Help finding the perfect kelly size

[mustangsammy]

Alas I have finally come to join the H side. I have spent the last several months circulating this forum to help make my decision in which bag would serve best to suit my needs. I have narrowed my selection down to a black Kelly in clemence, chèvre or ardeen, I just need to decide on a 32cm or a 35cm. Because I am purchasing a pre-owned Kelly over the internet I won't be able to try it on in person and some of reputable sellers I have been looking at don't accept returns.

I plan on using the bag as an everyday bag, something on the casual side that I can also convert into an evening bag when BF wants to go out for dinner. I am 5'8 and 125lbs. I plan on wearing the bag with the shoulder strap more than as a handbag.

I know this is a popular topic. I have been searching through the H reference forums, the H in action forums and had high hopes for this forum. Unfortunately I have yet to gain enough confidence through the reference photos to make my purchase.

If anyone has advice, knows of forums I may have missed or is around my size and has reference photos I would greatly appreciate the help!

 

[birkel]

Darling I get it the photos help! But they are not the exact same thing as trying on the bag on. so I will argument and give you my point of view to suggest a 35 cm . The reason why I find 35cm a much better size is simply because it has more balance to me, and by weight is practically the same as a 32.but when needed gives you that extra little but much needed space. also the Kelly has two major anchor points, for it's handle as opposed to the birkin that has four. so in my experience the more the handle arch stretches in it's anchor points. the more comprtable the bag becomes.and when hanging on a strap. it has a much wider and to me needed separation so it fits better as a cross body. and much nicer as a hand bag. Also the Kelly relies strongly on it's turn lock as this is in fact the top supporter and stress point.35 bags to me when loosened by weight and use tend to stress in a nicer more defended way and soften and age in a more floppy way that can be corrected with a bag organizer or by filling it up. 32 bags become loose in the back and front panels but retain their shape thus making the bag look older and used, not so much soft and generally smooth. Again I love all kellys but favor 35 and so I have given you my arguments. I feel the bag can transition from jeans to little dress in 35 more since I find bigger bags beyond chic when dressed up. Hope it helps doll all the best .birkel.



P.S I do suggest maybe staying open to color Hermes bags in any color with any outfit look good so maybe grey or brown or rouge H ????????? Best.birkel!

 

[Greentea]

I'm 5'3" and have a Kelly 32. It's the perfect size for me, but I don't consider it my everyday bag (I use a Bolide for that.) It holds enough - but not everything. So, for you, I'd recommend the 35cm. If you can get Chèvre, all the better as it could be a tad heavy in Clemence.
You'd be totally fine and absolutely chic wearing a nice evening outfit with the black Kelly 35!

 

[mustangsammy]

Darling I get it the photos help! But they are not the exact same thing as trying on the bag on. so I will argument and give you my point of view to suggest a 35 cm . The reason why I find 35cm a much better size is simply because it has more balance to me, and by weight is practically the same as a 32.but when needed gives you that extra little but much needed space. also the Kelly has two major anchor points, for it's handle as opposed to the birkin that has four. so in my experience the more the handle arch stretches in it's anchor points. the more comprtable the bag becomes.and when hanging on a strap. it has a much wider and to me needed separation so it fits better as a cross body. and much nicer as a hand bag. Also the Kelly relies strongly on it's turn lock as this is in fact the top supporter and stress point.35 bags to me when loosened by weight and use tend to stress in a nicer more defended way and soften and age in a more floppy way that can be corrected with a bag organizer or by filling it up. 32 bags become loose in the back and front panels but retain their shape thus making the bag look older and used, not so much soft and generally smooth. Again I love all kellys but favor 35 and so I have given you my arguments. I feel the bag can transition from jeans to little dress in 35 more since I find bigger bags beyond chic when dressed up. Hope it helps doll all the best .birkel.



P.S I do suggest maybe staying open to color Hermes bags in any color with any outfit look good so maybe grey or brown or rouge H ????????? Best.birkel!

