I am always on the hunt for the perfect wallet because my wallet is the most important item in my bag (sometimes more than the bag itself)! I actually spend more time choosing my wallets than my handbags because there are so many conditions to be met, but today, the hunt for THE wallet is finally over. The latest style from Hermes, the Kelly Long Money Holder or Ligne Kelly (I prefer to call it the Kelly Wallet/Clutch) is the answer to my dreams! It is 7 inches wide (18cm, half the length of a 35cm birkin) and may also be used as a clutch, nothing like a two for one to get me excited! (More after the jump!)
I went through my list of requirements: chic style (it's Hermes, it's a Kelly, need I say more?), a color that will endure daily abuse (etoupe is the perfect shade of taupe gray that won't show dirt or stains), adequate credit card/ID slots(12- I only use two credit cards but seem to have a dozen of other 'cards'- ID cards for my son and I, insurance card, prescription card, membership cards, VIP cards to clubs, Gym card, Yoga card- the list is endless!), space for cash (two slots, you can fit a passport in one of them!), foreign currency/checks/receipts (there are two pockets behind the credit card slots which will fit everything from Chinese RMB to the Euro), and functional coin pocket (with an adorable miniature Hermes lock as the zipper pull which actually cinched the deal for me, who else but me would buy a wallet purely because the zipper pull is so cute!?!?).
Made of ultra durable and lightweight Chevre Mysore (Goatskin), the Kelly Ligne is the best Hermes wallet I have ever owned. My Hermes Dogon and Bearn wallets lack sufficient card slots and they do not close properly when the coin pockets are full. The Kelly clasp allows me to stuff as much as I want without worrying about closing it! Plus I love being able to open it and look down to see everything I have in there at one glance. The best part, though, is its double function as a clutch (I put my cell in there and it fits!) and you don't have to worry about a wallet for your credit cards or cash because it's already built in! There is a wait list for the Kelly Ligne wallet so you must call your Hermes SA immediately. It is available in multiple colors but I absolutely love the etoupe, it is so chic and sophisticated. At Hermes Boutiques worldwide.
Each year, Hermes changes the leather and exotic skins you may order from depending on availability. Here are the skins available this year if you are one of the lucky ones to be on a permanent list.
EXOTICS
Porosus crocodile from Australia- Most commonly found on Northern shores of Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. Hermes does not glaze the Porosus croc skins so they will never peel. This skin is polished with an agate stone and the skin has to lay flat under the machine so once it is made into a bag, you will never be able to polish it again! I've ordered mine in Graphite (it turns gray, black or brown depending on the light) and am anxiously waiting it's arrival. The Rouge 95 is also amazing and gorgeous!
Niloticus crocodile from Africa- the ever popular matte croc is rich and sumptuous. (All crocs have to be at least 10 years old to meet Hermes standards)
Mississippi Alligator- the best 'gator skin in the world is from the US.
Lizard from Africa- Available in size 25cm or smaller due to the small size of lizards.
Ostrich from South Africa - Hermes uses the most incredible ostrich skins with flat quills. My White ostrich Kelly is from the '60s, older than me, and is still flawless.
LEATHERS
Veau Swift- Veau means calf in French, the word after it is usually the way the calf skin has been treated and/or stamped. This is a soft and sturdy calf skin.
Veau Togo - One of the most popular skins from female calf skin, tumbled and printed. I was told it is being phased out, what a shame as I just love Togo!
Veau Box - A stiff calf skin that wears to a beautiful patina but scratches easily.
Veau Epsom - Calf skin that has a smoother grain and is very stiff, I like this for the white Hermes bags.
Troika Calf hair- A delicate and gorgeous skin but it will wear around the edges. Not the most durable.
Vache Liege- Vache means cow in French- you'll see that cow skin is also thicker than calf skin. Liege is the way it is treated and stamped.
Vachette Crispee Fjord - Cow skin in a heavy and looser texture.
Chevre Mysore- Goatskin is becoming increasingly difficult to find at Hermes quality so chances are you won't be able to order one this year so if you see one ready made at the boutique, grab it!
Taurillon Clemence - The softest and most durable of skins made of Bull leather. The grain is looser than the Veau skins.
Buffle- Buffalo skin is as tough as you can get. This is usually used for luggage.
This is it for orders made in 2008. I told myself I would not order any more leather Hermes bags and would focus on exotics but couldn't resist ordering the Taurillon Clemence in Olive. The color is so urban and cool! If I have time later, I will post another entry on the colors available in each skin.
A serious Hermes collector does not merely buy birkins. There are so many delectable items to be had and treasured. I bought a photo album and journal in Blue Jean Veau togo when my son was born, I've been keeping the journal and album with all of his "firsts" and will give both to him when he has his own child. My own Hermes bag collection consists of Birkins, Kelly bags, mini Kelly pochettes, the Lindy, several wallets, and a couple of vintage bags in a mix of exotics and leathers. I also collect Hermes enamel bangles, belts and scarves. (Forgot to mention JPG's Hermes ready-to-wear are funky classics that I adore, I especially love the silk tops and crocodile platform shoes). Yes, I am sick and my obsession runs deep but Hermes is the only luxury brand that does not lose its value (even Chanel does not hold its value once it's left the boutique), in fact Hermes bags increase in value with time so at least I am not squandering away my child's inheritance! Actually, I view my Hermes collection as heirlooms to be passed down to my future daughter or granddaughters.
Haven't had the chance to check out the store yet, but is it true that it costs more than a picotin?
Hi Bag Snobs!
how much is the hermes kelly wallet you got?
It is very nice.
How much does this wallet cost ?
A lovely wallet there. It came out a couple of months ago, if memory serves me right. This one is in Etoupe Mysore, no? I've always loved Etoupe for it's interesting, slightly moody look.
And Oh My Goodness regarding Togo being phased out!! Gasp! Togo is one of my first and favourite leathers!!! Box leather, however how easy it scratches, looks so much better after it patinas.. Love love love Hermes!
Wow, very amazing, and the products are too good. I like the collection of bags. They are too much touching the heart.
Hi Tina!
I am also a die hard Hermes fan and am just in the process of choosing places settings at the Hermes boutique. Wait till you get the Hermes home addiction. Plates...servers....bowl....platters....yum yum yum there is nothing like them on the planet!
Hermes is the ultimate luxury brand and I feel the same way when I buy any piece, the value does not go away and the quality lasts forever. One of my most treasured pieces is a green leather Sac mallette that is from the 1930's or 40's. I was in the Hermes boutique here and they all gathered around and ooh and ahhh at the craftsmanship and beauty of the bag. Even the staff there know they are working with special pieces! It is also the ONLY house left in the world where the bags are made by hand. Even Chanel and LV has mechanized most of the process these days!
I don't own a single Hermes bag, but I admire the "Lindy" and the "Paris Bombay", so pretty and young, someday.... One of my favorite gifts to pick-out for friends and family are the Foulard Plisse (accordion pleated silk scarf). I have three and wearing them is like wearing a slinky piece of silk jewelry. They are so pretty with a cashmere t-shirt. Some of the older Hermes SA's know interesting ways to fold them too. Francoise on Madison in NYC is a jewel for her scarf knowledge.
do they have wait lists for the wallets too? and if they do, do you have to be one of those regular customers and buy alot of stuff or could you be like one of those first time buyers?
Cherie- I am a collector of Hermes home, I completely forgot to add it to the list! I have several platters and I adore using them when I entertain.
I am building a new home and will be selecting new patterns to go with it. Can't wait.
I am also addicted to the Hermes baby items, my son has the cashmere booties, cashmere blankies and the little horsie called Hermie. Tres adorable!
As for the price of the wallet, please call your Hermes SA.
xoxo
Hi Christy,
Generally there is not a waitlist for wallets at Hermes but this particular style has a long wait list because it is new and the most functional of all Hermes wallets. I imagine it would be easier to get on the list for this wallet than a birkin because EVERYONE wants a birkin. The true Hermes aficionado will buy the wallets, ready-to-wear and accessories. By getting yourself on the list for this wallet and/or purchasing wallet and other items will help your chances of getting a birkin later on as it shows you are a savvy collector.
to vogue- yes, this is chevre mysore, as stated in the entry :)
xoxo
love it, especially the color! i'm glad you finally found the wallet of your dreams. i know you've been looking for a while...i remember you were considering a bottega a while back.
oh thanks! that really excites me now! so in anyones opinion, which leather do you think is the best and/or most durable?
christy- all of the Hermes leathers are very durable. it is really a matter of personal taste. my wallet is Chever Mysore (goatskin) and it's very lightweight but ultra durable, which is a bonus considering it is large.
I love this. I love Hermes; I just wish I could afford it. :( But, this wallet/clutch is exquisite. The color of that is so good an will look good with anything. The style and lines are classically Hermes, and you know this will never go out of style. It's definitely an heirloom piece you can pass on some day. GREAT buy. :)
SO what is so special about this wallet? I got it -it´s the name and the price. I don´t fancy this at all.
I called the Hermes Boutique and the wallets start at $2,200. I can see that the wallet is beautiful, but I have a question. I have a Hermes Kelly bag. Opening and closing the bag is not as simple as the Birkin. Does it bother you to have to do the same with your wallet, with as much as we all use our wallets??? By the way, the only color they have at the store whose number you listed is white and turquoise. The salesperson said there is a waitlist for black. I didn't ask about other colors.
I just came back from Las Vegas and the Bellagio Hermes store has these Kelly wallets.
