Can you believe I bought this Hermes Evelyne III PM (also known as the Evelyne III 29) bag last May when I was in Hawaii. It’s been almost a year and I’ve worn it maybe five times so far. So I guess you can tell from that how much I love this bag (sadly not very much). Ah well let me get into it here:
First off, this is the first bag I bought in-person at the Hermes store. I purchased all three of my other Hermes bags secondhand on Fashionphile (my favorite place to shop for pre-owned bags). And TBH this Evelyne bag in Etoupe colored leather was my fourth choice when I walked into the Hermes store in Ala Moana (in Honolulu). But since this was a gift for my birthday and mother’s day, let’s just say I wasn’t going to leave the store without a bag (I realize that’s my first error). And the fact that it was my fourth choice may have something to do with it not being an instant favorite.
And because this was a brand new Hermes, I’ve been extra careful with it. Thus, I’m less likely to reach for it when I’m out with my toddler (which is a lot of the times I’m out). For me, when I buy a bag secondhand I feel less pressure to keep it pristine. It’s sort of like buying a used car vs a new (that first scratch is the most devastating).
Secondly, I’m not a huge fan of the Evelyne in this Taurillon Clemence leather. Because this leather is so smooshy and slouchy, the bag doesn’t hold it’s shape very well. It can’t really be set on the floor (though I would never set an Hermes bag on the floor). I did buy a Samorga bag organizer (an organizer specifically made for the Evelyne that wasn’t cheap) to help keep the structure of the bag. And the thick felt organizer does help it keep its shape, except that it also causes a bit of a bulge to the front. You can kind of tell the difference when looking at the top picture (sans organizer) where it concaves a little and the picture below with the organizer inside where it convexes out near the bottom edge. I’m afraid if I keep using the organizer (which is pretty essential for a big messenger bag like this), the leather will permanently stretch and end up looking something like this as it ages. {Side note: I was at first pretty bummed at spending so much on a bag organizer when I hardly used the bag, but luckily it fits perfectly into my Valextra bucket bag which I use way more often.}
My third choice when going to Hermes was the Evelyne III PM in the epsom leather (a stiffer, more durable leather). Alas, they no longer make the Evelyne III with that leather in this style. The epsom leather now comes in a different H pattern like this one, and I wasn’t a fan. So actually what I should have done was said thanks but no thanks at the store and purchased a secondhand Evelyne III in epsom from Fashionphile. Though if I did, I would have looked for one well below the current $3475 retail price (yes sometimes Fashionphile prices Hermes above retail because of its “exclusivity” so don’t get taken).
But no instead, I got caught up in the consumer frenzy and said “I’ll take it.” Well, I regret it more than just a bit now.
Yet, there are some good things to say about the bag: the adjustable strap (before the III, the straps weren’t adjustable which makes no sense to me) and the large back pocket where I can easily stash my phone. And of course the quality and craftsmanship are flawless. And because of the quality leather, the bag is quite light (about 1lb 4oz w/o the strap) for being so big (10.5”H x 11.5”L x 3.5”W). But really this isn’t enough for me to love the bag, especially considering its price tag.
And I also think personally, I’m less attracted to designer brand name bags these days. I definitely don’t carry expensive bags as much anymore because a part of me is afraid of getting mugged in the city (SF). And I don’t have many special occasions where I will carry a nice bag (though this Hermes is decidedly casual so inappropriate for said fancy parties). But overall I much rather support a BIPOC woman-owned brand like Ree Projects (which were my most recent bag purchases). Ree Projects bags are made in Italy of high quality leathers, plus her designs are exciting and fresh. And instead of this Hermes Evelyne bag I find myself using my Valextra Bucket bag (which I also purchased new but at half the retail price of this bag), which can be both a crossbody or shoulder bag, is equally lightweight, but made of stiffer leather.
Anyway I’m going to hold on to this bag for a couple more months lest I regret selling it. But unless I find myself suddenly loving the bag I’m most likely going to sell it to Fashionphile or the RealReal.
Also if you’re interested, you can read all my other Hermes reviews here.
{June 2022 Update: So after writing this post, I decided it was better to sell sooner rather than later since I wasn’t using it anyway. So I first tried selling it to Fashipnphile and they rejected it! Can you believe it? They said they had too many of this exact bag on their site and so wouldn’t consign anymore. Can you believe an Hermes is too common to sell? Well it was a blessing in disguise because then I decided to sell it on eBay (where I probably got the best price anyway), and was pleasantly surprised to find a new “Authenticity Guarantee” program where the bag is first shipped to an authenticator where it’s verified before it’s shipped to the buyer. This is great for me since this means the buyer can never return an item saying it’s fake, and then sending me back a fake bag (a common eBay scam). Now that it’s been authenticated and verified as aligning with the product description, the bag is not returnable. As for whether or not I would buy expensive bags on eBay is still questionable since I’m not sure how good their authenticators are (and there are some really good fakes out there).}