Wearing

I bought my first Hermes Herbag assuming it’d be my private pleasure. The subtler sister of a conspicuous Kelly with high-karat hardware and hand-stitching, the discontinued Hermes Herbag is pieced together with raw-edged leather, stainless steel hardware, and a rubberized canvas body. An Hermes Herbag is so confidently careless, so immodestly modest, so subtly sexy. So choice.

And apparently old chicks on Rodeo Drive, Firkin pimps on Canal Street, and dudes that pronounce the “H” in Hermes agree: everyone digs my 40cm Herbag.

Naturally, I debated burning my Hermes Herbag or buying every Hermes Herbag in existence. I’ve decided the latter is more realistic, so I snapped up this Hermes 30cm Herbag in black…

Hating

A replica of an Hermes Herbag? Hermes is low-key luxe, espesh when you skip the posh croc Birkin — yawn — and go quiet canvas. Elegant in its economy, the point of an Hermes Herbag is just enjoying the quality of its craftsmanship, with most no one noticing you’re carrying an Hermes.

True luxury lies in not being motivated by others’ acknowledgement. It’s like a black on black monogram — “KD” in block letters, thank you — somehow its subtlety is more obnoxious.

Then again, how hard is canvas to copy, Muffy…

Using

Hermes Herbag is a discontinued tote that comes with two different bodies that you can swap the leather top between.

Fun, but I just love that rubberized canvas roughing up an otherwise classic Kelly shape. This Hermes Herbag — in 40 cm with palladium hardware — is my MacBook’s new mate.

Ask Pam Anderson, P Spice, and whoever’s hot on The Hills — Birkins are boring, dahling…

Hating

This Hermes Sac Mallette bag in choco croc with silver hardware has been sold.

Weep with me.

It’s rare to find a Hermes Sac Mallette bag with silver hardware, and the French antique sterling silver’s cold shine against the worn, warm croc is especially choice…

Using

A more mod take on the Hermes Sac Mallette bags I obsess over, this 1989 Hermes MacPherson bag is larger, plainer, and zip-topped, but still founded on a hard-box bottom for your stash.

So I’m not using it yet — the eBay auction’s over just past noon, Pacific time…

Wanting

I love Hermes Sac Mallette bags. From the first half of the 20th century, Hermes Sac Mallette bags were train cases posing as purses: a classic doctor’s satchel shape was bottomed with a hard box to hold vanity trinkets.

This Hermes Sac Mallette bag in python is especially choice: its gold hardware melts into the dusty python, making it vibe more modern than the typical Sac Mallette you’ll sack

Too bad it sold years ago…