By @ariella_mom

My tumultuous love affair with the Hermès Mini Kelly began very young. I remember my mother carrying a vintage Mini Kelly when I was a child, and it seemed like the perfect size – A true small child’s bag that I was allowed to carry occasionally. In the 80’s Hermès introduced the rounded top handle version, and by the mid 90’s I acquired a couple. They were useful as companion bags to the larger totes I was filling with my children’s needs for the day and perfect for the evening.

My favorite has always been my chocolate lizard Mini Kelly. It seemed roomier back then because cell phones were not an issue, and when they first appeared, they were flip phones, easy to put in any handbag. The vintage Mini Kelly was not huge in popularity during its tenure. Women preferred the larger Kellys and Birkins.

There was a period – I believe it was between 2010 and 2016 – when few Mini Kellys were produced, if any. In 2016, Hermès, in an attempt to revive the Mini Kelly market, released the now well-known and well-loved Mini Kelly II. I must say I was not smitten. It was tiny and looked like it could not fit my necessities and certainly not my extras. I always found them cute. These became so popular and desired, which surprised me. The demand for now retired vintage Mini Kelly increased too.

Image courtesy: @im.trangdang

Comparing the Mini Kelly II With the Vintage

The Vintage Mini Kelly is taller and deeper so it does fit more. I compared two box leather bags to get a true idea of capacity. Box leather is stiffer than chevre so it may make a difference in what we can carry.

The measurements for the Hermès Mini Kelly are as follows:

Hermès Mini Kelly	Width	Height	Depth	Handle Drop	Strap Length (Leather Only)
Vintage Mini Kelly	7.8"	5.5"	3.7"	3.5"	31.4"
Mini Kelly II	7.5"	5"	2.2"	2.3"	36"

Note: All measurements are in inches.

Mini Kelly Vintage: I am easily able to fit a Calvi with cards, a Bastia with medication, a mirror, lipstick, and a car key. If you take the Bastia out, you can easily fit a small iPhone with a case. The larger one fits as well with not much room for anything else but a card, lipstick, and a flat mirror.

Mini Kelly II: fits the Calvi, Bastia, lipstick, and mirror. It is smaller and does not have the capacity of the vintage, For a comfortable fit, best to have a Calvi, a small mirror, gloss, and a key.

Aesthetic: While most of the collectors I know prefer the Mini Kelly II as it is sleek and beautifully proportioned, I prefer the elegant “royal” look of the vintage and its incredibly gorgeous and functional top handle. However, that top handle will dig a deep hole in your ribs if you don’t get a longer strap or an extension. While the Mini Kelly II, likewise, needs a longer strap for a cross body, if you are 5’5″ or shorter, the standard strap will do. It is a prettier cross-body than the vintage, the vintage is prettier as a hand carry. Both are terrific on the shoulder.

Practicality: neither is a practical bag in the true sense of the word. However, their charm is such that you forget about their practicality. It’s a love-hate thing depending on the day or evening you pull out one.

Let me state that there are some practical points:

They make for beautiful evening bags
Both are easy to place or hang when you are in a restaurant without issues
Both are great for travel, but the Mini K II wins here as it is easy to place inside a larger bag when traveling.
With crime rising everywhere, these are easier to store for safety

The ultimate question is which I prefer. I will always be a vintage Mini Kelly girl. Perhaps it was because I grew up with them, perhaps it’s the sexy top handle; definitely, the increased capacity is a huge plus for me.

I have had such a complicated relationship with the Mini Kelly II, for years not owning one, then getting a couple and not using them. Recently I began to use them more, always with clothes that have pockets for the overflow. I believe there is a place in anyone’s collection for larger and mini bags. They serve different purposes.

The photo below is a comparison photo of my Mini Kelly 15 to show the difference, That little cutie was designed with a very short strap to go on the shoulder, though this micro bag looks better cross-body. It fits a card, a small gloss, and a tiny mirror at best. I use it as an accessory while carrying a larger size bag as it is more like an SLG.