Birkel- I have asked two or three questions on this forum as of late and each time you have replied with very concise and extremely helpful answers. The points you raise are great ones to consider as I will be using the bag quite a bit. Fortunately I have been leaning on the 35cm as I would prefer a bag to look slightly larger than too small. Thank you very much, your advice is much appreciated!

I'm 5'3" and have a Kelly 32. It's the perfect size for me, but I don't consider it my everyday bag (I use a Bolide for that.) It holds enough - but not everything. So, for you, I'd recommend the 35cm. If you can get Chèvre, all the better as it could be a tad heavy in Clemence.
You'd be totally fine and absolutely chic wearing a nice evening outfit with the black Kelly 35!

Greentea- Great, thank you for the advice! This is pushing closer to the 35cm . Fortunately the bag I have been eyeing is a 35cm Chèvre, I'm just hoping I can purchase a strap for it as the original one it came with is not being sold with it. Thank you again!

If anyone has more advice or ref photos please feel free to share, as I am gaining more confidence in my purchase decision.

 

[jmen]

Odd man out, I think 32 would be perfect. I'm taller than you and prefer a 28 but most US women think bigger is better and pack like they're going on a camping trip. I know I used to myself until I realized half the stuff I never used. Then came the back surgeries which really necessitated going minimal.

That said I couldn't resist snatching the Kelly flat recently, a 35, btw. By comparison it is huge. Even empty it's weighty,so how long she will be with me is to be determined. I love the uniqueness tho of the flat and at least there is a shoulder strap. When we move to UK (or me doing numerous visits) it can be a second carry on but count as a purse, lol.

Since you are not near a boutique, get the dimensions of the 32 and 35 and make a cardboard cutout. There is nothing like IRL visual that you're not going to get from pictures. Remember, the bigger the purse the heavier it will be (and some leathers are heavier than others). It is a costly investment so tis better to do as much research and evaluating before plunking down the cash.

 

[meazar]

I am 5'3" and chose the Kelly 40! I thought it would be too big, and almost refused it without even looking at it, but my SA convinced me to try it. I love it! It is Clemence, so it is slightly heavy, but for me, totally practical. The 40 also has a different (shorter) shoulder strap, which fits me well. My 32 was too small, for me.

 

[jmen]

Let's back up for just a mo because you are going to get all sorts of recommendations. Ask yourself how much do you carry every day. If it is a lot, get the 35 and if it not, step it down to a 32. There are probably pics of what can be put in a 32 and a 35, so try the search thread and hope something pops up.

Ideally you want to be able to take this baby out to dinner, theater -- evening affairs. The bigger you go, the more out of place it is going to be for evening. (I know there will be someone who will say they take their 50 to dinner, but generally speaking that's not the standard.)

If you are familiar with Chanel, then this may help for comparison purposes, I used to carry solely Chanel flaps and reissues. The 28 Kelly has more than enough room for what was carefully arranged in the m/l flap or 226 reissue. I can even step it down to a 225 or an east west for what I feel I need to carry. It was kind of strange to look in the 28 Kelly and see how much space was left compared to the flaps.

 

[joiseygirl]

I'll chime in

I'm 5'7" 135lbs and I use my 35 as an everyday bag. It's Gulliver leather and it's nice and squishy, therefore making it very casual looking. I have a 32 Box that I've used once but found that it doesn't hold all I need, and being Box it doesn't have any give. I tried on a 28 and I felt like a giant holding a coin purse

What bags do you use now? Sizes? If you gravitate towards the larger bags... Chanel maxi, Vuitton totes, YSL Muse, etc. then the 35 will be perfect.

 

[texasgirliegirl]

I agree with Jmen.
Additionally, because you wish to wear your Kelly with the strap and still consider it for evening use, I would recommend NOT going any larger than a 32cm. The 35 looks very much like a briefcase and is fine for daytime when carried by the handle but will not transition well for evening...it is too large. This size..especially in the leathers you are considering, will look too casual for evening use in my honest opinion.






