Hermes handbags are becoming a popular obsession. Owning one takes a great deal of time, energy, and money. Hermes purses are an icon of class and status, and are in high demand among Hollywood’s elite. The most famous of all Hermes bags, the Kelly, is one of the most sought-after accessories in the world. Coming in a close second, the Birkin is popular among the younger set, and holds its own at number two in the ratings.

Hermes purses are spotted all over-from airports to Mommy and Me dates, celebrities are adding these prestigious bags as fashionable finishing touches to their ensembles. Some of the more popular bags (and the celebrities who love them) are described below:

• Kelly Osborne: Her black crocodile Birkin blends nicely with her trademark black clothing.

• Katie Holmes and Suri: Mother and daughter are seen with matching orange Hermes shopping bags after a busy day of retail therapy. Later on, Katie is seen with a rare burgundy Garden Party handbag, paired beautifully with a black pencil skirt and red heels. The Garden Party bag is one of the largest Hermes handbags, looking more like a boarding bag than a purse.

• Nicole Richie: Stopping traffic with her orange Birkin, Nicole is spotted heading to a driving class in black leggings and boots with a skinny tee.

• Britney Spears: From “worst dressed” to “classy wanna-be”, the young mother shocks us again. The pop star is spotted in a less than classic purple sun dress, but her very traditional Kelly bag makes a statement all its own.

• Kelly Klein: The former Mrs. Calvin Klein appears to be defecting to another fashion team. Mrs. Klein worked a powder blue Birkin with her jeans, completing the outfit with a black riding jacket and black boots.

• Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: John Junior’s lovely lady proved that above all else, she truly was a lady. She was spotted dressed in a classic black dress, carrying a black Kelly Bag in her gloved hands.

• Jane Birkin: Dumas-Hermes started a firestorm when he released the Hermes handbag named for this actress. The Birkin is by far one of the most popular handbags of the 21st century.

• Victoria Beckham: Bending it as only a Beckham can, the former Spice Girl kicks it up a notch with her coveted Herms collection. Rumored to own one of the largest personal collections, Victoria boasts close to fifty Hermes handbags. Spotted recently carrying a rare Himalayan Croc Birkin adorned with diamonds, Beckham emanates a personal style that is unmatched. It seems that her favorite of the collection is a white Birkin, which she’s paired with just about everything in her closet.

• Grace Kelly: The woman for whom the iconic Hermes purse was named, Kelly was seen in 1956 using a Hermes handbag to shield her royally pregnant tummy from the prying eyes of the press. The bag was renamed the Kelly bag shortly thereafter, and is today one of the top five purses in the world.
Though the two bags are quite different, their differences are not always so easily recognizable.

• Hermes only turns out five Birkin purses a week

• A Kelly Bag takes one artisan 18 hours to complete

• The Birkin is more casual, and appeals to the younger set

• The more formal Kelly bag is a timeless classic

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A Hermes obsession takes a lot of work. The prestige and appeal that comes with owning one of their timeless bags is not easily acquired. The most famous Hermes handbag, the Kelly Bag, is among those most coveted by “bag snobs”. Coming in at a close second is the Birkin, one of the most popular of all Hermes purses. These two bags are in hot demand by celebrities far and wide.

Dozens of show business personalities are often seen sporting Hermes handbags in airports, on the streets of New York, and on the West Coast. Some of the most notable figures include:

• Kelly Osborne: The queen of darkness, Kelly was spotted working a crocodile Birkin with her signature look of black on black. The bag was accented by a black dress, a cocky hat, and Kelly’s “black as night” lined eyes.

• Katie Holmes & Suri: Spotted on Madison Avenue of New York, little Suri had her own pint-sized version of Mom’s orange Hermes shopping bag. Later on, Katie was seen with a rare burgundy Garden Party Handbag that looked more like a boarding bag. The Hermes handbag offset her black pencil skirt and red heels. With all the goodies that could be stuffed into that spacious bag, Holmes was ready for anything.

• Nicole Ritchie: Rocking a bag the way only Nicole can, the star ducked under the radar with her orange Birkin at a defensive driving course. She paired the classic bag with up black leggings and boots.

