Attention Drawn by Kelly and Birkin

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I have lived in the center of NYC for most of my life; no one notices or comments on my bags, but my usual is a neutral colored 30B, like a black 30B barenia (which goes everywhere — HW turned to my body— including public transportation. In my neighborhoods, a 30B is relatively common. I did wear a Dior skirt today and got many positive comments mainly from people wearing chanel RTW Lol. :smile: Here, B30 barenia at a doctors office near NYU Langone during covid summer 2020.
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I live in the suburbs and nobody seems to notice or comment when I carry Birkin or Kelly. There are very few Hermes bags around and people tend to notice more when I wear my Chanel bags. It’s a different story when I go shopping…SA’s in designer stores often notice my Hermes bags. It’s funny that my husband prefers that I carry my nicer bags out for better customer service. Lol
 
Perhaps it's a function of where our primary house is, but I feel like I get a ton of notice - and in the most random places! I had a MK in the cubby at my gym the other AM, and another client literally yelled out, "Whose Hermes is this!? IT IS ADORABLE." My trainer looked at me and I just... :blush:

I will say that the most notice I receive is when shopping at higher end boutiques locally where the SAs *know* what they are looking at, and truly *appreciate* what they see. I love striking up a great dialogue surrounding Hermes, so it's always fun when they see. :)
 
The only H bag I've ever received a compliment on in the wild, meaning not in other lux stores, was ironically my Etoupe Evelyne PM and that happened in, of all places, my dentist's waiting room. It was from another patient waiting to be seen and she was as complimentary of that bag as if I were carrying a Himalayan Birkin. I was so surprised! Maybe she had never seen one in person--not sure. That moment has stayed with me over the years because she was so sweet and so complimentary, and at that time, my Evelyne was the only H bag I owned. I've never had anyone comment on my Birkin other than a lovely Sales Associate in Van Cleef and Arpels. I don't think most people in my area recognize the bag, which I really do like. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable carrying a bag that drew a lot of attention.
 
I just remembered:

people mistook my 35 barenia trim II for a gucci (somewhat understandable)

I wear my 35 toile B very rarely bc its big. Someone once thought it was a ghurka from the back. I don’t really see how that was possible, but okay. I said, no but I adore ghurka, and we has a nice chat about how there are great ghurka sample sales and one year, ghurka boutique came out with very different (non ghurka type) styles.

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I tend to think of the Birkin as flashier because I almost exclusively carry it in the crook of my elbow, so it’s always in front of my body. The Kelly I switch between shoulder, crook of the elbow, and top handle. So I tend to get more comments on my Birkin, I imagine because it’s always “on display.” Most comments are from sales associates in boutiques, though. I never had anyone “in the wild” comment on my bags when I was in a smaller US city, it’s usually only in higher end areas (Palm beach & worth ave) or bigger metropolitan areas. Even then I don’t think many people have commented, they are just looking and noticing/appreciating.
 
Generally speaking, when carrying any Hermes bag, I get the look of wonder or bewilderment, and some would say “Beautiful bag” stop there or add “Is that a ….” I like that about Hermes bags…

On the other hand, when I’m wearing a Chanel because of it’s visible logo or easily recogjozable CC turnlock, I more often get the “Ooooo, Chanel” comment which comes across as more judgey (especially when I’m not trying to call attention to myself)…. I prefer to get comments around true admiration for the quality and design of the bag, and how it makes me look and feel good
 
Not the positive type of attention, but attention none the less. Whenever we go shopping in SoHo, the boys always want to go to Chinatown for dinner. When walking down Canal street, every fake bag vendor comes up trying to hock their wares more so to us than any other family, because the wife will be wearing a B/K or C.
 
I just remembered:

people mistook my 35 barenia trim II for a gucci (somewhat understandable)

I wear my 35 toile B very rarely bc its big. Someone once thought it was a ghurka from the back. I don’t really see how that was possible, but okay. I said, no but I adore ghurka, and we has a nice chat about how there are great ghurka sample sales and one year, ghurka boutique came out with very different (non ghurka type) styles.

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When I went to see the Gucci film at the cinema I was sat with my Ebene B30 on my lap hardware facing me. The lady in front of me turned round, waved her Gucci bag at me and said “This is a Gucci film, what’s that? Mulberry?!” I turned my B around and said “No, Hermes”. She just looked at me and turned back round!! Rude! :lol:. Absolutely nothing wrong with Gucci or Mulberry though. I use a Mulberry bag pretty much every day for work. I just thought it was funny!
Other than that I once had the pharmacist in Boots comment on my bag (in a good way). Otherwise nothing ever…
 
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