Actually, Las Vegas Hermes only has a white Epsom Kelly wallet (and who wants a white wallet? it would be dirty within days)
There are 15 people on the waitlist for this wallet in Vegas. 8 people on the waitlist in Dallas Hermes.
Everyone wants it because it's new and it's just so functional :)
xo
Lucky girl! It is very beautiful, a treasure, for sure on my list,
I will wait, so please enjoy for all of us, Send pictures of it
full of stuff.
I adore the wallet! Lucky you for getting your hands on it! The Kelly wallet is so clean and its a classic to use for years!
Hi Michelle, I thought of that when I bought the wallet and I played around with it and it didn't bother me. because of its size, you hold it in one hand and are able to flip up the straps and the flap much easier than the larger Kelly bags.
Plus I only use my wallet once or twice a day. My bag needs to be accessible a dozen times a day for my cell, car keys, lip gloss, etc etc.
I feel like Samantha in that episode of Sex in the City where she used Lucy Liu's name to get a Birkin bag -- well, except that I can't use Lucy Liu's name to cop this bag, so it's realy just the desperation that I share! lol
Hi Tina:
I went to the Hermes Boutique on Rodeo today to look at the wallet. I see why you love it so. The only colors that they had were red and a navy blue. I did find a black one at another location and it is being sent to me as we speak!! I really love the color that you got, but the very kind salesperson did a search for etoupe and there is not one to be found in the US. Oh well, enjoy yours!!
Bag Snob - I must ask: exactly what do you do for a living that you are able to purchase such a collection of incredible bags. After reading for a while, it seems you must own more than 50 bags, all of them priced in the 1-3k range. Tell me you have both excellent insurance *and* security!
I love the Kelly and this Kelly Wallet is just marvelous. Aestheticly, its much more beautiful than the Azap, which is rather plain. Functionally its more usuable than the Bearn (plus I don't like the H buckle on it). And this fits a passport too. But the icing on the cake has to be that it could double as a clutch. 2 for price of 1!
I saw this exact wallet in the Hermes shop today. The SA was trying to push it onto a customer who was clearly not having it! I personally am not that keen either, it just doesn't do it for me for some reason.
My husband bought me the purple lizard wallet (it's long and has a silver H clasp - sorry, I never remember the actual names!) for Valentines to match my kelly pochette, it's truly gorgeous, I much prefer that to this one...not that I'm being bias or anything! :-)
During my shopping trip today I managed to bag a blue jean togo 30cm birkin and when my SA suggested that I buy the matching wallet, how could I refuse?! I am still staring at my purchases now, several hours later!
PS. I also bought a purple crocodile(the Australian one) belt, it's simply delicious! I love love love Hermes!!!
I have always been a large wallet/clutch lover . Ever since high school. The funny thing is everymonth i rotate and the wallets never match the bags lolol. This is a great wallet/clutch , I love the color.
Miffy, what yummy purchases! I have a Blue Jean 30 and it's one of my favorites.
I have a long wallet with the silver H in black (Bearn), I just don't like it because it doesn't fit all the things I require. I am a pack rat when it comes to my wallets which is why I love this Kelly wallet. Purple lizard is delish though!
Pam- I never match my wallets to bags either though I am tempted to get a croc to match the graphite croc that is on order...
xoxo
Miffy, congrats on the BJ Birkin. And your Violet lizard KP sounds delish!
This wallet is lovely and the color is very elegant.
You guys are funny, what does it matter how she is able to afford her Hermes bags? Frankly, it's none of our business. :)
Ok! good . I thought my friends and I where the only one's who never match our wallets to our bags .. lolololol. Funny Funny.
my mother has this wallet in blue jean and étoupe (just like the one in the picture), i love how you can use it as a clutch too.
Miffy---How did you get your bag...I thought that there were waiting lists a mile long for a Birkin???
Hi Tina, I actually saw this wallet in NYC several months ago when it first came out and they came in several different colors, but I bought a Croc ORANGE bearn wallet instead b/c it was in croc! Like you, I LOVE LOVE HERMES. I got my first HERMES scarf 15 years ago in Paris when I was still a poor backpacking student:). Since then i have bought collected many great bags thorough the years and decided to finally get a Birkin in 2007. I got my first 35 Birkin this past Christmas in 2007 after waiting just 1 month:) and in the few months since I have collected three more birkins including a 35 blue brighton CROC.(i gave one to one of my girlfriends who has been waiting for one for a year). While I love the Birkins, i have come to love the kellys even more and have a 25 lizard blue brighton kelly (which is different color than the blue brighton croc birkin) in my Kelly collection...i love your red one (my fav color!)...i agree with you 100% that a Hermes collector has more than Birkins b/c one comes to appreciate all the craftmanship of the bags, they are pieces of art:). By the way, i snagged a PINK SUEDE mini constance w platitum hardware and two MEDOR CLUTCHES (one black and one tourand, a new color) from Hermes this past month! i gave the tourand medor clutch to a girlfriend of mine (my friend are like you and kelly!)