NOTm[/B]

Odd man out, I think 32 would be perfect. I'm taller than you and prefer a 28 but most US women think bigger is better and pack like they're going on a camping trip. I know I used to myself until I realized half the stuff I never used. Then came the back surgeries which really necessitated going minimal.

That said I couldn't resist snatching the Kelly flat recently, a 35, btw. By comparison it is huge. Even empty it's weighty,so how long she will be with me is to be determined. I love the uniqueness tho of the flat and at least there is a shoulder strap. When we move to UK (or me doing numerous visits) it can be a second carry on but count as a purse, lol.

Since you are not near a boutique, get the dimensions of the 32 and 35 and make a cardboard cutout. There is nothing like IRL visual that you're not going to get from pictures. Remember, the bigger the purse the heavier it will be (and some leathers are heavier than others). It is a costly investment so tis better to do as much research and evaluating before plunking down the cash.

 

[AirMezPrincess]

Because you're 5'8, i don't think you can go wrong with 32cm or 35cm, but if I were you I would do 32cm because you can use it to transition from day to evening bag. The bigger you go, the more ackward it looks when you want to dress it up in the evening. I'm only 5'3, so I find that 28cm or 32cm looks great. But just for looks, 35 cm wouldn't be that large, but it just all depends how much stuff you carry around on a daily basis. I think 32cm holds plenty. If you need a large bag to hold more things then go with 35cm. But I personally think the 32cm would be more versatile and looks great! Let us know what you decide! Good luck!

 

[Minda]

I am 5'8 too and prefer the Kelly 28. Size 32 appears significantly larger than the 28. I think a Kelly 30 would have been the perfect size for me (for day/night use) but H does not make it.

 

[beachy10]

I am 5'10" and am also leaning towards the 32. I compared the measurements of the 35 & 32 to my two prada suffiano tote bags (I have one larger and one smaller). I hardly carry the larger one because I just don't own that much stuff. I find the Chanel Jumbo to be perfect size for me and think 32 Kelly would be right size, esp if I want to take it out at night.

I've been trying to convince myself that 35 would be good for me because my dream bag is in this size but for the $$ I should probably wait until the right size comes along.
I prefer bags that are smaller rather than larger. I think the trend for big bags is shrinking because it's just too hard on the back to carry around all of that weight.

If you don't carry alot then I would go for 32.

 

[lilith1]

I would say a 35 retourne, a 32 just doesn't hold enough in my opinion. I'm 5'10" and an American size 6, and I carry a 40 Kelly on a daily basis. I use my 35's more for evening.

 

[texasgirliegirl]

I am 5'8 too and prefer the Kelly 28. Size 32 appears significantly larger than the 28. I think a Kelly 30 would have been the perfect size for me (for day/night use) but H does not make it.

I agree!!! A 30cm would be the perfect size....they also need to offer a 32 Birkin!!!
Like you, I prefer the 28 sellier or the 32 retourner....
I tried a 32 sellier and it looked/felt so much larger to me...

 

[ouija board]

Keep in mind that a 35cm Kelly will be, or at least feel, heavy even if you don't overload it. For some reason, my 35cm Kelly in box is harder to carry comfortably than my 30cm Birkin with the exact same stuff in them. The handle on the Kelly is harder, so it hurts to carry on my forearm for long periods of time, and even hand held, my arm gets sore faster. If I'm carrying it out shopping, I have to use the shoulder strap from my Evelyne and wear it cross body. But it looks fantastic even on a shorty like me, and I can comfortably fit the stuff from my Birkin without having to put everything in like I'm playing Tetris And while a 35cm is a bit big, I think the Kelly shape is inherently dressy and evening appropriate even in a larger size. If you get the 35cm Kelly and order a strap for it, personally I would suggest not getting the thin leather strap that normally comes with Kellys...get a wider canvas strap, way more comfortable with a larger Kelly.