A Comprehensive Guide to the Hermès Kelly Collection
The Hermès Kelly is a masterpiece and a classic. It has been the muse to many of Hermès’ creative directors, which is why its distinctive DNA is carried through more Hermès handbags than any other model.
The Kelly began life as the Sac à Dépchêches in the 1930s but really came into its own in the 1950s when Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, famously used the elegant bag to cover her pregnant belly from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. This catapulted the handbag into the global spotlight, and its popularity exploded. Hermès paid homage to the icon’s influence by renaming the bag in her honor.
Kelly is known for its sleek, timeless style and gently sloping trapezoid shape. It has a single handle, sangles, turnlock, single flap, clochette, lock and shoulder strap.
The classic Kelly is available in a vast array of sizes: 25, 28, 32, 35, 40 and 50, and there are numerous other sizes in the extended Kelly family.
Kelly Sellier
Kelly is available in a sleek Sellier style, worn by Princess Grace of Monaco. This rigid-looking style has sharp outer stitching, giving the bag a more formal finish. It’s also available in Retourne style, which is when the bag is turned inside out by the artisan to keep the piping inside, giving the bag a slouchy, casual feel.
Kelly Retourne
Vintage Kellys feature single rings from which you can use a strap, but newer models now feature double rings, which makes carrying the bag with straps much more convenient.
Vintage Kelly with single strap rings
Mini Kelly Family
Aside from the classic style, the best known Kelly is the Mini Kelly. The vintage Mini Kelly 20 sometimes features a very rounded handle and there are varieties with a very long strap or a shorter, mid-length strap.
Vintage Mini Kelly
The 2016 update is the Mini Kelly II, a 19 cm version of the iconic design. Mini bags have been an enduring trend for several years now and these are some of the most popular on the market. A Micro Kelly, which is a 15 cm version of the Mini Kelly, also exists.
Mini Kelly II
The Kelly Doll is another tiny Kelly. The name is a play on the French phrase “quelle idole”, meaning “what an idol!” This distinctive limited edition design, measuring a tiny 16 cm by 12 cm, features a face, arms and legs. Its kawaii design is particularly well-loved in Japan.
It was first seen in 2000, designed by Jean-Louis Dumas, the Executive Chairman of Hermès, as a way to commemorate the Millenium. It’s subsequently been discontinued, but sometimes returns when a new Hermès store opens and can be ordered as a Special Order bag for VIP customers, too. The price of these pieces continues to rise, so if you stumble across one, snap it up!
Kelly Doll
Other miniature versions of the Kelly are the Kelly Pochette, a Jean Paul Gaultier interpretation of the Kelly. This clutch was first seen on the Autumn/Winter runway of his first Hermès collection in 2004. The immensely popular bag has the same sangles and turnlock as the Kelly, and its flat bottom means it can stand up by itself. The clutch is roomy enough to hold your phone, makeup and money.
Kelly Pochette
Kelly Cut is similar in style to Pochette, but is longer, thinner and sleeker, and doesn’t stand up by itself. It’s the ideal size for tucking under your arm for a glam night out. The discontinued and hard-to-find Kelly Longue looks like a cross between the two designs. The Tiny Kelly, similar in style to the Pochette, but just 14cm long, is even more miniature than the Mini Kelly.
Kelly Wood, a tiny 22 cm in size, is a recent and ultra-rare Limited Edition Kelly, made of bog oak and Barenia leather.
You can fit just enough inside these teeny-tiny bags for a night out, but they still manage to pack all the style punch of a full-size Kelly.
Kelly Family
Kelly Lakis
A much larger Kelly design is the Kelly Lakis. It was released in 2004 in sizes 28, 32, 35 and 40. It’s the result of a request made by collector and customer, Lakis Gavalas who wanted an update on the classic Kelly, with zipped outer pockets. Subsequently, Kelly Lakis features two zipped front pockets and usually one rear pocket, too. It provides more easy-access storage than the Kelly and is favored by those who appreciate its androgynous appeal and practicality.
Kelly Lakis
Kelly Flat
Jean Paul Gaultier’s prolific reinvention of the Kelly includes the now discontinued 2007 Flat Kelly, a functional bag that looks like a regular Kelly but with a buckle fastening. Depending on how much you’re carrying, it can be collapsed and tied up, converting it to a stylish clutch.
Kelly Danse
Kelly Danse
Kelly Danse, another Jean Paul Gaultier design, was released in 2008 (and re-released in 2019) as a casual, lightweight and versatile version of the Kelly bag. It can be worn across the body, as a shoulder bag, around the waist, as a clutch, or as a backpack, making it perhaps the most versatile Hermès bag.
Shoulder Kelly
Shoulder Kelly
Another Jean Paul Gaultier design is the Shoulder Kelly, a slouchy take on the Kelly which is now discontinued. It doesn’t have the Kelly trapezoid shape and is, instead, long and shallow with an extended handle so you can easily wear it over your shoulder.
Kelly Sport
Kelly Sport has been discontinued but is still really popular on the second-hand market. It’s immediately recognizable as a Kelly but has a more youthful feel. It has a taller shape and a long strap, so it can be worn as a shoulder bag for hands-free convenience.
Kelly Ado
Kelly Ado
Similar in style to the Kelly Sport is the Kelly Ado, another casual interpretation of the Kelly, which is worn as a backpack. It was discontinued some time ago but has now been re-released.
So Kelly
Another more casual interpretation of the Kelly is So Kelly. This now discontinued bag was first seen in the Autumn/Winter 2008 collection. It’s a shoulder bag with the Kelly turnlock and a slightly bucket-like shape, reminiscent of the Picotin.
Kelly Dépêches
Kelly Dépêches
Kelly Dépêches is a sleek and lightweight document or laptop holder with a removable strap. Its no-nonsense clean lines make it a stylish option for the office. The original design was discontinued but has since been re-released with a smoother, more rounded design.
Limited Edition Kellygraphie
Limited Edition Kelly
Some notable Limited Edition Kellys you may come across are:
Kelly Picnic is a picnic-basket-inspired design crafted from Osier wicker and leather.
Kelly Ghillies is trimmed with the intricately perforated patterns often seen on men’s footwear.
Kellygraphie is a collection of color-block bags featuring one of each of the letters of Hermes. This 2018 design was inspired by works pulled from some 1930s sketches found in the archives.
Waffle Kelly is a super rare design with a textured waffle pattern.
Kelly Golf is a Spring/Summer 2013 design featuring a tasseled front panel, designed to look like kiltie golfing shoes.
Another popular Kelly is the Vinyl Kelly, a PVC version of the bag, designed to be see-through for easier bag checks when traveling.
Vinyl Kelly
Kelly Accessories
The Kelly family extends to accessories. The Kelly To Go, a sizeable wallet with a strap, is often used as a small, convenient bag. Similarly, Kelly Wallet is one of the fashion house’s most popular wallets and is large enough that it’s also often used as a clutch bag, too.
Kelly Wallet
The Kelly Twilly Bag Charm, launched in 2020, takes the mini bag trend to the next level. This teeny-tiny charm, complete with a sangles, turnlock and feet and silk Twilly-wrapped handle is available in one miniature size, but multiple colors and leathers, including Swift, Tadelakt, Lizard and Croc. The Kelly design has also inspired several accessories, including belts, bracelets, watches and necklaces.