• Britney Spears: The young mother was seen sporting a classic Kelly Bag, complete with her little doggy! On a shopping trip, the singer paired her black crocodile bag with a sheer, purple dress. Even after a little fender bender, all that was noticeable was Spears’ Hermes handbag in the center of the paparazzi’s shots.

• Victoria Beckham: Nobody “bends is like” Vicky when it comes to Hermes purses. Easily voted the most avid collector among celebrities, Beckham is rumored to own close to fifty of the handbags. It seems that the white Birkin is among her favorites; she’s paired it with white capris and a blue and white nautical mini hoodie, as well as jeans, a poet top, and her caramel boots. The former Spice Girl kicked it up a notch when she was noticed carrying a Himalayan Croc Birkin decked out with diamonds. Her classic black dress and broach paled in comparison to the rare Hermes handbag on her arm.

• Grace Kelly: The woman who started the revolution! Then former starlet and new Princess of Monaco was spotted in New York in 1956 carrying a black crocodile Hermes handbag to cover her pregnant tummy. (Inside was the future Princess Caroline, also a future Hermes owner.) The bag was known forever afterward as the “Kelly bag”, and is ranked in the top five classic bags by BagSnob.

• Jane Birkin: The woman for whom the Birkin was created, Jane had a chance encounter with Dumas-Hermes on a plane when she dropped her date book. Some time later, Dumas-Hermes designed a bag for her that is now the commonly recognized Birkin bag.

• Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: With John Junior on her arm, and dressed down in a simple but elegant black dress, her Kelly bag almost went unnoticed-but not quite. The graceful woman carried the bag in gloved hands, reminding the world that above all else, she was still a lady.

• Kelly Klein: The former Mrs. Klein seems to have switched teams and is now batting for Hermes. She was seen sporting a powder blue Birkin to complement her casual uniform of jeans (Calvin Kleins?), black riding boots and jacket, and a black turtleneck.

The differences between the Kelly and Birkin bags are not always easily spotted. Similar in size and textiles, their most notable differences are not always detected by the naked eye.

• Each Kelly bag takes an average of 18 hours for production, with the entire construction tackled by a single craftsman.

• The Hermes house turns out 5 Birkins each weekly.

• The Kelly is closed at the top, while the Birkin is open, making it the less formal of the two.

• The Birkin has two handles, while the more formal Kelly has only one.

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The Hermes (pronounced air mess) name has a long history of excellence and worldwide success. Well known for their designer handbags, Hermes entered the fashion world as a saddler in 1837. Originally running a harness workshop on the Grands Boulevards quarter of Paris, Thiery Hermes created a legacy that would extend many generations and nearly two centuries.

Very soon after its inception, the Hermes house was already making a name for itself. In 1855, Hermes earned accolades at the Paris Exposition for first in class, and later won the First Class Medal of the 1867 Exposition Universelle. So fine were the Hermes harnesses and dressings, that coronations were often put off for the completion of these accoutrements.
Around 1880, Charles-Emile Hermes took over the business and moved the shop to a location near Palais de I’Elysee at 24 Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore. It was during this time that Hermes launched the business into retail sales, and bringing up his own sons in the business, the Hermes Company became purveyors to the most elite clients in Europe, North Africa, Russia, Asia, and the Americas. The first nod to the Hermes handbag came in the form of a “haut a courroies” bag, which allowed riders to carry their saddles with them.

By 1914, Charles Emile had retired, handing over the reins of the company to his sons, who renamed it Hermes Freres. They employed 80 craftsmen during this time, and also obtained exclusive rights to use the zipper in their leather goods and clothing. Throughout the 20s, Emile-Maurice remained as the sole head of the business. He had an eye toward the ever-changing future, and added an accessories line at this time. While nurturing his own sons into the family business, Hermes added a line of leather garments, the first being a zippered leather golfing jacket that was designed for the Prince of Wales. The Hermes handbag was introduced in 1922 – at the insistence of a demanding wife. Emile-Maurice’s wife complained of not having a suitable one, so her husband designed one for her. Hermes previewed his women’s couture line in Paris in 1929, following the release of the Hermes purse.

