Can’t decide: K25 Barenia, yes or no?

[missfaraday]

Ok everyone is different, but here is what i would say (and i LOVE barenia)

1) Price is relative. if you are buying an H bag, it is crazy crazy expensive. in my younger days i worried about use, and now in my older days i worry about not using. get over it! (said in a good way) slip the little thing into an envirosax or something similar if you are so worried about public transport.
2) sellier in barenia can be made casual.... as can anything. it is about how you tweak things to make it more you. I am queen of easy dressing and have no trouble wearing whatever now that i have learned how to tweak - shoes, coat, jewelry or other things. loads of good blogs about antonym dressing for example (if you feel too lady, put on sneakers type of advice). IMO barenia itself is casual regardless of bag form
3) query yourself as to WHY you have not used the K28 and whether that logic applies to this or any new bag. none of us can answer this for you, any more than any of us really can answer whether you should go on vacation or buy a bag. these things have to do with your values, not our opinions.
4) I am 5 1 and petit and i wear what i want big or small... and you can too!

Love your reasoning, thank you! Really helpful ❤️. The comment about my values resonates a lot… because I’m precisely trying to justify the purchase to myself, and there’s something inside me that doesn’t like it.

This didn’t happen in the past, when I bought my first Birkin for example (6000 euros at the time). But here’s the difference: this would be my first fashion-related purchase of more than 10,000 euros, and that’s a hard mental barrier for me. Just can’t, I feel too guilty

 

[missfaraday]

Hey, only you can decide whether you are a small kelly person, or a sellier person. I’m both, and I wear them with Birkenstocks and with sneakers. On public transport. A small bag is more discreet, and it’s not red or a pastel, both of which are more blingy. A 25 is easier than a 28. Having said that, is this barenia Faubourg? Bc I think BF pales in comparison to smooth barenia. JMO. I don’t have a barenia sellier 25, but here is a gold B25, a 25K, both sellier, both casual. And a boxK larger 32, casual. If you love them, just wear them. you can wear the kelly with the straps belted under the flap. Congrats

ETA: I’m 5’2”, medium build, about a chanel 38/ Dior 40 size

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OMG thank you! ❤️ Absolutely love your style, and no matter the bag, it would look just stunning on you ❤️❤️❤️

This is really helpful my dear, huge thanks for sharing - and what an amazing collection, you’ve got the best taste!

 

[880]

Thank you! ❤️
Yes… that’s exactly why I’m hesitating a lot. I love Barenia leather (it is fauve Barenia), I love imagining how it would age and get patina with time, I love how it looks by itself… I would put it on a shelve and look at it all day. But… would I grab it and use it in the streets without fearing that I might get robbed? Would I bring it to work, and get all comments from my colleagues? (They already know I’m crazy about Hermès but I don’t like to be judged so I prefer to keep a low profile at the office).

Plus… I’m going through IVF and it’s being such a hard time that I don’t want to add mental pressure to the whole process.
I know. Hormones shouldn’t decide for me… so here I am, trying to keep reasonable and understand my feelings.

Thank you. IVF is definitely more than enough mental and physical pressure to go through. You don’t need the guilt of blowing past the 10K barrier right now. The purchase should only bring joy, not guilt. I wish you all the best!

I love barenia and let both a 32HAC and a 35 trim II go. I only kept a noir barenia 30B. It’s not the perfect bag if it’s not perfect for you.

 

[missfaraday]

Notwithstanding that it's barenia, it doesn't sound like it's the right bag for you. All of the bags sitting in your closet are structured bags, and this is a sellier Kelly. Can you wear it casually? Of course you can, see the always stylish @880 for examples above. But you seem to prefer a somewhat squishy Lindy, a bag designed to be soft in structure. QUED, aka don't do it. How about that for a definitive recommendation from a stranger on the internet. YMMV, JMO, etc.,

Thank you so much! Yes… I would probably have not hesitated that much if the bag was truly my style, and not what everyone else on social media or fashion history books had inserted in my brain with time (a Kelly 25 barenia is THE bag to have).

Now I need to think… is this something I want “just” because I love Hermès and its history, or is this something I want because it serves a purpose in my life? I would want this second reason to be true!

 

[missfaraday]

I had this bag with GHW and I let it go, because for me...personally...Barenia is a casual leather and the sellier K style doesn't necessarily work the best with it. Also at the time the price was a lot for me. If you don't mind how it looks when banged around (sellier corners), worth trying?

I do regret letting the bag go BUT only because these days it's not a meaningful amount of money to me, and I would be happy keeping the bag as a collector's item. I still don't so much see it as a bag for daily casual use. JMO YMMV etc etc

You’ve just put my thoughts into words, this is super helpful, thank you ❤️. Deeply in my heart, I see this bag as a collector’s item, not as something really useful for my lifestyle. Hence my hesitation… because… does it make sense to invest that amount of money on a collector’s item? People buy paintings… I would buy a bag… worst situation I would try to resell it in the future if I needed my savings back…

 

[Love Of My Life]

Thank you so much! Yes… I would probably have not hesitated that much if the bag was truly my style, and not what everyone else on social media or fashion history books had inserted in my brain with time (a Kelly 25 barenia is THE bag to have).

