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Hermes Kelly Bag Real vs Fake Guide 2025: How To Authenticate A Fake? (Sizes+7% Cashback)

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Hermes Kelly Bag Real vs Fake Guide 2025: How To Authenticate A Fake? (Sizes+7% Cashback)

Hermès was nicely aligned with Kelly’s classic style and blue blood lineage. This iconic design boasts an evolution that reads like a timeline of good living. Though similar to the Birkin in many ways, the Kelly’s more compact interior, sophisticated lines and single top handle make it the ultimate ladylike bag. Due to their popularity, the high demand for their handbags, and the high prices they sell for， the number of fake Hermès Kelly handbags on the market is astonishing. Many fake handbags are made with such quality that it can be difficult to spot the difference unless you know what you are looking for. How to authenticate Hermès Kelly bag? Today I will bring you an Hermes kelly bag real vs fake guide to tell you how to spot a fake hermès Kelly bags. Using this guide will ensure you never experience the sinking feeling of holding an expensive fake bag in your arms. At the end of the article, I will recommend you a few websites that are the cheapest to buy new and vantage Hermès Kelly bags.

Cover Photo:hermes.com

How to tell if a hermes kelly bag is real or fake?

1. The Shape and Proportions of Hermes Kelly

1) Kelly bag comes in two styles: Sellier or Retourné. The Sellier is the original Kelly. It has a stiffer, sharp edge shape. Alternatively, the Kelly Retourné, also referred to as "souple" is turned inside out during its making, giving it a softer appearance at the edges. Kelly bags look exquisite, with elegant, crisp lines and luxurious, unmistakable silhouettes.

2) The Retourne has its stitches on the inside of the bag, which provides a seamless look and softer qualities. Interior stitching also means a lack of rigidity, which is why the Retourne can slouch once placed upright.

3) The Sellier, on the other hand, has all of its stitches on the exterior of the bag. As a result, the stitches are closer together, and the craftsman has to be extra meticulous since they are visible. The Sellier bag has sharper edges and is far more rigid than its counterpart, with the ability to stand upright without slouching. If your Sellier slouches, this is an instant red flag of fake.

These differ in the type of stitching giving each bag its distinct stance.

Kelly Sellier vs. Retourne

Source:hermes.com

2. The Leather & Smell

1) The Kelly bag designed in a gorgeous trapezoid shape and made with the most luxurious leathers and skins. The bag is now an expensive status symbol.

2) Hermès bags have soft and supple leather due to the high quality of leather used. it doesn't have a coarse feel. You can feel the quality of the leather as well as the subtle smell of leather. Whereas a fake Hermès bag won't be soft and supple to the touch. It will have a stiffness as well as a chemical smell to it.

Source:hermes.com

3. The Hermès Logo Stamp

1) Hermès now uses a secret proprietary code with just a singular letter that bears no shape or has no obvious order. You'll find the secret stamp under the front flap or on the straps. The logo stamp is a stamp on the bag that reads 'Hermès Paris Made in France'. The Vintage bags from 1954 do not share the same design.

2) Hermes stamp is going to match the same color as the hardware. A silver stamp in the bag, the hardware should be silver too. They also have a colourless debossed stamp. This logo is featured in a delicate and neat font that is not affected by the texture of the leather.

3) The stamping should be neat and hard. On many fake Hermes bags, the logo will look irregular, big, or blocky. Ensure the logo on the bag is properly centered without being uneven, lopsided, or crooked in any way.

4. The Hermès Serial Number / Date Code

1) Hermes date code stamps can be found in two places: Before 2015, it was on the back of the leather strap, and after that, it was on the inside of right-hand-side wall of the bag.

2) Depending on the year of the bag, each Hermès will have a unique date stamp of of manufacture with a letter accompanied by either a circle, a square, or no shape depending on the year it was made. For your reference, I have included a chart of Hermès date stamps according to year below. The stamp will also feature the artisan's ID and an indicator of exotic skins if applicable.

From 1945 to 1970, there is no geometric shape on the outside of the engraving.
From 1971 to 1996, it was in a "○".
From 1997 to 2014, it was a "□".

