The Luxury Catalog
IdentifySearchLog in

Hermès · ultra luxury

Kelly

Kelly 28

By darkseerdruh · Catalogued June 2026

Originally launched in 1935 as the 'Sac à Dépêches,' designed under Robert Dumas, with a trapezoidal silhouette, single reinforced handle, four brass feet, and a flap top secured by a double-belted turn-lock closure. The bag is older than the Birkin (which was introduced in 1984) by roughly five decades. It gained its current name after actress and Princess Grace Kelly was photographed carrying one to shield her pregnancy from paparazzi in the 1950s; Hermès officially renamed the style for her in 1977. Each Kelly is handmade by a single artisan and reportedly takes 18–25 hours and roughly 680 hand stitches to complete.

The Hermès Kelly Kelly 28 is a structured bag, originally retailing around $14,400. It measures 22 cm (8.7 in) high, 28 cm (11 in) wide, 10 cm (3.9 in) deep. Authentication: Sellier construction means the bag is built stitched-side-out then NOT turned inside out: leather edges fold outward, producing crisp, sharp corners and a rigid, boxy silhouette that holds its shape standing upright unsupported.

Specifications

SizeKelly 28
Size categorymedium
Hardware typetouret turn-lock with belt-strap closure, separate cadena padlock
Strap typenone (top handle only; some eras/configurations offer an optional add-on shoulder strap, not fixed)
Strap attachmentnone fixed; optional strap attaches via the same loops the padlock secures, era-dependent
Stitching colortypically tonal/matching exterior, visible exterior saddle stitching is the defining sellier marker
Constructionsellier
Rigidityrigid
Silhouettestructured
Closureturn-lock with strap and belt-style closure (touret turn-lock plus a leather strap that buckles down over the flap, secured by a separate padlock)
StatusIn production
Marketglobal
Retail price$14,400 original retail

Authentication markers

Sellier construction means the bag is built stitched-side-out then NOT turned inside out: leather edges fold outward, producing crisp, sharp corners and a rigid, boxy silhouette that holds its shape standing upright unsupported. Exterior saddle stitching is visible, even, and tight along all structural seams — hand stitches should be uniform in length and tension, never machine-straight or sloppy. Epsom is a stiffer, embossed, structured calfskin chosen specifically for sellier construction because it holds a crisp shape and resists slouching; it has a fine, consistent cross-hatch grain (engraved, not natural) and noticeably less give than Togo or Clemence. Note: as of the 2026 US price adjustment, Hermès priced Kelly 28 the same across Sellier and Retourné construction and across Togo/Epsom — historically Sellier carried a premium due to more labor-intensive construction.

Production details

medium
CountryFrance
DimensionsH 22 cm (8.7 in) × W 28 cm (11 in) × D 10 cm (3.9 in)
Date code formatHermès blind stamp system, same letter-in-shape format used across Birkin and Kelly. No shape used 1945–1970 (letter alone). Circle-enclosed letter used 1971–1996. Square-enclosed letter used 1997 through the early-to-mid 2010s. A new blind stamp system began transitioning in late 2014, fully implemented by 2015; PurseBop and similar collector resources track the current letter assignment year by year but the exact post-2015 format (and the current 2025/2026 letter) was not independently re-verified in this pass.
Stamp placementBlind stamp (craftsman ID + date stamp) located inside the bag. Placement changed by era: pre-~2016 it was commonly heat/blind-stamped under or inside the left closure strap; from ~2016 onward it moved to the interior left side, upper area, close to the back flap. Sources are not perfectly consistent year-by-year, so treat as era-approximate. (The four-era shape system: no shape 1945-1970, circle 1971-1996, square 1997-2014, no shape again 2015-present.)

Authentication:Sellier-specific markers beyond the general Hermès blind stamp system: crisp, perfectly even exterior saddle stitching with no skipped or uneven stitches; structured shape that holds itself upright without slumping; sharp, defined corners (vs. the rounded corners of retourne). Blind stamp should be small (a few millimeters), crisply embossed directly into the leather with no ink, and consistent in depth — a poorly stamped, oddly placed, or ink-filled stamp is a red flag for counterfeits.

Serial & authentication tags

creed stampmedium
FormatBlind stamp combining a craftsman ID (workshop/artisan identifier) and a date stamp encoded as a letter, historically enclosed in a shape that changed by era: no shape 1945–1970, circle 1971–1996, square 1997 to roughly 2014, with a new system transitioning in 2014–2015. The exact current (2025/2026) letter-year mapping was not independently re-verified in this pass.
PlacementInterior of the bag, near the turn-lock hardware mount or left interior wall near the back of the flap depending on era; exact placement is reported somewhat inconsistently across collector sources.
Year rangesystem in continuous use since 1945 with periodic shape changes; same general format used for Kelly and Birkin
How to readThe letter indicates production year per Hermès's published (collector-reconstructed) date stamp tables; the surrounding shape (or lack of one) narrows the era. A separate craftsman number/code identifies the individual workshop or artisan.

