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HERMES Vintage Kelly Cadena Black Box Calf Leather Shoulder Bag Gold Hardware
The edit · Designer Bags
A pre-owned Hermès Kelly bag in black leather. The originals are still out there, and they hold up better than anything new. A bag from this era was designed to be carried, not photographed, and it shows in the hardware and the stitching.
Two centuries of saddle stitching.
Founded in 1837 in Paris as a harness maker for the carriage trade. The house moved into leather goods and silk, and its Birkin and Kelly bags became the most famous handbags in the world.
Hermes holds value like almost nothing else in fashion. A well-kept vintage Birkin or Kelly is essentially a currency, and even the silk carres appreciate when the design is right.
Why it's called that
Hermès Kelly
Originally the Sac à dépêches, it was renamed in 1977 after Grace Kelly, who used it to shield her pregnancy from the paparazzi.
What to look for
Blind stamps, date stamps and the maker's mark inside the bag. Hand-stitched seams with a slight saddle-stitch slant are the tell of the real thing.
Look at the corners, hardware and lining. Real bags age at the stress points first, so a worn corner is often a good sign, not a flaw.
How to wear it
Wear it high and tight under the arm, the way the strap length was intended. Let a loud bag do the talking against plain tailoring.
Asking price
$4,250
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