Everything You Need to Know About The Hermès Kelly Pochette

There is no Hermès bag more rooted in the house’s history than the Kelly, and no bag that has spawned quite as many iterations, either. There are scaled-down adaptations like the perennially sought-after Mini Kelly, functionality-first takes on this icon like the Kelly Danse, plus  the most rare and eccentric renditions like the Kelly Doll bags that are the stuff of collectors’ dreams. But very few of these bags belonging to the Hermès Kelly family hold the prestige, covetability and lasting appeal of the Kelly Pochette. Since the design’s induction into the Hermès Hall of Fame over two decades ago under the stewardship of the metaphorical mothership that is the OG Hermès Kelly bag, this simple clutch has become a house icon of its own. 

I’m lucky enough to have multiple Hermès Kelly Pochettes in my collection (and you guys may have seen over on my YouTube that there’s been a recent addition of the exotic variety). So it’s about time I break down the ins and outs of this brand icon, from the history of the design, to investment potential and my ultimate guide to styling inspo. Here’s everything you need to know.

I’m a firm believer that in order to love and respect a design, you must allow it to evolve. And the Kelly Pochette is a quintessential example of this. We can’t discuss the Hermès Kelly Pochette without first discussing the original Kelly bag. Often regarded as the most classic and enduring bag ever made, the Kelly’s design is grounded in Hermès history quite unlike any other. When first designed by Robert Dumas in the 1930s it was named the Sac à Dépêches and drew on inspiration from an earlier 19th century style. Then in the ‘50s, Hollywood starlet turned Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly, was photographed using the bag to hide her pregnancy bump, catapulting the design to stardom and making it one of the first ever ‘It’ bags. Hermès later named the bag in her honour. 

But like so many of fashion’s ‘It’ bags, this design’s story was not over. Several iterations of the Hermès Kelly followed and now we come to the inception of the now-iconic Kelly Pochette. Designed as part of then Hermès Creative Director Jean Paul Gaultier’s inaugural Autumn/Winter 2004 collection for the house, the Kelly Pochette takes the original design’s sophistication and practicality and translates it into a chic clutch. It’s now regarded as the most popular of Hermès’ clutch bags. 

Back in the ‘90s, years prior to the Kelly Pochette’s launch, Hermès released the Mini Kelly. The newest, and by far most popular, version of the Mini Kelly (known as the Mini Kelly II) wasn’t released until 2016. The success and covetability of the Pochette adaptation no doubt encouraged Hermès to release a new version of the Mini Kelly style and it’s why the Pochette is regarded by many Hermès fans as the Mini Kelly I. Quite the reputation to garner.

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty design details. I’ve already done a full comparison post on the Mini Kelly Vs. Kelly Pochette so I won’t break down the full list of similarities and differences here. But what I will say is, these two get compared A LOT but they’re actually very different bags with very different purposes and functions. The Kelly Pochette has more of a rectangular shape that’s a little boxier, and it’s got a softer structure. So despite only a relatively small difference in dimensions the Kelly Pochette can fit slightly more than the Mini Kelly and can hold most phones. 

The Kelly Pochette’s top handle is flat and sits wider across the front compared to the tubular style rolled-edge handle of other Kelly bags. I love this feature as I think it looks more discrete and elegant, and allows you to carry it more comfortably as a clutch. The Kelly Pochette also comes without a crossbody strap or feet on the bottom.

Any luxury connoisseur can tell you that a Hermès bag is hard to come by but the Kelly Pochette has a reputation for being rare even amongst Hermès standards. The Kelly Pochette, along with the Mini Kelly, is famous for being one of the best Hermès investments in terms of resale value, selling on the pre-loved market for around 3-4x retail price. It’s also regarded as a true collectors’ piece. 

The Kelly Pochette most commonly comes in Swift leather, and Epsom is another popular choice. Exotic leathers, including Alligator, Crocodile, Lizard and Ostrich in a mix of Shiny and Matte finishes, along with limited-edition iterations, like the Ombre Salvator Lizard and So Black Kelly Pochettes, are amongst the most rare.

The Kelly Pochette is most definitely a shining gem in the Hermès crown. While the Mini Kelly is quite literally a miniature version of the Kelly bag, the Kelly Pochette truly showcases Jean Paul Gaultier’s vision for reimagining house classics with masterful flair. The result? A super practical bag, pouch and clutch that’s a treasured piece in my collection.

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