3)Until 2015, Hermès used letters in alphabetical order surrounded by a shape to date their items. For example, Square Q is 2013, Square R is 2014. They now use a secret proprietary code using only a single letter with no shape and no obvious order to the sequence, and have moved the blind stamps to the interior of the bags.

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5. The Lining/Interior

1) The lining and interior of every Hermes Birkin and Kelly bag is made with as much care as the rest of it. Some Hermès bags are lined with chevre leather -a goatskin that is grained and not smooth, while others may have goatskin.

2) Another way to ensure the authenticity of the lining or interior is to verify the color scheme on the Hermes website and to ensure the stitching is neat and proper without loose threads.

6. The Stitching

Every Hermes bag is handmade and hand stitched. The bag is made of durable leather with stunning grains and patterns that give each bag a distinct look. The construction of each Kelly bag requires 18 to 25 hours of handicraft, with each item being created by a single artisan.

1) Hermès uses the saddle stitch. This stitch has a natural slant to it. If the bag doesn't feature the saddle stitch, you should take it as a sign the bag is a fake. In the authentic Kelly, the stitching color should matche the color of the bag.

2) The stitching where the handle joins the bag is double stitched. Stitching is straight and even. If your bag features irregular seams or uneven/crooked stitching, then it is a fake Hermès bag.

3) The stitchings in all Hermes bags is done by hand which means it gonna be meticulous, but it’s not going to be absolutely perfect. But there shouldn’t be any stitches obviously out of place, out of line, crooked seams, or irregular patterns on an authentic Hermes bag. In the fake Hermes bags, the stitches are done by machine because the machine can produce them faster so the stitches will be the same size and the same distance apart.

7. The Handles of Hermès Kelly

1) The handle of the Hermès Kelly bag has a curved topside and a flat underside, making it well-constructed and rigid. The handles should be sturdy and stiff. They should stand up above the bag in an oval shape. If the handles are soft and flop over the bag is a fake. If the handles are rounded and short, the bag is a fake.

2) The top handle is incredibly difficult to make. It's made of six pieces of leather and takes three and a half hours to construct. A novice artisan will generally attempt 10 handles before he makes a good one. It has a flat underside and curved topside and is extremely rigid and well-constructed.

3) Kelly Bags made before 2001 have simple D-rings, but in 2001 and after, Hermès started to use a custom double D-ring. These rings are just split D-rings - one side is attached to the handle and the other side is attached to the shoulder.

4) All Kelly bags come with a shoulder strap, which will have the same heat stamp in the same color foil as the bag it accompanies.

8. The Hardware

Authentic hardware on Hermes bags are always a genuine precious metal, such as plated gold or palladium plated. It means that the hardware on authentic Hermes bags will not tarnish.The weight of the hardware will feel heavy. If the hardware is lightweight, flimsy, flaking, chipping, or isn't highly polished, these are good indicators the bag is fake.

9. The Toggle and Plate of Hermès Kelly

The toggle on the authentic Hermes is very smooth, there is not sort of interruption s you turn it. It opens without a problem it fits perfectly. In the fake one, there is a little bit sort of slip, it doesn’t have the same smooth quality and you can feel the difference when you turn it and the fake Hermes is very difficult to close.

10. The Padlock & Keys

1) Birkin and Kelly Hermès bags will come with a padlock and key on the front. The finish of the lock and key should be the same as the bag's hardware. The weight of the real Hermes lock is heavier than the fake one.

2) The key should sit neatly inside the leather clochette attached to the same leather strap as the padlock and be totally concealed when not in use. On a fake Hermès, the key will be sticking out of the bottom of the clochette ever so slightly and will not entirely fit in fully concealed. Additionally, the clochette on a real Hermès bag should be made of one piece of leather folded in half and stitched, not two pieces.

3) The padlock would have a Hermès engraving on the bottom like the other hardware on the bag. The number on the lock corresponds to the number engraved on the accompanying keys. All of these engravings need to be clean and precise, and all engraved not laser where done sloppily.

