Your Ultimate Birkin

Part I: Tis the Season for Hermès Special Orders

@panthere_instyle’s Special Order Birkin in Mimosa and Cactus crocodile

As you know, the Hermès Horseshoe Club is reserved for a well-established group of orange-loving fashionistas. (Read: Hermes Special Orders: The Exclusive Horseshoe Club) “Building” your own Birkin is a rare privilege that Hermès only bestows upon its VIP clientele. And while Hermès certainly needs to maintain its air of exclusivity, PurseBop couldn’t help but wonder what our readers’ Special Order bags would look like if we let your imaginations run wild.

Recently, we played a little game to investigate, and in the process learned a great deal about your deepest desires and preferences when it comes to our favorite Holy Grail Bags. (Read: Tis the Season for Hermès Special Orders) And let’s just say your creativity didn’t disappoint. Are you curious to know what the most popular Birkin (and Kelly) attributes are in our community? Which colors fellow readers like, and which leathers aren’t particularly adored? If so, read on!

Your Preferred Size

When it comes to size, it looks like moderation is key—not too big, and not too small!

We gave you the options of the B25, B30, B35, B40, as well as the K25, K28, K32, K35. First things first: in this case, the Birkin has proven more popular than the Kelly, as 70% of you voted for Birkin sizes over Kelly sizes. Sorry, K! (Read: PurseBop’s Birkin vs. Kelly Debate)

Next, the most desired sizes. The B30 wins out here, with 31% of voters opting for it. (The B25 is a close second, with 24%, so the mini bag craze remains strong.) Almost nobody went for the B40 or K35, so it’s clear that a mega-bag craze is off the table anytime soon. Although the Kelly was less popular overall, the most popular Kelly size was the trusty K28—right in the middle—which garnered 15% of votes.

@madimoiselle__13’s Special Order Birkin

Your Preferred Color Placement

Okay, this one’s for all you bicolor-lovers out there. While not everyone would opt for a bicolor special order, it’s fair to say that the bicolor option is a very desirable one—and one that immediately distinguishes an SO bag.

In our poll, we gave you the options of bicolor interior/exterior; bicolor sangles, handles, and piping; bicolor sangles, handles, and sides; and bicolor piping or contrast stitching. While these all proved pretty popular, it’s clear that bicolor interior/exterior won out, backed by almost half (42%) of all voters! The least popular was bicolor sangles, handles, and piping, with the support of only 17%. Overall, it looks like we have a lot of fashionistas in our community who love the subtle bicolor distinctions.

@baubles_bybb’s Special Order Birkin 25

Your Preferred Hardware

Hardware: so small, and yet so eye-catching! A Special Order staple won out here: Brushed Gold Hardware, which garnered 36% of the vote. This exclusive matte gold just beat out regular GHW (24%), and blew away the Palladium Hardwares and Permabrass.

While we always expected gold to win, it’s certainly interesting to see Brushed GHW emerge as victor. Now, it’s our time to ask you: why brushed as oppose to regular? What’s the extra appeal—is it the rarity?

@madimoiselle__13’s Special Order Birkin in Bamboo and Bleu Electrique

Your Preferred Leather

We gave you the option of just four classic leathers—no exotics this time around, sorry!—Epsom, Chèvre, Togo, and Swift.

Swift lovers, we’re sorry to say it may be a sad day for you. Swift only received 7% of the vote. Compare that to the beloved Epsom, which won with 39%. After all, Epsom is quite resistant to scratches, unlike the more delicate Swift—could the vote be your practical sides coming out?

@gerald.hl

@amekoleilei

Your Preferred Colors

So we let you pick two colors for your Special Order Bag (we did decide on the bicolor option, after all), and the results are very interesting!

The first color is what many might call the most quintessential color in fashion. Can you guess…? (Yes, it’s trusty, versatile black, with 31%). While we know many of you fashionistas in our PurseBop community are rather adventurous, it’s safe to say that everybody needs a black bag—and when you’re purchasing a handbag as nice as a Birkin, you definitely want to get a lot of use out of it. Black it is, then, though the bold Rose Tyrien tied for second along with the neutral Etain.

Second hue? A color that’s been popular ever since its highly anticipated Fall/Winter 2016 release: Gris Mouette (34%), a pure dove grey which takes on different tints in accordance with the lighting. (PurseBop even has her own. Read Miss Mouette Joins PurseBop’s Hermes Family) But yet again, pink falls in second place with 20% of the vote in the form of Rose Confetti.

The colors that proved unpopular were bright: the golden-orange Jaune d’Or, and the bold green Bamboo. Neutrals and pinks are apparently the way of the masses!

@tsemoi’s Special Order Birkin 30 in Black and Blue Hydra with brushed GHW

Recap: Your Ultimate Birkin

The official results of the study? Our community’s ultimate Birkin has the following attributes:

B30 size
Bicolor interior/exterior
Brushed GHW
Epsom
First color: black
Second color: Gris Mouette

So what’s the verdict, PurseBop fam? Are you pleased with the final result, or would you still opt for a different SO bag…? Are there features of the bag you’d tweak to make it extra special for you personally?

We’ve had so much fun with this study and can’t wait to hear what you have to say! Tell us about this bag, and how it aligns with your ideal handbag, below. And don’t forget to hashtag your favorite Special Order photos to #pursebopshermesSOseries (and be sure to tag @pursebop & @boptalk on Instagram so we can find them).