And there are some industries where everyone on the floor could readily afford a 10k+ bag to take to work, and nothing attracts attention below 250k+ watches. And there are some circles where work is more fluid and you are not always carrying a bag to work.
Space for Guys & their Hermès
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I think the issue of gender weighs in on a bigger related issue: That this bag is meant to be seen, and what others think may matter more than we would like to think. Why go for a Birkin otherwise? There are tons of nice bags are different price points out there.
So I think your point on gender is valid. There is judgement out there, whether it's your wealth, sexuality, masculinity, personality, taste level, or whatever others may assume about you if you use the Birkin. If you go with the B35 (or any fashion choice for that matter), then there is a risk of judgement, whether perceived or actual. Extending what @WhiteBus said, if you can reconcile that, then this bag is for you.
I wear a b30 when commuting to work and it’s great I wear it with flannel and jeans or a suit, it fits my computer chargers and all sorts of stuff. I’m 5’7” and in sf. When i travel for work i use the Kelly messenger GM in Barenia and it has been on a zillion planes (the floor) and has a pretty good patina. These are bags and should confirm to your lifestyle and not the other way around. These craftspeople put their heart into it and to be too precious feels like a disrespect to me. There are ways to make them feel less formal with styling too. I even took my new Kelly black box 28 to a rave on New Year’s Eve this year and it totally fine and nobody noticed (it was dark).
I actually think it can be seen as a different perspective. If you are a man carrying a B40 with a $200,000 Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph (the brand’s classic and flagship model and “entry level” for that tier), only someone not in the know would say you are carrying a Birkin purely to be seen with it as no male bag can even compare to a male watch for this.
Further, all the well made and finished bridle or vegetable tanned leather briefcases are meant to be seen to some degree. These are not your purely functional leather commuter briefcases (which can genuinely look more like they came from a computer store than a leather goods maker), especially if you talk about finishing by Berluti or museum calf leather.
A man would consider Birkins looking for a dressy bag that is larger than and does not have the work associations of a leather briefcase. A leather or canvas tote has become accepted for men over the past 20 years, where these may not have been in 2005.
So for this size, what is better made than a Birkin (setting aside the annoyance of not having handles, a strap and internal compartments meant for carrying more)? Not much of you think about it. Other brands like Saint Laurent and LV are making bags of this size that are vaguely similar in shape to the Birkin, with lower quality leather and construction and less distinctive lines and corners. And the Birkin itself is vaguely along the lines of classic doctor bags for men, even the Gladstone bag and its now impractical straps and closures.
The Birkin itself is arguably not inherently feminine except it was established as a woman’s handbag. LV holdalls are arguably larger versions of the LV Speedy, an equally established woman’s handbag, but no one considers those feminine. The handles and closure style of the Birkin are arguably not feminine by default as you see these in other bags.
So in a way, I wonder why a larger Birkin remains perceived by casual observers as a woman’s handbag where other unisex bags that are larger versions of a handbag are not.
a few decades ago most men did not carry bags
they did not need to because they wore jackets with pockets
briefcases were used for carrying papers
sports gear was carried in a duffel bag
the LV Keepall is an example of that style
the Speedy is a diminutive version of a Keepall not vice-versa
The precursors of the Birkin date back to the nineteenth century and are luggage
- iterations of the HAC
When Jean-Louis Dumas had his famous encounter on the plane with Jane Birkin
he consciously or subconsciously drew upon this history to come up with a tote to satisfy her needs.
The recent demand for smaller and smaller versions of that style for ladies established a gender identification. The 40+ HAC variants have kept its gender neutrality although the sub 40 variants might have been created to satisfy a female demand.
for gender neutrality do not adorn it with a menagerie of furry animals or carry it in the crook of your arm
writing to this forum is sharing ideas with people who can spot an Hermes item at a hundred paces
it is not reaching a fully representative demographic
high value exclusive items have to be recognised as such before they impact an observer's reaction
that is why your personal self-assurance is really all that matters
they did not need to because they wore jackets with pockets
briefcases were used for carrying papers
sports gear was carried in a duffel bag
the LV Keepall is an example of that style
the Speedy is a diminutive version of a Keepall not vice-versa
The precursors of the Birkin date back to the nineteenth century and are luggage
- iterations of the HAC
When Jean-Louis Dumas had his famous encounter on the plane with Jane Birkin
he consciously or subconsciously drew upon this history to come up with a tote to satisfy her needs.