11. The Straps

The real Hermes kelly has leather straps, which secure the bag closed and have metal plaques on either end, and it's perfectly centered on the leather strap, it also has a very crisp clear stamp. The right-side plaque will have 'Hermès - Paris' engraved on it. Vintage styles will have 'Paris' below the brand name rather than beside it.

At all times these metal platings need to be straight and beautifully aligned, and it should never be sloppy. But in the fake one, the plate is not placed on the center of the leather strap and the stamp is not as crips as it should be.

12. The Zipper

1）Hermes make their own zippers which feature the Hermes name. On a real Hermès Kelly bag, the zipper pull will always lie parallel to the teeth and should not dangle vertically into the pocket. Hermès bought the patent for the zippers they use and have exclusive rights to them.

2）The tab will be a folded piece of leather, cut into a diamond shape in the same material and color as the bag. It should also be marked 'Hermès'. Starting in the early 2000s, Hermès began using an H-shaped zipper stop instead of the standard square shape you might see on a basic zipper.

3）H Zip Stop

The Hermès zipper features an H at the zip stop. This is made of one piece and matches the rest of metal hardware. Fake Hermès bags use a clunky thick H that often features a seam where the two pieces are joined.

13. The Authenticity Card

Hermès never includes authenticity cards with their handbags. Many fake Hermes Birkin and Kelly bags come with these orange plastic credit cards that say “Hermes” on them. If the bag comes with one of these cards, it's definitely a fake.

14. The Dust Bag

1) There should always be a Hermes dust bag with a brand new Birkin or Kelly bag. The dust bag is of a high quality, as the bag itself is, and will feature a high neat stitch count.

2) The color of the dust bag will vary depending on the year. For example, vintage dust bags are a tan velour, newer dust bags are orange cotton flannel, and post-2007 dust bags are a beige and light brown Herringbone Toile. Nowadays the color is a light beige with a dark brown Hermes logo on it. Whereas in the fake Hermes, dust bags often come in a grey color and feature a burgundy colored stamp. The authentic dust bag it’s heavier and thicker, whereas the fake one is much thinner, smoother and limp.

3) The real logo of the dust bag has a double circle on the outside and if you take a closer look you will notice the difference in the font for the H, also the circle surrounding the H is different. The line underneath the horse and the carriage, there are two lines under the real one, but in the fake, there is only one single line. There are finer details in the horse as well so you have to pay attention to the logo of the real one and you can find the differences by yourself.

4) The drawstring on the dust bag is also brown and should be made of 100% cotton. Please be aware that with some used Birkin and Kelly bags the dust bag may have been misplaced and therefore this only applies to brand new bags.

15. Price of Hermes Kelly

If a Hermes kelly bag is listed for a price that seems too low – it’s probably a fake. Authentic Hermes bags can cost anything on the secondary from the very cheap at around $10,000 to the most exotic at around $150,000. There are many fake Hermes bags on the market which are priced at a couple of thousand dollars and are of a very high quality.

Source:hermes.com

16. Hermes Kelly Bag Sizes

Kelly bags will come with a number associated to the product such as a 'Kelly 35' or 'Kelly 20' ; this is the exact measurement of the base of the bag. By simply measuring the length of the base of the bag you should get that exact number in centimetres. A knock-off may say it's a 'Kelly 20' bag, but if the length of the base does not measure to exactly 20 centimetres, it's a fake.

Hermès Kelly Bag sizes chart inches and in centimeters:

Kelly 15	15 x 11 x 5 cm / 5.9” x 4” x 2”
Kelly 20	20 x 16 x 10 cm / 7.8” x 6.3” x 4”
Kelly 25	25 x 19 x 9 cm / 10” x 7.5” x 3.5”
Kelly 28	28 x 22 x 10 cm / 11” x 8.5” x 4”
Kelly 32	32 x 23 x 10.5 cm / 12.5” x 9” x 4”
Kelly 35	35 x 24 x 12 cm / 14” x 9.5” x 4.7”
Kelly 40	40 x 28 x 16 cm / 15.2” x 11” x 6.3”
Kelly 50	50 x 34 x 25 cm / 19.6” x 13” x 9.8”