When you think of the queen of all luxury purses, what bag pops into your head? Well I am going to answer that question for you. If anyone were to ask you, please say “The Hermes Birkin Bag, of course!” There have been hundred articles, book, and discussions wrapped around understand how amazing the Birkin bag is and what you need to do to actually buy one. Now I understand these are absurdly out of college student price ranges and there is only a small percentage of people that can actual get on the wait list, however knowing some quick tips might push your name on that list one day. Fingers crossed! The Birkin bag trumps Celine, Dior, and Chanel with waitlists longer than years on end. Why? Let’s find out.
Ladies, I give you…The Birkin: Uncovered:
Let’s start with when the Birkin was born. The year was 1981 when Jean-Louis Dumas, Hermes chief executive was on plane and happened to be seated next to the lady herself, Jane Birkin. Their plane was traveling from Paris to London when the famous idea was cultivated. Jane was reaching for something in her overhead compartment when all her belongings spilled out of her large straw bag. She turned to Dumas in the seat next her and said how she wished she could find a quality leather weekend bag. One thing lead to another and those two bonded that flight. Dumas took her idea back to Hermes and three years later, he created a luxurious leather bag based on an 1800’s vintage design. Not forgetting where his inspiration came from, Dumas named it after Jane and thus, the iconic Birkin Bag was born.
Flash forward to the present and purchasing the Birkin Bag is near impossible with its small quantities and its unpredictable supply schedule in Hermes stores. The creation of a BIrkiin bag being hand sewn, polished and painted, and then buffed takes approximately 48 hours. Looking very closely at a bag, one can marvel at the perfection. Due to each bag given so much attention, not one bag is the same. This in itself is what makes the Birkin the most sought after bag in the world today. The average price for a Birkin bag can ranges from $9,000-$150,000 depending on the materials chosen. The simple design, sleek style, and instantly recognizable hardware makes the demand for this bag the highest in the market and prompted resale values to soar.
So who’s buying these bags? Well Victoria Beckham owns over 100 Birkin Bags making her bag net worth more than 1.5 million dollars. The Kardashians, Rachel Bilson, and Lindsay Lohan are just some of the other celebrities that are known for sporting Birkin’s. Their Birkin’s are of course styled and designed to their specific taste and choices.
So ladies let’s pretend for a minute we were designing our Birkin, what would you pick?
Color: The Birkin Bag comes in every option that a girl could dream including red, pink, white, brown, navy, baby blue, olive green, orange, tan and black.
Size: Birkin’s run in 25, 30, 35, and 40 cm and also available in traveling sizes including 50 and 55 cm
Hardware: Hardware is included with every Birkin sold. Buckles, a lock, and a key can be outlined in palladium or gold to insure quality and prevent tarnish. A leather lanyard covers the keys and is made to hook on to the handle. Metal locks may be covered with matching leather if you wish. Diamonds are also available to customize or detail the purse on request. Each individual bag ordered is given a unique numbered code on the lock to know what batch your purse was a part of.
Leathers: You can customize your Birkin with leathers including lizard, ostrich, crocodile, and calf. The most popular option over the years has been the saltwater crocodile due to its smaller scales. The interior color matches the chosen exterior color and is lined with goat skin.
There you have it! The Birkin uncovered. Now we all know we aren’t like Posh Spice buying a bag every week, but does it hurt to be educated on the most sought after bag on the market? I think it’s necessary. You now have the inside scoop for the next time you catch a glimpse of a Birkin. So get on that wait list!
Cover Photo, Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6
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