Now I need to think… is this something I want “just” because I love Hermès and its history, or is this something I want because it serves a purpose in my life? I would want this second reason to be true!

You’ve just put my thoughts into words, this is super helpful, thank you ❤️. Deeply in my heart, I see this bag as a collector’s item, not as something really useful for my lifestyle. Hence my hesitation… because… does it make sense to invest that amount of money on a collector’s item? People buy paintings… I would buy a bag… worst situation I would try to resell it in the future if I needed my savings back…

Your comments are valid & candid & hopefully they are resonating with you
Being a collector & admiring a "bag" from afar is one thing, buying a bag that is purposeful in your
life is another. You have received much insight as well as some styling tips only if they will inspire you
in helping you come full circle in making a decision..
Putting your K28 up for sale I think was a very good decision..

 

[missfaraday]

Congratulations on your lovely offer! For what it is. worth, there will always. be more practical things to put the money towards. After all, this is one of life's luxuries and do any of us NEED another expensive handbag? Probably not, but they make us happy and we usually love wearing them. So, if this truly is your "dream bag," and you can comfortably afford it, I say, "Take the bag and run!!"
A 25k will not look too bulky on you and Barenia can easily be dressed up or dressed down. Good luck deciding!

Love this, thank you! Yes… you’re absolutely right, our bags make us happy and that’s the point of spending our hard earned money on them ❤️.
Super useful to know that Barenia can also be dressed down - I somehow felt that when I saw it in person, specially with the PHW. Gold would have been too much for me. Decisions, decisions…!

 

[missfaraday]

Your comments are valid & candid & hopefully they are resonating with you
Being a collector & admiring a "bag" from afar is one thing, buying a bag that is purposeful in your
life is another. You have received much insight as well as some styling tips only if they will inspire you
Putting your K28 up for sale I think was a very good decision..

Oh thank you dear! Yes… putting my K28 for sale today has been a hard decision but I somehow feel relieved now and look at the Barenia K with more love and less fear… Will keep you posted on final decision ❤️

 

[missfaraday]

There is a thread for casual styling with Kelly if you need inspiration.

If it were me, I would have gone to the store asap. It is a unicorn for me!

I hear you! ❤️

 

[A bottle of Red]

I'm a bit of a collector as well but at that price point, I definitely understand your hesitation.
Since you already feel guilty about the price, would you feel worse seeing it unused on your shelf day after day?

 

[lilflobowl]

The ladies have all shared super valid points and I believe your decision has been made.
Good luck on your IVF journey; the money you saved not buying this bag I'm sure will be better channelled and appreciated once your baby comes.

 

[WhiteBus]

We all have to accept that from time to time something we thought we wanted just isn't right for us.
You describe how you allowed the idea of this to become a dream because it seemed impossible to realise. Having to face the harsh light of reality, you have identified some seriously valid points for you why this could be an expensive mistake. I don't think it is the bag that, in the future, you will regret letting go; it will be the bag where you learnt to recognise nice ideas that are not quite right.

 

[Suncatcher]

You describe a situation that leads to buying regrets. This is when there is a gulf between your fantasy life and your real life. In your fantasy life barenia is perfect but in reality you have real doubts about its suitability to your life, the cost and your competing priorities. I also think regrets about spending too much are more consequential about than regrets about the H bag that you gave up.

I have a fauve barenia sellier kelly and I love it though I use it infrequently.

 

[QuelleFromage]

You’ve just put my thoughts into words, this is super helpful, thank you ❤️. Deeply in my heart, I see this bag as a collector’s item, not as something really useful for my lifestyle. Hence my hesitation… because… does it make sense to invest that amount of money on a collector’s item? People buy paintings… I would buy a bag… worst situation I would try to resell it in the future if I needed my savings back…

I LOVE Barenia too. Love it. Have a Birkin, two HACs (one I "share" hahahaha), and a bunch of SLGs.
I would LOVE a Barenia Kelly.... in a retourné. Or maybe in PHW. In a style that can be worn and used as Barenia should be.
So I get it.
To kind of reinforce the point, I sold my k25 bag because the price at the time ($12K USD) represented a huge amount of money that I could do other meaningful things with, and I could not afford to have collector's items living in their boxes. I don't regret the decision in itself. If that bag had just sat in the box, maybe I could get the money back today. If I used it, no way. But I would have felt bad about the bag in its box the whole time.

And you've said you don't even wear your current Kelly.

Maybe try a patina'd piece of Barenia in an under the radar bag shape you'd be comfortable wearing every day?

 

[jen943]

I have a fauve barenia sellier kelly and I love it though I use it infrequently.

I also have a Barenia sellier K25, and I echo this sentiment.

For me, it's not suitable for daily use, and it's too small to carry to work IMO. On the flip side, I will say that every time I carry this bag someone stops to tell me how much they like my bag! It's truly stunning.

Best of luck with your decision.