During the 1930s, Hermes produced some of his most recognized goods. The leather Sac a depeches (later renamed the Kelly bag) was introduced in 1935, and in 1937 the Hermes carre (scarves) debuted. The 30s also celebrated Hermes’ 100th anniversary, and witnessed the entrance in the U.S. market by way of the Neiman Marcus department store in New York.

After his death in 1951, Emile-Maurice Hermes was succeeded by Robert Dumas-Hermes, his relative by marriage. Dumas-Hermes introduced the carriage and horse logo and well-known orange Hermes boxes. He was first and foremost a businessman with a mind toward marketing, and in 1956 when the new princess of Monaco was spotted carrying the Sac a depeches Hermes handbag, he promptly renamed it the Kelly Bag. The shot of Princess Grace appeared in Life magazine, and by the late 1950s, the Hermes logo reached renowned status.

The company changed hands again in 1970, when Jean Louis Dumas-Hermes took over from his father. He later launched an advertising campaign that took the discreet Hermes name from “old people’s nostalgia” to the subject of a young person’s dreams. He strengthened the marketing for the fashion house and strove for excellence. By this time, women were sporting the Kelly bag and the Constance clutch, their heads and necks adorned with Hermes’ trademark brightly colored scarves. Bold Hermes jewelry and sensuous cashmeres only added to the sense of class and luxury.

Some of the most recognized women in the world carry designer Hermes handbags. Among these are Nicole Kidman, Paris Hilton, Madonna, and the Duchess of Windsor. Below are descriptions of the company’s most popular Hermes purses:

• The Kelly Bag: Typically made from crocodile, alligator, ostrich-skin, or other plain leathers, it sports a metal-tipped clasp that can be fastened with a tiny padlock. The key is often hidden in the leather and dangles close by from the handle.

• The Constance shoulder bag: This Hermes purse is a simple design, and varies only slightly from the Constance clutch. The shoulder bag offers a double strap, and both have the large H clasp.

• The Trim shoulder bag: A favorite of Jacqueline Bouvie Onasis, this Hermes handbag is an elegant favorite. It boasts a simple, single strap with a belted buckle, and a dainty chain clasp.

• The Birkin: Named after Jane Birkin, this Chanel bag offers sturdy double straps, a simplistic clasp, and comes in the traditional “envelope” style.

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How do you judge a female at the first glance? Different people may come out with different answer. And one of the most common answers is handbag. Handbags have a unique story to tell about every female who carrying them. With unique style, handbags can not only add glamor and grace to the personality of women, but also can reflect the fashion statement of the carrier. In other words, you can easily judge the taste of a female through her handbag.

Hermes was founded by Thierry Hermes in the year of 1873 and it remains a family enterprise today. Elegantly designed, Hermes handbags are among the most exclusive handbags in the world. It is the ultimate choice of people with sophisticated taste and high income. Hermes bags enjoy a high fame all over the world, and the best example here would be of Hermes Birkin, which are made of excellent quality of leather. Hermes Birkin has been named after the famous British actor and singer, Jane Birkin, which is the one big reason behind the prosperity of the brand. Today, Hermes Birkin bags occupy a significant position in the world of handbags, and are one of the most desired brands amongst the rich and famous people. All Hermes Birkin handbags are completely manufactured. After weeks of hard work, the final product is so charming that no women can take her eyes off. Even so, one may still wander why the price is so high. The main reason lies in the material used are skins of crocodile, ostrich, calf and lizard. Moreover, there are precious stones embedded to the metallic part of the bags, which again adds to the cost.

Then you may ask that how to purchase a Hermes Birkin handbag. One key is to make sure that what you buy is an authentic one rather than a replica. Certainly you will come across a lot of counterfeits, so look for some characteristics before you purchasing.

First of all, a Hermes Birkin handbag may be on sale when it is not in fashion, but any handbag claiming to be a Birkin that sells for less than half of its original price may be a replica.

Secondly, you will find a stamp “Hermes Paris, Made in France” blind stickied in the front fence under the tag.

Thirdly, remember that Hermes only uses top quality leather, thus you need to learn the difference between look and feel of genuine quality leather and junk one. The Hermes also has high quality of craftsmanship, thus an authentic Hermes Birkin handbag has even and straight stitching. More Hermes Birkin Handbags are on sale at Top1handbag.net.