Hermes Bolide 27 Review

2018 was a crazy year for me: We moved from an Airstream to a larger trailer to a house to an apartment, we sold our business, we got pregnant, and then I went in and out of the hospital a couple times and had several pregnancy scares. So that might also explain my temporary insanity when I impulse-purchased this very expensive handbag. I walked into the Hermes store in Palo Alto (just to browse lol) and picked up a Bolide 27 bag in epsom (a black one and not this one I’m holding) and just fell in love with the lightness of the bag, the usability, but also the gorgeously smooth interior leather and the hardy epsom exterior leather. I also loved that it wasn’t flashy and you wouldn’t know it was an Hermes unless you knew bags. I might also have been influenced by Shoko over at simplytokyo who loves her non-flashy Hermes bags and styles her Bolide 27 so beautifully.

Well whatever the reason (and this was before my one lengthy hospital stay and before we had discovered FIRE in December), this bag is in my life now. To be completely honest I still have mixed feelings about it because even though I love it, it’s also uber expensive and I really don’t need to be adding money to my bag collection right now (I should actually be liquidating and putting that money into ETFs and mutual funds lol).

This bag is the definition of understated luxury and there are several other brands that make a bag like this, from Louis Vuittons BB Alma to Linjer’s Crossbody Purse for much less than Hermes’ Bolide retail price of $6300 (I know, ridiculous right?!). No, I didn’t purchase this brand new, instead I got a used one that’s 9 years old and at less than half the price over at Fashionphile (in Epsom leather and in the color Bleu de Prusse). But still, I wonder if it’s worth it considering the more frugal lifestyle that my husband and I are going for these days.

On one hand, it’s a great bag that can fit all the essentials (wallet, keys, sunglasses, coin purse, lip balms, a reusable bag—though with all of that it’s quite full and causes some puckering because the bag narrows at the top). And I love it everytime I use it. Also it’s an Hermes classic that will retain its value over the years and hold up beautifully (even at 9 years old, this bag looks just as great as the new one I saw in the store). But on the other hand, I could get the same look for much much less.

I think the true test will be how often will I carry this bag in my new life post-pregnancy with a baby. I have a feeling not much, and if that’s the case I’ll probably sell it back to Fashionphile using their buyback program (TBH I’m getting more wary of ebay buyer scammers these days, especially when I’m trying to be frugal I can’t be out thousands of dollars). But until then (the buyback offer at 70% of the cost ends after 6 months), I’m going to use this bag a ton and keep trying to decide if I want to keep it. If you’re interested in this classic bag, I highly recommend purchasing it used from a reputable source instead of new. You can find a selection of Bolides at Fashionphile or TheRealReal.

So what do you think: keep or not?

{August 2022 Update: So I did sell this bag and I 100% regret it. Lol, I still miss it from time to time and tbh i was probably the best deal I would have gotten on the bolide. True, it didn’t fit everything but man, it was a beautiful bag.}

Hermes Lindy 30 Review {Updated May 2018}

So some of you might remember that I purchased a used Hermes Lindy 30 (similar here) from Fashionphile  several months ago or you might have seen it in almost all of my pictures since then.  Well finally here's the review of the bag after heavy use for about 3 months.  And guess what? I love love love this bag.  Contrary to what you might think, it's not because it's from Hermes and it's the most expensive bag in my collection (well retail, not what I paid for).  I really love this bag because it's not only super useful but also so well made!  You would hope so from bag that costs so much, but if my decades-long journey through luxury-bag-land has taught me anything, that's not always the case.  

When I reviewed Loewe's hammock bag I had mentioned I really love Hermes' Lindy bags, and when I finally got my hands on the Lindy I had expected both bags to feel the same in terms of functionality (both are bags with a strap connecting the two handles of the bag).  But the Lindy is above and beyond a much more useful and well-made bag.  It's really all in the details!  Let me count the ways I love this bag:

1) The 30 size is perfect to fit everything I need to carry everyday.  It can fit more if I wanted to, and then the bag would look much more duffle-y and less slouchy.  My usual items include a wallet, coin purse, sunglass case, keys, phone and some reusable bags.  If I wanted to, I could even fit my to-go coffee cup in there (empty of course).

2) The two handles are my preferred way to carry the bag and the rolled handles are comfortable when carrying the bag in the crook of my arm.  But if I want to be hands free, then the strap is the perfect length for slinging over my shoulder.  The Loewe bag also uses the same system but I sometimes find the long strap too long and gets in the way.  Also the Loewe hammock bag doesn't have rolled handles and the handles are too short to carry the bag in the crook of my arm.

3) There are 4 really functional pockets, two inside the bag and two outside.  The two outside ones are the perfect size for my iPhone 7+ and it's deep enough so my phone doesn't fall out ever.  And now I probably spend 30 minutes (cumulatively) less everyday searching for my phone.

4) The Taurillon Clemence leather is super scratch-resistant but also really slouchy and perfect for this kind of bag (if I ever get my hands on another Hermes bag though I would probably go with a different kind of leather that's stiffer than this one, but for this bag it's the right kind of leather).  

5) The closure to the bag is super secure, with the two zippers and a turn lock.  When going into large crowds I know my stuff will be safe.  But on the flip side it's so secure that sometimes it's hard to get get stuff in/out of the bag easily, and that would be the one and only drawback to this purse.  So after some inquiry over at the purseforum, I've learned that most Lindy owners never really secure the zipper ends with the turn lock, and for me personally I just usually leave one of the zippers open for easy access.

As always I only recommend buying bags used  from a reputable source and my go-to is always Fashionphile since they really know their handbags and sell only authentic ones (also they allow returns as long as you don't remove their tags so it's a great way to online shop for preowned luxury items without committing!).  Also since I waited for this to go on sale, I was able to purchase it for half the price of retail.  And when I got it, I could hardly tell it was used.  There's so much life left in this bag!  I can see why Hermes is such a sought after brand: their bags are well-designed and made to last a lifetime.  Anyway sorry if you've been sick of seeing this bag in all my shots, but it is easily my favorite!  

{May 2018 Update, my love for this bag is still going so strong!  I still find the bag super useful and even with daily wear the bad still looks great!  Here are some current Lindy offerings from Fashionphile if you're interested! And here are some recent pictures of me carrying it:}