The Birkin

Named after Jane Birkin, English actress, singer, and songwriter born in December 14th 1946, the Hermes Birkin Bag is considered to be the most secure investment nowadays. More secure than investing in Gold sometimes.

It was back in 1983, during a flight from Paris to London, when Birkin after having an accident; where all her bags contents fell to the deck, leaving her to scramble to replace them, confessed Hermès chief executive, Jean-Louis Dumas, that she had never managed to find a weekend bag she liked. Next year (1834) Dumas created a black supple leather bag for her, the Birkin!

About the Birkin:

- It is handmade

- It comes in various sizes (range from 25-, 30-, 35-, to 40-centimeters, with travelling bags of 50- and 55-centimeters)

- It also comes in a variety of hides and colors

- The bag has a lock and keys. The keys are enclosed in a leather lanyard known as a clochette, carried by looping it through a handle

- Hermes offers a "spa treatment" – a reconditioning for heavily used bags.

- The Birkin bag may be distinguished from the similar Hermes Kelly handbag by:

* the number of its handles. The single-handle handbag is the Kelly.

* Kelly comes with a detachable shoulder straps, which allow for hands free carrying

* the different front flaps. Kelly has a more square appearce and attached shoulder strap

* Kelly is not as wide, so it fits less

* Birkin can easily be carried open

source: portero.com / wikipedia / google