Birkin vs Kelly vs Bolide

Becca4277

Becca4277

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Jan 3, 2006
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#1
My goal is to purchase on of these three bags next (I will have to sell a lot of bags and save so it will be a while. I am between the Kelly, Birkin, and Bolide.

Here are my pro's/con's

Kelly:

Pro: shoulder strap, classic look
Con: Hard to get in and out of; too formal?

Birkin:

Pro: The ULTIMATE bag. Love the look and the slouch of the bag
Con: No shoulder strap, and price

Bolide:

Pro: Shoulder strap, opportunity to purchase a Raisin Chevre, easy to get in and out of.
Con: It is not a Kelly or Birkin; to stiif of a bag?? To boring?

Please advice a newbie!! Curently I only own a Hermes All Leather Garden tote w/twilly.


I would so appreciate all of your feedback! Just FYI; I am a SAHM but like to go out on date nights with hubby and carry a beautiful bag.
 
#3
I am no help- I love all 3!

I agree with SCL- the Kelly is a wonderful, all round, versatile handbag. That said, it is not the most user-friendly. But damn, it is so gorgeous- you won't care!

So for evenings out with hubby, a kelly would be perfect. But I also love the birkin because of its casual elegance, and easy access. And I have learned that once you catch the bug for one- you can't get rid of it until you actually get one.

As for the bolide, it is such a gorgeous bag. I did not appreciate its beauty at first, but over time, it is a bag that i have come to love and hope to own one day. You can combine some of the attributes you are looking for by getting a Mou Bolide in clemence so it is slouchy, casual and chic. That way you have the best of all worlds!
 
#4
Kelly is great and the shoulder strap is a BIG plus. I find my clemence Kelly much easier to get into than box leather so its not that bad. It varies by the leather you choose. I got the clemence kelly because I have an infant and carrying my Birkin bag lately is not possible for me. Kelly is a great choice!!
 
#5
Welllllll.......I'm going to recommend the Kelly in a leather like Togo or Clemence and suggest that you get a canvas strap so you can sling it on like a messenger AND keep the straps free when closing the bag.

These two leathers are more pliable and less formal than, say, box calf so it's easier to access the interior and keeping the straps loose makes opening and closing the bag a breeze!

Here's a pic of my 32cm Graphite Clemence with it's straps flapping.....no canvas strap though.
 

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#6
Ahhhh this is a very personal choice, but I've come to find a few things out about myself since I've made my choices.

The first being that a little like wands in Harry Potter, I have noticed that bags choose YOU. A colour or a style you may never have considered will be sitting on a shelf, whispering to you, and you will hear her across the room. I loved Bolides and wanted that to be my first bag, even declared it to DH and my Mom, only to have Kelly begin to call to me like she did in my youth. Then, after many boutique visits later, I was ready to buy one and my perfect Birkin sat there whispering to me instead.

So I found a Birkin first. She was the colour that sang to me, a deep brown - Ebene.

Again, Bolides. DH and I visited our Boutique and I tried a few on... But a pretty little Kelly called to me, DH heard, and she found her way to my doorstep.

I say go to an H store, at LEAST once, and see who calls to you. And what colour. Then, see what you dream about later.

THAT will be the bag that has captured your heart.
 
#7
Becca4277 said:
My goal is to purchase on of these three bags next (I will have to sell a lot of bags and save so it will be a while. I am between the Kelly, Birkin, and Bolide.

Here are my pro's/con's

Kelly:

Pro: shoulder strap, classic look
Con: Hard to get in and out of; too formal?

Birkin:

Pro: The ULTIMATE bag. Love the look and the slouch of the bag
Con: No shoulder strap, and price

Bolide:

Pro: Shoulder strap, opportunity to purchase a Raisin Chevre, easy to get in and out of.
Con: It is not a Kelly or Birkin; to stiif of a bag?? To boring?

Please advice a newbie!! Curently I only own a Hermes All Leather Garden tote w/twilly.


I would so appreciate all of your feedback! Just FYI; I am a SAHM but like to go out on date nights with hubby and carry a beautiful bag.
Click to expand...

Great plan, I would love to have one of each too. At the moment I have a Kelly and a Bolide but am waiting, hoping and saving for a Birkin. A couple of thoughts struck me when I read your posts - the Kelly can be less formal depending on the leather, size style and hardware. For example, a blue jean retourne Kelly 32 or 35cm in togo leather is more casual than say a black box sellier Kelly 28cm.

Likewise, the Bolide can look very different in a soft 'mou' leather , say clemence, it becomes very squishy and relaxed, particularly in the larger 37cm size as opposed to say a 31cm in VL leather.

Too boring? Well, all Hermes bags are quite simple and understated, that is part of their allure for me, the quality of the leather and craftmanship elevates the bags; they have no need to 'shout' but I understand what you mean. I love my Bolide and it gives me a boost every time I carry it but it is complelety under the radar and that suits me very well too.

Until I acquire my Birkin, I can't comment on the lack of shoulder strap; I DO know that I use the strap all the time on both my Kelly and Bolide. I also have a Picotin and that gets shoved up and over my shoulder when I can.

(sorry re-read post, u want just one of the three, sorry can't help love them all, the right one will probably chose you - agree entirely with the H Potter analogy above)
 
#9
I vote kelly, if you want it for nights out and you still have little ones. As other ladies have said, a softer leather like clemence or casual like togo would help both with ease of use and be most versatile. Isn't it fun to dream about your next bag???
 
#10
Becca, I'll vote for the Bolide. After seeing all the wonderful pics on this forum, I love it a little bit more than the Birkin. Katel has a wonderful collection of Bolides...delicious eye candy and totally :drool: worthy. :smile:
The Kelly is perfect for nights out, but if you want a good day in and
day out bag, get the Bolide. ;)
 
#11
kelly it is not only quintessentially H it is also one of the most versatile bags ever. it can go with every attire from casual to cocktail and from day to evening birkins or bolides (as much as i love them) are simply not working sometimes but one kelly fits all so to speak :lol:
 
#12
Agree with LILACH! If you want one bag that does it all, a 28cm or 32cm Kelly in Black Togo or Clemence with Gold hardware and your good to go almost everywhere! Great for day, great for casual to more formal evenings....and for the wedding or those dressy, dressy events break out a cool vintage clutch or evening bag!
 
#13
Thank you all for your input!! It is a tough decision; especially since the closest Hermes store is a good 6 hours away. I will certainly reconsider the Kelly; I did not even consider how different the bags could be with the different leathers. Again, thanks for the info and opinions!
 
#15
S'Mom said:
Welllllll.......I'm going to recommend the Kelly in a leather like Togo or Clemence and suggest that you get a canvas strap so you can sling it on like a messenger AND keep the straps free when closing the bag.

These two leathers are more pliable and less formal than, say, box calf so it's easier to access the interior and keeping the straps loose makes opening and closing the bag a breeze!

Here's a pic of my 32cm Graphite Clemence with it's straps flapping.....no canvas strap though.
Click to expand...

Wow; that bag is beautiful! You look fab!!
 
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