The Hermes HAC

Today I’m sharing a bag which I added last year which made no sense in terms of current practicality – but I’ve always loved and wanted the style so took the plunge – the Hermes HAC (Haut A Courroies).

I actually have a little story about the first time I saw this bag. It was when I was in college, and  went to the Hermes store by myself to go ask for a Birkin bag. It was one of my first times ever in that shop, certainly alone, and you can imagine the reaction to my super cool Abercrombie outfit and flip flops – “NO bag!”. There was a HAC in the display – a gold Togo colored one- but before I could even ask to see it, this man walked in.

This man was/is kind of a big deal (if I said the name you would probably know). And he pointed to the HAC and said he wanted to get it for his wife. And the sales staff were immediately like, “OH, well let us actually show you a Birkin from the back! Because a Birkin is what all the ladies want these days! It’s the popular bag!” (Yes…even though they had just told me there was absolutely no inventory…at this point I had ceased to exist).

Anyway, this guy just pointed to the bag again, and said, “She doesn’t care about what’s popular.” And then gave his credit card over and walked out to the car to take a phone call. His driver came in and finished the transaction. It was one of those moments that I’ll always remember…like from a movie. And whenever I see the HAC, I think that man and his wife (who is indeed very elegant, cause she’s kind of famous too).

Hermes discontinued the 28cm and 32cm size of this bag some time ago, so the only way to get it has been via the resale market. I was lucky enough to buy mine directly from a wonderful Hermes collector who has several other HACs. At the time I bought it, I had already said no more Birkins, but I really couldn’t resist, especially when I heard it was black box with palladium. I love this combination.

HAC 32 vs Kelly 32

The HAC 32 is in between the size of a Birkin 30 and Birkin 35, and the same width as a Kelly 32, but taller. You can see the comparison here. Of course since it’s a tote, it holds a lot more – I hope I can get more use out of it, once my children are all in the toddler stage and beyond!

A quick modeling shot (so you can see my preggo belly too! I’m close yet so far!). Another reason why I love the HAC is I think it just looks better on me proportionally than the Birkin 35 – it has to do with its vertical shape. Also, I was constantly bumping into things with the 35 size!

I also have the matching 7 Rue Paradis insert for the HAC – I was so happy to see when the company started making this special size just for the bag. It’s taller than the regular Birkin inserts, so helps keep its shape even better. I know many of you have asked me questions about bag inserts (you can read my review here) and I have to say that 7RP is still my favorite. I like mine so much that I usually rotate mine between my bags rather than use other inserts. You kind of bite the bullet once on cost, but it does make a big difference in how you enjoy/use the bag….and let’s face it, the bags are a lot more!

Another quick shot of the insert against the bag – you can get an idea of what fits inside the HAC as well, A4 papers fit nicely inside, as does a Macbook! The Economist is not representative of my usual reading by the way – actually the fact I always have it in my photos means it’s always sitting, nicely unread in my kitchen.

Anyway, I’m happy I could share with you one of my favorite bags today. It’s funny – this HAC isn’t my most practical bag (in fact I barely use it right now), but I love it and couldn’t imagine getting rid of it, unlike so many other items which have bit the dust. I hope that one day when my children are bigger it’ll get more of use…but for now, it’s one of the few items in my closet which I simply admire. I guess that’s when you know it’s true love!