The recent demand for smaller and smaller versions of that style for ladies established a gender identification. The 40+ HAC variants have kept its gender neutrality although the sub 40 variants might have been created to satisfy a female demand.
for gender neutrality do not adorn it with a menagerie of furry animals or carry it in the crook of your arm
writing to this forum is sharing ideas with people who can spot an Hermes item at a hundred paces
it is not reaching a fully representative demographic
high value exclusive items have to be recognised as such before they impact an observer's reaction
that is why your personal self-assurance is really all that matters
Let's just be clear that self-assurance is not mutually exclusive with understanding the perceptions of normies outside this forum.
Hey there was a time when wearing dark brown shoes into a Magic Circle law firm office would have been a greater sin.
Re an earlier post about (in my opinion, rude) comments made to you about your Evelyne being a woman’s bag. These people may “recognize” Hermes, but they don’t “know” it.
You could give them a mini history in response because the bag was indeed designed to be worn by both men and women who worked as groomsmen in the stables. In 1978 Evelyne Bertrand, Head of the Riding Dept, designed the bag to hold their tools: brushes, combs, sponges as an efficient and comfortable way to keep them within reach. The perforated side is meant to be against the body for ventilation.
Initially the Evelyne was only marketed in the Equestrian Dept, then in 2000 was transferred to the Leather Goods Department, where it has had some revisions.
Sotheby’s has a fuller description on their website. This is the subsection I reference above.
The birkin was derived from the HAC which was a functional bag to carry equipment. So, I think it’s only due to influencers that it’s perceived as a woman’s bag. I have not used a laptop in ages (I basically type on my iPad. But, I think when I has a laptop, it fit into my HAC32. Bc of the taller NS proportion/ orientation and shorter handle drop, it felt a little less hand bag like (which I preferred). And, I used to carry multiple wine bottles in the HAC (mine was barenia and it was pretty rugged). So I know it can handle weight. I don’t know for certain, but I believe the HAC 40 may also be reinforced to handle more weight, but I believe @averagejoe has indicated it’s really heavy. One member here *I thought it was a man) was a professional photographer and carried equipment in a HAC.
I’m jumping into this conversation mid stream, but have you tried the whitebus? There is a tall whitebus too. IMO a taller bag looks very nice on my DH. DH used a traditional sac a depeches 42 which was really awkward and heavy and I don’t recommend. Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion, but if one wears suits or sports coats to work, any heavy bag with a shoulder or crossbody strap could wear down/damage clothing. Whether or not an H bag, esp a BK, is too flashy, probably depends on one’s aesthetic, profession, and stage in life. A B, esp. one that looks a bit older, in a smooth heritage leather, can be turned around, sanglers and hardware facing inwards, and then it’s simply a tote.
ETA: since this kind of bag is a substantial amount of money, I would also think carefully if you want to be carrying this weight
On a daily basis for X years.
@cluelessboyfriend , I may have recommended the evelyne sellier 33 to you. DH uses them often and prefers the sellier style (he also dislikes the H perforations). I don’t know if there is a size 40 or if your laptop would fit into a 33. But if you like a shoulder carry, that might be an option.
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It's funny many do not know the history of the Evelyne as a stablehand's bag, not even resellers or die hard collectors. In particular, they don't know what the perforations were really for. Most people know the Evelyne as the mini. I'm much less concerned as it's easy to discuss and many current model crossbody bags have that general saddlebag or sack shape, especially non-leather more casual bags you see with GenZ.
