My turn to ask for help - what should I consider buying?

[buffalogal]

I live nowhere near an H store and have had limited opportunities to see/touch most bags, leathers, etc. I only get to H while traveling so I have a bunch of smaller store purchases (jewelry, scarves, decorative items, etc) from stores in the US and abroad (or online), but only one store bag which is a 30cm leather Garden Party in Gris Asphalte (Vache Country) bought in San Fran. I also have two Evelyne III PMs in Black and Rubis (Clemence) bought from trusted resellers.

I have bought and sold a few other H bags that didn’t work for me, mostly more under the radar styles (Berlingot, Massai, Trim). I also sold what I thought was my dream H bag initially - 36cm Garden Party in Cassis because it was so dang heavy and bulky.

And now, after saying “never“ … the Birkin keeps haunting me. And to a lesser degree, the Kelly. Ha. I will likely never be able to get one from a store so I would be looking for a trusted reseller (will get authenticated, of course).

I am 5’10, sz 10-12 and live a VERY casual lifestyle, especially now that I am 90% WFH. Think leisure wear, jeans … date night might be a casual dress or black pants/sweater. I do have a couple nice clutches, if needed.

I have pretty much exclusively carried the black Evie for like two years now. Lol - I love the fact that it is all smooshy and broken in and hugs my body. The Rubis one is a great color but still a little stiff. The cross body option is something I thought I would hate but now I love it and I love the outside pocket for easy phone access. I also love the look of the GP I have and I don’t mind the arm crook carry but the color is not something I reach for and while the 36 was heavy even barely loaded, the 30 seems a tad small. I carry a clutch type wallet, sunglasses/case, two iPhones, keys and lip balm, pens, etc.

I know I want black with PHW. I have read a zillion threads here and am still debating whether a 30 or 35 cm Birkin is ideal for my needs. And a lot of the resale ones I have seen are Togo, Clemence or Swift. I want something I don’t have to baby that will get a good lived in look but that isn’t oppressively heavy or hard to get in and out of.

Options I am considering now are a 30cm B in Swift, a 35 in Togo and a 35 in Clemence. And just to be crazy, a 35 Clemence Kelly Retourne lol. I don’t think a structured look works for me but this one looks squishy and has the strap.

It is so hard when I have never held these bags and barely seen any in person … so I am looking for TPF advice. I may be able to buy/return to see what I like but I hate being “that customer” too many times!

 

[hermesgeek]

Hello! I don’t want to be a downer but if you found your GP 36 heavy and bulky, the Birkin 35 in togo and especially in clemence are waaaaaaay heavier and bulkier. I’d say the same for the Kelly 35 in clemence however, that has a shoulder strap which makes it a bit more practical. Swift is a good choice if weight is an issue but it requires a little more babying than togo and clemence. Might I suggest Epsom leather as I feel it’s the lightest out of all H common leathers but I’m not sure if you’re into stiffer and stamped leather so that’s a consideration. A B30 in swift May be a good choice but I’m not sure how it’s weight compares to a GP 36, but it will for sure be a lighter bag than a togo or clemence in that size. Hope I was able to help!

 

[buffalogal]

Dang. Lol - that is what I was afraid of. I am not into Epsom at all. Looks so stiff.
When you say “baby” Swift more … is that just for scratches or is it one of the “no rain” type leathers? I am in an area prone to surprise out-of-nowhere showers! Thanks for the help!

 

[880]

Hello! I don’t want to be a downer but if you found your GP 36 heavy and bulky, the Birkin 35 in togo and especially in clemence are waaaaaaay heavier and bulkier. I’d say the same for the Kelly 35 in clemence however, that has a shoulder strap which makes it a bit more practical. Swift is a good choice if weight is an issue but it requires a little more babying than togo and clemence. Might I suggest Epsom leather as I feel it’s the lightest out of all H common leathers but I’m not sure if you’re into stiffer and stamped leather so that’s a consideration. A B30 in swift May be a good choice but I’m not sure how it’s weight compares to a GP 36, but it will for sure be a lighter bag than a togo or clemence in that size. Hope I was able to help!

+1 re 35 being very heavy

you may want to check out this thread re 30 versus 35

Second Kelly or second Birkin?

Hi everyone, I'm thinking about my next wishlist bag and wondering whether I should ask for my second Birkin or my second Kelly? I already own a K25 and a B30, so either a K28 or a B35 would seem like good complements to my existing collection. Any thoughts on which to go for? If you're...

forum.purseblog.com

IMO, a 35. Kelly is also quite heavy and a bit briefcase like, but you can wear either sellier or retourne casually

How to wear a Kelly casually?

