’ll have to take what I say here with the understanding that it’s just my experience with Hermes and just certain bags (although I’ve tried on bunches of them so if there’s a particular style you want input on, let me know).
Re. quality, yes, Hermes really is that good. My bags have held up extremely well, and the vintage ones are even better than the ones I bought at the boutique. If you decide to buy vintage, I’ve heard over and over on the H forum that the bags from the 90s are absolutely the best. I have 3 Kelly’s all from that decade and they are magnificent (if I say so myself!). The only brand I’ve heard H afficionados admit may be as good is BV.
Also, you can always send any leather good to Spa, and while I haven’t yet done that, I’ve heard they can work wonders on a bag.
This, however, is a different question from, “Is the quality worth the
difference in price?” That’s for each person to decid for themselves. I don’t have a lot of experience or knowledge about Gucci, but I will say that I consider my Chanel Reissues to be excellent quality. Heck, Longchamp’s quality is excellent for the price, IMO. So, how important is “the best” quality vs. really excellent quality?
Re. function, there are lots of different styles to choose from and they do try to continue to innovate (touching on your previous comment about innovation!). The Halzan, for example, is a big hit because it’s completely unique and has an innovative design. Lots of ladies love the Lindy for function. But I’m with you— I feel like there are a lot of designs that I don’t “get,” or that simply don’t work for me.
Some designs you really do have to try on to “get.” I used to hate (and I do mean hate!) the Evelyne. That perforated H was so annoying! Then I realized I could wear it with the perforated H against my body, and tried one on. It is such a comfortable, easy to wear bag! The strap is the perfect width for comfort, the soft Clemence leather hugs your body, and the quality of the leather stands out even on such a simple design. I would have hated the Evelyne forever if I hadn’t given it a shot in person. So if you can get to a boutique, or a luxury consignment store that carries H, it can be really helpful to hold these bags and try them on in person. You can also always buy from a place like
Fashionphile that has a return policy.
Since you mentioned the Kelly: The Kelly and the Chanel Reissue are my two absolute favorite bag styles of all time. Neither one is particularly easy to use, however! With the Kelly, some of it is a matter of finding the right size and type of leather. One of my Ks is a 32 in Box leather. It’s gorgeous, but stiff and not easy to access. My K35 in Barenia leather is a whole different story. It’s larger, and the leather has softened with age — especially the sangles — so strapping the bag up or undoing it is not a really hard thing. Also, you can wear the Kelly with just the turn lock closing the bag and leave the sangles hanging. Not quite as good for the integrity of the bag, but it makes the clasp a lot more similar to a Chanel turnlock and not such an involved production. It will never, ever be as easy as an open tote. But it stands out in a way that no other bag does. I just think that you can’t always use it as an everyday bag, so you need to make sure you know what your expectations are before investing in one.
Wow, I didn’t intend for this post to be so long! Sorry for being so long-winded. Let me know if you have other questions,
p.s. If you can live with small capacity but hate the big H on the Constance, have a look at the Roulis!
They say the $$$ will be coming to me in a day or two. And since I don't have any bag purchases on the horizon, this is pure profit.
It changes words I typed correctly into something bizarre yet leaves gobbledygook I type untouched. I've reset my phone's dictionary several times. Nothing helps. 