Notes:Stamp should be small (a few millimeters), crisply and evenly embossed with consistent depth and no ink fill. Misplaced, oversized, ink-filled, or inconsistent stamps are a strong counterfeit indicator.

Lock & key

Lock typecadena padlock (separate piece, not fixed to the bag) used to secure the turn-lock/belt-strap closure, paired with a leather clochette and two keys
Lock engravingPre-2000 locks generally bear the Hermès name stamp and a single number on the underside corresponding to the matching key; post-2000 locks bear the word 'Hermès' on the bottom (as do the keys) plus one or two sets of matching engraved numbers shared between lock and keys. Exact engraving format has changed multiple times even in recent years; current-era specifics were not independently verified in this pass.

How to carry

  • top handle wristPrimary carry method for the Kelly — designed around the single top handle.verified
  • top handle crook of armverified
  • shoulderKelly is not fixed-strap by default; an add-on/optional shoulder strap exists for some configurations and eras (e.g., 'Kelly with strap' / so-called Kelly Bandouliere style and strap accessories sold separately), but it is not standard equipment on every Kelly 28 Sellier. Availability is era- and configuration-dependent and was not fully pinned down in this research pass.
  • crossbodySellier 28 is not designed or strapped for true crossbody wear.

Known color combinations

Confirmed producedpermanent color, ongoinghigh
ExteriorNoir (Black)
Hardwaregold or palladium

Classic permanent color, offered in both gold and palladium hardware (a customer/era choice, not fixed). Source: Rebag, Romestation, JaneFinds, SACLAB (snippet-level).

Confirmed producedoriginal/vintage era through present (Box is the original Kelly leather)high
ExteriorNoir (Black)
Hardwaregold or palladium

Box Calf is the original signature Kelly leather (dates to the 1890s; Grace Kelly's bag). Source: PurseBop, Privé Porter, The Luxury Closet, SACLAB.

Confirmed producedpermanent color, ongoinghigh
ExteriorGold (caramel tan)
Hardwaregold

Documented in both Togo and Epsom (e.g. JaneFinds Kelly 28 Sellier Gold Epsom GHW). Source: Romestation, JaneFinds, Rebag.

Confirmed producedpermanent since ~2004, ongoinghigh
ExteriorÉtoupe (greige)
Hardwarepalladium (commonly) or gold

Commonly paired with palladium for its cool undertones, but offered in both. Source: Romestation, Sotheby's, Fashionphile, Maison de Luxe.

Confirmed producedclassic color, ongoingmedium
ExteriorÉtain (steel grey)
Hardwarepalladium

Source: SACLAB, Privé Porter grey guide, Fashionphile (snippet-level).

Confirmed producedclassic/semi-regular, ongoingmedium
ExteriorCraie (chalk)
Hardwaregold or palladium

Source: Rebag, Madison Avenue Couture (snippet-level).

Confirmed producedoriginal permanent color (one of the earliest)medium
ExteriorRouge H (deep red)
Hardwaregold

One of Hermès's original permanent colors (code 46). Source: Madison Avenue Couture (snippet-level).

Confirmed producedrecent classic, ongoingmedium
ExteriorVert Cypress
Hardwaregold or palladium

Source: SACLAB (snippet-level).

Provenance & packaging

  • boxincluded new

    Hermès orange box

    Auth: Box alone never authenticates a bag; should be considered alongside dust bag, receipt, and the bag's own stamps.

Where to buy

Pre-filled searches on the major resale platforms. Listings and prices are set by each reseller.

Search on Fashionphile →Search on The RealReal →Search on Vestiaire Collective →

Save this bag to your closet or track its price.

Log in to save

Reviews

Log in to write a review

No reviews yet. Be the first to share how this bag wears.

Frequently asked questions

What are the dimensions of the Hermès Kelly Kelly 28?
height 22 cm (8.7 in), width 28 cm (11 in), depth 10 cm (3.9 in).
What was the original retail price of the Hermès Kelly Kelly 28?
Around $14,400 at original retail.
How do you authenticate a Hermès Kelly Kelly 28?
Sellier construction means the bag is built stitched-side-out then NOT turned inside out: leather edges fold outward, producing crisp, sharp corners and a rigid, boxy silhouette that holds its shape standing upright unsupported. Exterior saddle stitching is visible, even, and tight along all structural seams — hand…
What creed stamp format does the Hermès Kelly Kelly 28 use?
Blind stamp combining a craftsman ID (workshop/artisan identifier) and a date stamp encoded as a letter, historically enclosed in a shape that changed by era: no shape 1945–1970, circle 1971–1996, square 1997 to roughly 2014, with a new system transitioning in 2014–2015. The exact current (2025/2026) letter-year mappin

Is this information accurate?