The Birkin is a different story. Notwithstanding the HAC, you have decades of Hermes marketing and the real life Ms Birkin and Ms Kelly, plus Sex and the City. Not just "influencers." The association as a female handbag is far stronger, and it's there if you want to be aware of people's reactions. In comparison, you are not carrying a LV holdall and being asked if it's a LV Speedy.
The information Sotheby’s includes in their Evelyn history states the Sellier is offered in Vache Hunter and Epson leathers and two sizes, 29 and 33. Don’t know if this most up to date, or not.The birkin was derived from the HAC which was a functional bag to carry equipment. So, I think it’s only due to influencers that it’s perceived as a woman’s bag. I have not used a laptop in ages (I basically type on my iPad. But, I think when I has a laptop, it fit into my HAC32. Bc of the taller NS proportion/ orientation and shorter handle drop, it felt a little less hand bag like (which I preferred). And, I used to carry multiple wine bottles in the HAC (mine was barenia and it was pretty rugged). So I know it can handle weight. I don’t know for certain, but I believe the HAC 40 may also be reinforced to handle more weight, but I believe @averagejoe has indicated it’s really heavy. One member here *I thought it was a man) was a professional photographer and carried equipment in a HAC.
I’m jumping into this conversation mid stream, but have you tried the whitebus? There is a tall whitebus too. IMO a taller bag looks very nice on my DH. DH used a traditional sac a depeches 42 which was really awkward and heavy and I don’t recommend. Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion, but if one wears suits or sports coats to work, any heavy bag with a shoulder or crossbody strap could wear down/damage clothing. Whether or not an H bag, esp a BK, is too flashy, probably depends on one’s aesthetic, profession, and stage in life. A B, esp. one that looks a bit older, in a smooth heritage leather, can be turned around, sanglers and hardware facing inwards, and then it’s simply a tote.
ETA: since this kind of bag is a substantial amount of money, I would also think carefully if you want to be carrying this weight
On a daily basis for X years.
@cluelessboyfriend , I may have recommended the evelyne sellier 33 to you. DH uses them often and prefers the sellier style (he also dislikes the H perforations). I don’t know if there is a size 40 or if your laptop would fit into a 33. But if you like a shoulder carry, that might be an option.
Even a light bag with a crossbody strap does not treat a sport coat or suit jacket well, especially one with shoulder pads. You will see visible wear on the shoulder.if one wears suits or sports coats to work, any heavy bag with a shoulder or crossbody strap could wear down/damage clothing. Whether or not an H bag, esp a BK, is too flashy, probably depends on one’s aesthetic, profession, and stage in life.
@cluelessboyfriend , I may have recommended the evelyne sellier 33 to you. DH uses them often and prefers the sellier style (he also dislikes the H perforations). I don’t know if there is a size 40 or if your laptop would fit into a 33. But if you like a shoulder carry, that might be an option.
From photos, I didn't think a B looks too flashy with business formal or certain smart casual outfits. For example, I didn't think a B40 black looked out of place on a confident looking man with a black overcoat. If you think about when a man might carry a black LV holdall and replace it with a B40, I imagine the B40 should also fit. Otherwise, what's the difference, aside from people recognizing the B as a B? The sangle and hardware?
I own Evelyne 33 and 40s but not in Sellier. I don't prefer that because a more substantial laptop like a Macbook 15 fits snugly in an Evelyne 33 and the top sticks out. Anecdotally, other users say this is slightly too heavy for an Evelyne 33 and should not be placed in one regularly. I do it for random short trips to a cafe where I need to take such a laptop, but otherwise, I'd choose something less casual for any kind of work context, even a leather tote.
Having seen Evelyne 40s with stretched or folded leather in resellers, I find myself wary of putting any substantial weight in Evelynes and using them like totes. I find myself consciously putting not more than a jacket, small umbrella, small water bottle and e-reader in one, and to be careful of stuffing fruit in passing by a supermarket on the way home.
By the way, curious where people post more pics of men with Hermes. Instagram accounts like birkinclub4boys and meninhermes are not regularly updated, hashtags like birkin40 do not get as much volume, and you wonder if there is a broader range than what is shown in these.