Short answer
A fake Hermes Kelly 28 Retourne is a copy of the Hermès Kelly bag, built 28 cm wide, using the Retourne construction. Retourne means the panels are sewn inside out and then turned. The body is soft. The corners curve. The edge paint sits inside the seam. Hermès makes the real Kelly 28 Retourne in Togo, Epsom, Swift, Clemence and Chevre. The real bag held a store price near $11,000 to $12,500 in the US in 2024. Copies sell for $200 to $1,500. No copy is made by Hermès.
Retourne versus Sellier
Hermès builds the Kelly in two ways. Sellier has a rigid body, sharp edges and outside stitching. Retourne has a softer body and rounded corners. The stitch line sits inside the seam. A Kelly 28 Sellier and a Kelly 28 Retourne measure the same 28 cm across. They carry different weights because the Sellier holds more reinforcement. Retourne is the older build. It shows more give when the bag is full.
Kelly 28 measurements
- Width: 28 cm (11.0 in)
- Height: 22 cm (8.7 in)
- Depth: 11 cm (4.3 in)
- Handle drop: 8 cm to 9 cm
- Shoulder strap: 2 cm wide, about 1 m long
The 28 cm size sits between the Kelly 25 and the Kelly 32. It holds a phone, a cardholder, keys and a compact. A4 paper does not fit.
Leathers used on the real bag
Togo is the most common Retourne leather. Togo is a pebbled calfskin. The grain hides scratches. Epsom is embossed and stiff. Swift is smooth and shows fingernail marks. Clemence is heavy and soft. Chevre Mysore comes from goat and has a fine grain. Counterfeit workshops can press a similar grain into cowhide. They do not run the same tanning process. Tanning changes how the leather ages, how it takes dye and how it holds shape.
Stamps, locks and hardware
Hermès uses brass for hardware and adds gold plating or palladium plating. Each Kelly carries a blind stamp on the back of the front strap. The stamp holds a year letter and a craftsperson code. The bag ships with a clochette that holds two keys. The lock on the bag carries a number. The keys carry the same number. Copies often ship with mismatched numbers, or with no number at all.
Hermès uses saddle stitching on seams that take load. That is a two-needle, one-thread stitch. A machine lockstitch makes a straight line. Saddle stitch makes a slanted line with a slight angle on each side.
Price and supply
Hermès does not sell the Kelly online. A customer needs a purchase history at a boutique. Store prices for the Kelly 28 Retourne sat near $11,000 to $12,500 in 2024. Resale prices run higher because supply is small. Auction houses handle a large share of the resale market.
Legal status in the United States
US law bans counterfeit trafficking. 18 U.S.C. § 2320 carries a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $2 million for an individual's first offense. The Lanham Act allows trademark owners to sue for damages and profits. US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit handbags at ports. CBP reported 19,724 intellectual property seizures in fiscal year 2023, with a manufacturer's suggested retail value of $2.4 billion.