Hello ladies, My mother has given me her Kelly which she barely used for my 30th birthday. It is absolutely beautiful, a rich brick red with goldtone hardware. However, I usually dress rather casually and normally opt for less structured handbags such as Balenciaga. I am not trying to sound...

forum.purseblog.com

note: I am fond of swift leather, and I had @docride spa and condition my slouchy vintage 30B gold swift and 30B balck barenia to withstand a bit more rain. No change in texture, but as per current rules, Hermes apparently may not spa a bag that has been worked on by a third party professional. (Over a decade ago, when I used H spa, this was not my experience) I still don’t subject my treated bags to a drenching, but a little wet weather is okay (I dry it off when I get home). Hermes does not recommned any of its leathers be exposed to rain, but ive had a few preloved beater (dark color) clemence Evelynes in the past that have also survived rainstorms unscathed. Pls note this is solely my personal experience and YMMV
30B gold swift; 30B black barenia

 

[buffalogal]

Thanks @880 - helpful. I have looked at a lot of threads and people seem all over the place on the weight issue - just wish I there were places close to me that I could go and test the bags out! Like … could I live with a little “heavy” for a Birkin? Ha ha

 

[hermesgeek]

Dang. Lol - that is what I was afraid of. I am not into Epsom at all. Looks so stiff.
When you say “baby” Swift more … is that just for scratches or is it one of the “no rain” type leathers? I am in an area prone to surprise out-of-nowhere showers! Thanks for the help!

Oh no! Hope I didn’t crush your dreams of a birkin or kelly, it’s always good to have them. Swift’s grains are very smooth. Unnoticeable actually unless you look at it closely so it’s prone to scratches especially the corner rubs. I once scratched my Swift leather because of my ring, and that’s something I’ve been very careful about now. Some scratches can go away by gently massaging it with your finger. As for the rain, I’ve used it multiple times in rain and snow, just wipe it immediately and it will be fine. I never drenched or soaked it though so I can’t completely say it’s water resistant lol I love Swift because it’s buttery and soft but it is very floppy and gets even floppier with time and use.

Epsom isn’t so bad though, I used to not like it so much but it grew on me after years of use. It really is stiff but it gets a tad bit softer over time too!

 

[Sydny2]

If you’re interested in getting something else more than a bag, I would consider working with an SA at any of the store you have been to. Don’t say “never”, say “possible”. I am sure you should be able to get a dream bag.

 

[hermesgeek]

Thanks @880 - helpful. I have looked at a lot of threads and people seem all over the place on the weight issue - just wish I there were places close to me that I could go and test the bags out! Like … could I live with a little “heavy” for a Birkin? Ha ha

I’ve seen many posts here on tpf and YouTube videos where they buy from fashionphile to try on their bags and return if they’re not happy with it. So I guess that can be an option lol

 

[Tonimichelle]

I think with your height you can easily carry off a B35 however if the GP36 was too heavy and bulky the B35 will be far worse (I adored mine but even visiting a chiropractor I had to give up eventually!).
Leather wise, I live in the UK, showers are expected! I’ve owned swift, togo, barenia and clemence and all have been caught in a shower and been fine.
To give you an idea on weight, the B35 in togo I had was almost 1.3kg, the swift B30 770g and the clemence B30 I currently have is 964g, so swift is definitely lighter but doesn’t slouch as much in a B30 as a clemence does I think.
If you’re open to preowned / vintage have you looked at the HAC 32 at all? If a 30 feels a little small that could be an option? Either way, whilst I feel that the togo or clemence will be the most robust, swift is lighter and not particularly fragile in my experience.

 

[cravin]

Just adding an opinion. My wife is 5'10 as well and shares many of the same preferences as you. Her most used bag BY FAR is a Black K32 in Togo leather. It's squishy and just conforms to her body when she's wearing it, and also has a different strap for it, so she can wear it cross body whenever she wants to use it. She loves the ease of use, how much it holds, and the fact that it's pretty nearly indestructible.

 

[TC1]

I'm 5 foot 7" and think a 30 is too small for me. I've never had a GP before..but I'm not in love with that silhouette, so perhaps that was part of the issue? I bought an almost vintage 35 in Togo from Docride, and I love it. I don't baby it..if it rains, so be it.

 

[WhiteBus]

Perhaps you have to consider that now is not the right time for you.
Wait until your circumstances enable you to get some proper first-hand experience.
I really respect that you don't want to abuse the returns facility of some sellers to get your first-hand knowledge.
Size for size, any bag with metal hardware is likely to be heavier than a bag without.

 

[EmilyM111]

I'm 6ft tall and picked B35 for that reason. Ended up wearing empty bag (it's now sold due to quality issues otherwise I'd sit on a shelf). I found B30 much better. I'd ensure you pick for the purpose, not how you look with it. I continuously been told I can't wear B25 due to my height and being overweight and missed a superb, wait FANTASTIC deal on it passing it to my friend who's 175cm. Now regretting, I'd use B25 A LOT.

 

[lulilu]

It depends on whether you want a tote-looking bag or a handbag. IMHO, the 30B is a handbag.

I am a B35 person -- togo or clemence -- I think it is the classic B size. I don't find in exceedingly heavy but I don't fill it to the top (as it were). Those leathers wear like iron.

I would not get a B35 in epsom. There are many photos showing epsom 35s and the leather starts to look wavy IMO. A smaller, more structured bag like constance or sellier kelly is great in epsom.

 

[Etriers]

I love my B35s and carry them everywhere, but if weight is an issue, don’t even think about it. Even the 30 is heavy, so you’d have to get your head around that and decide if you wanted a B enough to suffer. Lol! There’s just a lot of leather and hardware on these bags. They’ll feel like carrying a load of bricks after Evelyne PMs.