Welcome to our post about Chanel vs. Hermès: Which Bags Are Better?
With similar history, prices and styles it can be hard to choose the best brand. I do have a favorite but both brands have their classic styles, so I thought I would show you which bags I believe are better in each category. So here you’ll see which is the best tote, the best crossbody and so forth. Let me know in the comments which of the two brands is your favorite!
So, without further ado here is: Chanel vs. Hermès: Which Bags Are Better?
Bucket Bag: Hermès Picotin
Chanel offers great bucket bags, but none is as iconic, as elegant or as classic as the Picotin! Hermès references its origins with the Picotin, whose name is the French word for the measure of feed given to a horse. This Hermès handbag is a popular style thanks to its minimalist, functional design, inspired by horse feed bags. The wide, round shape of the bucket bag allows you to fit all your necessities with ease, and the lock closure provides a sophisticated accent. This Hermès bag comes in soft, grained leather that gives the bag a timeless look or in canvas with leather accents, providing a sportier feel. The Picotin leather comes in a variety of colors with either palladium or gold hardware.
The Picotin is perfect for someone who needs a casual, simple bag for an on-the-go lifestyle, it is the epitome of quiet luxury.
Beach Bag: Chanel Deauville Tote
The Hermès Garden Party tote in canvas is an amazing beach bag, but the Deauville is a fun, practical and classic bag of Chanel that I love. Refined yet casual, there is no better bag to honor Coco Chanel’s first fashion boutique and favorite seaside destination than the Deauville tote, first introduced for the Spring-Summer 2012 collection. Received to incredible demand, the Deauville quickly expanded color, hardware, and material options to suit any season or occasion. Adorned with two intertwined chains, leather straps, the iconic interlocking CC logo, and “31 Rue Cambon” (the address of Coco Chanel’s apartment and first boutique), this tote is an ode to the luxury brand’s rich history. The spacious tote is equipped with large zipped pockets and a key clasp, ensuring that no personal belongings be misplaced.
Designed as the ideal beach bag – able to hold all the oceanside necessities one may need – the Deauville is functional in all variations.
Crossbody Bag: Hermès Constance Bag
There are many Chanel bags you can wear as crossbodies, like the Boy or the Classic Flap, but the Hermès Constance is not only more chic, classic and timeless but is also a better investment! Part of the Hermès trinity, the Constance is the most famous Hermès bag apart from the Birkin and the Kelly. Said to have left the factory on the same day that Hermès designer Catherine Chaillet’s fifth child was born, the Constance bag entered the market in 1959, and was named after the designer’s newborn daughter. Although designed more than 50 years ago, the Constance’s elegant shape and functional design make it a favorite among collectors.
Jackie Kennedy’s go-to, this youthful yet sophisticated Hermès bag can be worn casually during the day or for an evening out. Like the Birkin and Kelly, the Constance comes in many material and hardware combinations.
Top Handle Bag: Hermès Kelly Bag
The Chanel Coco Handle is my favorite Chanel bag, but I would choose the Kelly bag over the Coco Handle any day! In 1935 Émile-Maurice Hermès diversified the brands offerings designing a bag for his wife to carry. Called the Sac à Dépêches the bag was practical and elegant with a classic style. The accessory achieved worldwide recognition in 1956 when the American actress and princess of Monaco Grace Kelly used her Sac à Dépêches to cover her pregnant belly from the paparazzi. As soon as the photo of that is published on the cover of Life Magazine women from all over the world start running to Hermès asking for the Kelly Bag. In response the brand changed the bags name to the Kelly, and history was made.
Today an icon of elegance and sophistication, the Kelly is one of the most sought-after bags on the resale market. Not only for its timeless style but also for the enduring allure of the woman it is named after.
Flap Bag: Chanel Classic Flap
The most famous and classic Chanel bag, the flap is perhaps the best bag you can buy from the brand. This Chanel handbag that would ultimately become synonymous with the brand was not created until 1983. The Chanel Classic Double Flap was first introduced when Karl Lagerfeld became creative director and decided to reinterpret Chanel’s iconic 2.55 Flap Bag. From his artistic vision came two new features – a leather woven chain and Double C turn-lock closure. Lagerfeld’s Classic Double Flap was a breakout success.
Almost forty years later, and out of all the Chanel handbags on the market, the Classic Double Flap remains one of the most sought-after pieces ever crafted.
Investment Bag: Hermès Birkin Bag
While Chanel’s resale value averages at 95% of the original price, Hermès bags average 110% of the original price, so of course Hermès bags are better investments! The Birkin bag is the most famous and popular bag in the world, and for sure one of the most classic. The Birkin was designed in 1983 when Hermès creative director Jean-Louis Dumas set next to the actress Jane Birkin on a flight. She was wearing a straw tote and explained that most leather bags were too structured for her taste. So Dumas designed the bag on that flight on the back of a napkin. Today the Birkin is an icon and is the kind of bag that will last you your whole life.
The price of a Birkin when buying directly from an Hermès store varies depending on size, leather, hardware and color, starting at $10,075.
Hope you enjoyed “Chanel vs. Hermès: Which Bags Are Better?”! Finally, check out the Eternal It Bags!