It's a little myth that people have to wait forever for the Birkins b/c in four months, I had bought 4 birkins and there were a few others available but i just didn't like the color. My latest collections include CDC bracelets (esp. in exotic skins) and also their oh so comfortable shoes designed by Pierre Hardy! I'm a true Hermes addict!
Hi Ping,
You obviously have figured out the "secret" to getting Hermes bags.
Start shopping and buying things in the boutiques and your SA will start offering you bags :)
When Kelly was ready for a birkin last summer, it took me a month to get her a gorgeous Turquoise Chevre birkin in 30. And I get calls when good bags come in because I am a good customer. If you want to get first dibs at the bags that arrive, start buying shoes, shirts, china, wallets, agendas, and all the other highly addictive Hermes items.
Love the shoes, I have my eye on the Hot pink lizard pair I saw this weekend when I picked up my purple lizard agenda.
You are right, I love the Kelly bags just as much and the little Picotins are great holiday bags!
xo
Tina, I think you and I have very similar taste. We both love certain "classics" and what I call "classics" with a twist. Like you, I love both muted and BRIGHT colors. I will look for the hot pink lizard shoes when I go to Hermes this week. Here in NYC, Hermes is having their "private sale" this week and I will be there..perhaps i will bump into some of the ladies on this blog since we are all Hermes fans:)
As for figuring out the "secret" to getting Hermes bags, I don't think it's the just the "buying," but also the personality of the buyer. While I have not met your personally, but just from reading your blogs, you seems to be a great person to be around (and fun too!) therefore i'm not surprised that SA's call you!:) Like anything in life/business, relationships have to be cultivated and i have great relationships with several SA, managers of my fav Hermes haunts:)
I think it's lucky we both have our own business, mine was "born" out of necessity after my second child was born:) Like you I could afford not to work, but i joke with my best friend that i work to support my H habits:)! Hope to run into you one day in the NY area! Ping
Wow Ping & Tina you gals are Hermes Lovers for sure!. I am more of a Hermes "liker" lolol.
Its not my holy grail brand but it is in my Top Ten list ! and it just moved from the 5 spot to the number 3 spot based on this blog session.
Hi Tina,
Thank you for the wonderful info on the different Hermes skins.
I am a beginner Hermes collector and would love to get another lesson on Hermes. Could you give us some info on different bag styles? I think that most know Birkin,Kelly,and Lindy but the rest are less well known. I like to do research before I buy.
Thank you!
Mia, there are so many great bags! I love the little Picotin, it's a casual bag and fun to run around with. The bolide is more mature and serious and not my taste. The constance is experiencing a new surge of popularity but again, more on the mature side and there is a big H clasp on it, there are many clutches as well, the pochettes, etc.
I will try to get photos and do a complete entry on the "other" Hermes bags. :)
xo
Wow, very amazing, and the products are too good. I like the collection of bags. They are too much touching the heart.
Tina,
You are the best! I just got the Kelly wallet in black and love it! Still waiting for my Birkin (35 cm in black Togo). There is a bunch of new enamel bracelets in the yummiest colors. Needless to say I bought a few.
Xo Mia
Hi Tina,I could not resist and bought the Kelly wallet in Noisette color (Mysore leather). There are two different types of Kelly wallet one like yours and there is another kind where the outside is the same but the inside coin pocket is w a button not a zipper.Hermes in NYC has both. I chose the same style u got:) and got my weekly Hermes fix:)
I can't wait for u to do a summary on all the bags. I totally agree w ur assessment re the Bolide (too mature). However on the constance,I have a mini ROSE DRAGEE suede and its very youthful and fun. I'm in love w my new box Medor w platium.
hi tina
i enjoy your article so much.
thank you for all these information.
i have a question.
i put my name on waitlist of birkin...
recently i called my salesperson, and she said no more waitlist..!!!
you can buy birkin when you find.
first come, first buy. that is new policy..
is it right?
And i really want to buy birkin ...
can you help me?
wow, congrats on the turqoise chevre 30 birkin! it's actually my hermes grail bag (along with raisin boxcalf)
Hi Michelle - I think Ping already answered your question!
Bag Snob Tina - you bought a purple lizard agenda?! How yummy! I want one now!!!
i was at the hermes store on rodeo today and they had 3 kelly wallets. it's $2035. they had white, brown and navy
I just bought a 32 kelly in gold
I want to purchase a wallet as well, not sure if i should buy a matching one (kind of boring/) or a different color/ texture etc
any suggestions of style, color, etc ?
assuming i can find it of course
also, i will be in france the end of this month, anyone know if the prices are any better there?
thanks for your help, I am new to this website and enjoyed reading all your comments