Hi guys and I’m back with another Hermes review. I know some of you guys on here are very sick of this brand, and I get it—they’re total snobs. But as a bag lover, their craftsmanship, leather choice, and repair service is pretty hard to beat. Anyway I’m going to be reviewing the Slim Arcon and the Petit Arcon today (sorry a repeat for those of you who already watched my video, BUT I learned some new info about the bag and figure having a written post that I can add on to is a good thing).
I got the Slim Arcon from the boutique and I was really excited at first. This was just my second bag offer of any kind from the SF boutique (they’ve got a lot of high-spenders so I’m very much a little fish in a ginormous pond lol). I had originally asked for the petit arcon, so to be offered something very similar seemed like a real treat. Unfortunately after using the bags a couple of times, I found I’m not a fan.
So then I bought the Petit Arcon from Fashionphile to compare the two. Maybe both weren’t great and the Arcon just wasn’t for me. (Un)fortunately I love the Petit Arcon and am now on a mission to find another one (I detail below why I ended up returning the one from Fashionphile).
Similarities Between The Slim Arcon and Petit Arcon
You can see they are both quite similar, with a similar shape and accessories on the front (mainly a pocket and a clasp). Arcon means apron in French, and this bag was inspired by Margiela's 2000 "Poches en Liberte" design, which is a belted apron (pictured above). The Arcon and Petit Arcon first came out in 2023, while the Slim Arcon was first made in 2024 (and I got it in 2025 from the store). Both bags can be worn as a crossbody or a shoulder bag with an adjustable strap (which is the same length of 90”). Both bags are also the same depth at 1.18”. But I find that there are more differences than similarities with these two bags.
Differences Between The Slim Arcon and Petit Arcon
So one of the major difference of course is the size. The Slim Arcon is 10.5” L x 9”H x 1.18”, weights 1lb. 2 oz., and (as of 2025) retails for $5800. The Petit Arcon is 11” L x 6.1”H x 1.18”, weights 13.6 oz., and (as of 2025) retails for $5200. So as you can see, the Slim is taller, while the Petit is longer. If you watch the video (link at the bottom of this post) you’ll see what can fit but it pretty much fits the same things. Both can fit all my essentials. However, because the Slim Arcon doesn’t have a zipper, I can’t really put it down anywhere without everything falling out. I much prefer the Petit Arcon, with the zipper, so that everything is secure. Sure, when I put all my things in the Petit and zip it up, it can get a little bit distorted and stretch the leather (but honestly the same thing happens to the Slim Arcon—it just distorts the bag so that the top of the bag gapes open).
Another thing I like about the Petit over the Slim is that when I wear it crossbody, the Petit is a lot more comfortable because it’s a longer bag. The way the straps of the Slim Arcon curve in, means that when I’m wearing it crossbody it, my average size body is making the straps strain outward (see the left pic above where the strap is angling outward). Well that feeling is super constricting and I very much dislike it. So for me, the Slim Arcon is a shoulder carry bag only. But when I do that, the strap is a tad long, and the excess strap also dangles around.
I much prefer the Petit Acon as both a crossbody and shoulder carry bag. Because the half-moon shape of the Petit is so much wider, there’s no hugging of the body. And when the Petit is worn as a shoulder bag, the strap can loop around and the excess can be tucked into two belt loops that come with it.
Also because the Petit comes with the zipper, the top opening is reinforced so it’s unlikely to get wonky like the opening of the Arcon and Slim Arcon (both of which are just unlined leather up top). And especially for the Slim Arcon, if you don’t put the foam insert/take out correctly, it will stretch out that opening even more.
Other differences include the pockets: the Slim Arcon has a flat pocket on the inside, along with a zippered pocket in the front that can fit an Hermes Calvi card case (but not a regular iPhone). The Petit Arcon doesn’t have any interior pockets, and it’s exterior pocket is not zippered and doesn’t fully fit a Calvi card case.
Final Thoughts
So even though I much prefer the Petit Arcon over the Slim, why didn’t I keep the Petit from Fashionphile? Unfortunately the color I got was Craie, which is basically an off-white. And as a crossbody bag, I don’t think white is a good choice. You just KNOW there’s going to be color transfer. I also already have one white bag from Hermes (a Lindy 26 in Nata), which I never wear because it’s white. The one time I took my Lindy out, I accidentally rubbed against my car and got black marks all over it 🤦🏻♀️ (luckily the leather wipe took most of it off, but not all). So now I’m on the hunt for a Petit Arcon not in white. I’m basically going to ask every Hermes boutique I go into or stalk the RealReal or Fashionphile until I find one close to retail price (I refuse to pay over retail for this because I know it’s not one of those bags that’s going to hold it’s value).
Also I wanted to note that the RealReal isn’t doing a real good job of differentiating between the regular Arcon and the Slim Arcon. In pictures without something for scale it’s hard to tell them apart, but if you look at pics of the back you can see that the Slim Arcon (in gold below) has a “big smiley face” (as my daughter calls it) while the regular Arcon does not. That’s because the Slim Arcon has that interior flat pocket and the regular Arcon doesn’t.
And lastly, as of right now (2025) I haven’t see any fakes yet. I don’t think this bag is quite popular enough for scammers to make the effort to produce a replica YET. But I could be wrong and if you do see replicas out there, please let us all know (thanks!). And if you’re interested, here are the Hermes Arcons (currently on Fashionphile) and the Hermes Arcons (currently on the RealReal).
Oh and if you want to see a video version of this review, catch it below: