This review starts as a story. A story of me walking into the Hermès boutique and talking to an SA and telling her I was interested in a Kelly and wanted to look at a pair of shoes.
A story of her returning to tell me that she just got this Mini Evelyne in and I should check it out, and the end of the story being me texting Vlad, “if Bank of America calls, it’s not fraud, it’s me.” That is the condensed version of how I acquired this Hermès Evelyne TPM bag on a whim.
Table of Contents
And now it is time for a review of this bag. Instead of drawing out the unboxing with you, I wanted to share how the Hermès Evelyne TPM stacks up in our bag review. I can tell you that many bags I slowly ease into my bag rotation, but when I purchased this bag, it quickly became one of the bags I was constantly reaching to grab and go.
Aesthetics
While not the most sought-after design from the house of Hermès, the Evelyne is still highly covetable and one of the first bags many people start their H collections with. The shape is notable and recognizable as an Hermès bag instantly, down to the perforated H emblem on the front of the bag.
The Hermès Evelyne Bag was designed in 1978 by Evelyne Bertrand, who at the time was the head of the riding department for the brand. The initial design for the bag was to be a saddle bag meant as a carryall for horse groomers. Even the iconic perforations had a purpose: to allow airflow to dry the tools and were not meant to face forward; rather, they were intended as the back of the bag. At its start, the Evelyne wasn’t even shown with the other luxury bags. It was housed in the equestrian area of the store.
The backstory of the bag is important, as it explains the more casual aesthetic, which, if you know me by now, you know I adore. Years ago, I never considered this bag as one I would want, but there was something about the mini version that I just kind love, and when the bag was offered to me, I jumped at the chance.
This design is laid back, there’s a long shoulder strap that’s not adjustable (but you can change it out for different straps), and while the H in the center of the bag is recognizable, it isn’t overly in your face as it’s meant to flow with the bag. This is a true saddle bag, easy to carry, and looks easy in appearance.
Набір косметики hermes
While I’ve always been a fan of the mini bag trend, even when it doesn’t entirely make sense to me from a functionality standpoint, I haven’t often found myself inclined to purchase a mini bag. It’s not out of a lack of want, but as I’ve gotten older, I find it harder to justify a bag that simply isn’t usable. This bag is small, but thankfully it is mighty.
The depth dimensions of this bag allow for your phone to fit inside, and though your phone fits, the bag still remains and looks like the mini bags that so many covet. This makes this bag instantly a favorite of mine because when I am out without my kids (and that’s important to note because I simply can’t carry this bag when my kids are with me because of the items I have to carry for them), this bag fits my necessities.
As I said earlier, my phone slides in perfectly, and then I can take my keys, a card case, lipgloss, hand sanitizer, and even a snack bar. When I look inside this little pouch bag, it appears like a Mary Poppins bag, far bigger than one would assume. However, you can not fit a water bottle, and with the climate I live in, I rarely leave my house without a water bottle. I, of course, knew it wouldn’t fit a water bottle, so that’s not the bag’s fault, but in usability, it does take it down a slight notch. When I say this bag fits your essentials, for me, it still leaves out a really important essential.
While you can change out the shoulder strap for an adjustable version, the strap this bag comes with may sit awkwardly long on your body. I am tall and not slim framed, but the strap still allows me to carry this nice bag crossbody. I could see it hanging long over the shoulder for some and hitting at a weird spot, so while you can change out the strap, it would only mean spending more money on a pricey tiny bag.
The snap closure is the last aspect I want to touch on here. It’s discreet, but it’s also rather pointless. With this being such a compact bag, having the top snap closure is nice aesthetically, but I don’t find it necessary. It also means if I have the snap closed, I need to open it to get in the bag to take my phone out or place it in, and even that aside, my hand doesn’t fit in without unlatching the snap closure. I leave this unsnapped more often than not, but I don’t always love how that looks.
Quality + Construction
This is where Hermès almost always wins because its leather is simply divine. I am sitting next to my bag as I write this, and I just picked up my bag to smell it, and it smells better than a new car. I find that harder to say about many bags; they don’t always have that beautiful leather smell upon unboxing them, but man, this bag smells delightful.
And that goes back to speak on the quality of the leather. This is Clemence leather: it’s smooshy, grained, and simply extraordinarily lovely. Hermès is known for its leathers, and this is no exception.
Every stitch of this bag is meticulous, the leather is delightful and thick, and the strap is as I’d expect, but I noticed an issue just now as I am examining this bag closely to review. Now I wouldn’t call this a big issue, but this goes back to quality control, and it’s a bummer to see an oversight that seems so silly.
I will note that I’ve carried this bag for weeks and didn’t notice it, probably because the black interior easily allowed this to trick my eyes and be hidden. Still, the ‘H’ perforation on the bag has 2 holes that were perforated but not fully punched through, so the leather circle is still in place.
I am imperfect I can remove them myself, as the puncture already happened, but I was shocked to find not one but two little pieces of leather still in place.
Is it a problem with the bag? No, this is something I can rectify myself and will do after I finish writing this. However, I would expect better quality control from Hermès. Someone should have noticed this bag before it was packed and fixed the punchouts.
Price + Value
Some may disagree with me here, but honestly, I think this bag is fairly priced not only for an Hermès bag but also in the current bag market. Prices continue to skyrocket across the board, and though this bag is small, it still fits your phone (!) and other daily necessities, which makes it quite usable. And the sticker price is under $2,000 (it goes over with tax, however).
An Hermès bag for $1,900 is a steal, especially compared to so many other bags right now. Honestly, when I was offered this bag, I didn’t think twice; I immediately said yes and didn’t even think I wanted it, but I am so glad I got it.
Staying Power
Vlad and I had a long discussion about this in the car yesterday: if you knew 10 years ago what you know now, would you change your past shopping habits?
The Evelyne used to be a very easy bag to get from Hermès; you could simply walk into the store, ask what colors they had in nil, and even buy one off Hermès online. Times have changed, and it’s tough to get any Hermès bag, Evelyne’s included, but mini bags are that much harder. The obsession with all things mini Borsa Hermes Drag modello grande in pelle Epsom grigia.
I can’t predict the future 10 years from now.
We might think a bag this tiny is ridiculous. Still, the fact that this is a beloved Hermès shape already proves the staying power exists. Because this bag can fit your maxi phone, I pushed it up an additional half a star because that will always remain important in longevity – after all, our bags are meant to serve a purpose.
Overall Rating
This bag ranks high in our overall rankings and is a bag I quickly fell in love with. A couple of aspects in this mini form make the bag less usable in my book, but overall, I’ve been contently surprised at what this bag is capable of doing.
I keep pining for a Mini Kelly, which Vlad said I have zero use for, and while he is right, the heart wants what it wants, but if I am being honest with myself, this might have been one of my most sound purchases in years.
This bag doesn’t hurt my shoulder or weigh me down; it’s impeccably made with the best leather, fills my love for a luxury designer bag, and will work for years in my wardrobe.
The point being, if you’re offered one in-store, I’d say yes.
Hermes box and pouch.
seems like there’s a bit of H bias happening. 3 stars for usability & functionality, 3.5 for quality & construction, but it gets 4 stars bc it’s not horrendously expensive? i’m confused!
those two missed holes are unacceptable imo, given that that’s the primary design element of the bag and bc Hermes $/bag acquiring antics are ‘justified’ bc of the quality construction.
that said, i think the bag size fits you really well!
I am the one that came up with the ranking system, but I find it really hard to properly award the stars – it’s all so subjective. I think the actual quality and construction of the bag itself are superb, but I am still super surprised about the little pieces of leather left behind. Vlad finds this to be a major issue, but in my mind, it’s more of a weird quality control issue that no one else noticed it. I don’t find it as annoying as he does because I can pop those leather pieces out.
I still think it’s a really fairly priced bag in the realm of the designer bag world!
I think reviews are inevitably so subjective. Clearly to her staying power mattered a lot for example, whereas for me it’s almost irrelevant as I am not a trendy person at all, lol.
I’d also argue that “doesn’t fit a water bottle, so usability goes down a notch” is rather unfair I mean it’s not a surprise the whole bag is half the height of a bottle. I wouldn’t buy that one giant YSL tote and say it’s too big or too heavy. But again, it’s all subjective when it’s reviews, and that’s definitely a huge part of the fun of them for me.
All that said, the $/bag acquiring tactics of Hermes are BS, I genuinely hate that “system”, even if the quality were 11/10.
I agree – it’s not the bag’s fault it doesn’t fit a water bottle and I did note that but for me, a bag’s functionality does include fitting everyday essentials, and for me personally a water bottle is essential. I noted it because when I take this bag out, I am always carrying a water bottle with me under my arm.
I never had any sort of game to play getting my first Hermès items, so I feel like I’m a bit more in the game now and I don’t like it either. Vlad HATES it and thinks I should buy nothing else haha.
Agreed. If this happened with anyone else, it’d have a 20 page thread on the blog about it lol.
So I feel like it could be justifiable – I am not outraged at all, but Vlad finds it a major oversight. I am kinda on the fence about it because on one hand, it isn’t a big deal but on the other hand, it should have been noticed and fixed before it was sent out to be sold and purchased.
Might as well make lemonade lol. I saw one b/k story on YouTube where the client was in the right and complained about a rude SA to the manager while also conveniently mentioning their wait for b/k. Not long after they got offered something pretty close.
For anyone going abroad, I was just able to purchase the large Evelyne in Paris, which truly holds as much or as little as you like, and it came to $1950 USD after VAT refund. The euro is nearly dollar to euro even and the 10% VAT back on an Hermes purchase makes it a great bargain!
Do you also need appointments at the Lyon store? Any experience there?
I am not aware of the system in place in the Lyon store. If I were you I would write to Hermès on the main website of your homeland and explain that you will be going to that area and what the process will be. They are pretty good about writing back within 24 to 48 hours and addressing your question. Best of luck and would love to know what you find out here!
Congratulations and enjoy it! Am traveling to Paris next week. Did you need an appointment to shop or did you just walk in?
It is a very tricky process. You must have an appointment to purchase a leather handbag. You can only make that appointment when you are in the country of the boutique you eagerness to visit. At 10:30 every morning you are able to access the appointment site, and within one minute you will be told that all appointments are gone. I tried for seven straight days, and was never granted an appointment. When I went in to the San Honore boutique to see how I might facilitate the appointment, I was told they get over 5000 hits for less than 80 appointments spread over three boutiques. You are able to walk into any boutique and buy jewelry, scarves and shoes, this applies only to handbags. It is the “leather specialist” you are looking to have an appointment with. On my last day I went to the boutique on Rue de Sevres in the 6th arrondissement. I calmly and politely expressed my frustration, the girl that checks appointments in looked at me for about five seconds, I was able to hold my tongue, she asked me to step aside and a leather specialist would be with me shortly. And within 10 minutes, she was. I told her I wanted an Evelyne bag, and she brought out two to choose from; black and etoupe. I don’t believe that’s all they had in nil, I just believe that’s their process on how to stay in control of their inventory. I chose the etoupe with gold hardware, and couldn’t be happier! Best of luck! The euro to dollar is almost even, you re not taxed US 9%, and given back 10% VAT after you leave the country. And the prices in Paris are almost 20% less to start with. It was an excellent purchase!
Wow, thank you so much for your very detailed response!! At least I know what I’m in for, LOL. So happy for you that being persistent paid off! Its a beautiful bag, use it in great health!
Your “baby” has grown up! He’s adorable! Oh, the bag is cute, too!
I know!! He’s getting so big!! Already 3.5!
Cool review Megs
That’s so disappointing that Hermes is still displaying the rumored decline in quality. I had hoped this ended after the embarrassing debacle where the birkins smelled like skunk but alas that’s not true. It’s also disappointing to see they expect you to spend x amount and don’t give 110% in return. Sad times.
I also have an Evelyne TPM but mine is in biscuit. It turned out to be my most used Hermès bag, even more than my Kelly. I just love how convenient and casual looking it is. The size is perfect and it holds everything I usually need to bring. I think it comes down to what your lifestyle is. It can be a very practical bag.
I use my TPM Evelyne as my go to the Hockey game bag as it’s the only bag I own that’s small enough to take inside the Verizon Center in DC. DH and I are CAPS season ticket holders, so it gets used a lot. I wear it cross body, so the bag never is put on the floor, behind me, etc.
I was with a good friend on an island where they sell Hermes (yep THAT island). At first no leather goods but my friend has an SA there and buys a lot….and guess what….all of a sudden there was a TPM in gold with gold hardware…€1400. And the dollar and euro were almost equal. Lucky me….
I am not into the Evelyne at all, but especially not in the TPM size. It reminds me of a pocket on a string. When I first learned that this bag was originally intended for horse groomers to hold their tools, it made perfect sense. Hermes designs are pretty utilitarian in general, but this is the most utilitarian of all their bags.
HERMES Taurillon Clemence Evelyne TPM Shoulder Bag Etoupe!
I am also a proud owner of the mini evelyn in noir with ghw which I acquired late 2020. The bag means alot to me as it’s my very first Hermes bag and I waited a few Prix (and gently chase the SA for it when I just started my journey and had a tiny purchase history). Using a coloured bag organiser allows a pop of colour to show the perforated H. I’m hoping to get my second one in my designed colour/hardware with a patterned strap. I’m sure Millie would be happy to use it soon!
Millie already told me this was the perfect size for her! And will look into a colored bag insert – I love the different colored versions with the colorful straps as well!
I have the golden yellow and the Feu….both w gold hardware.
I just love the colors and really enjoy the tpm size as well.
I just wouldn’t put a picture of my child on the internet like that.
We rarely post our kids – and this was a day we went out to try to take pictures and the kids refused to let a pic of me be taken without them in it! My children’s lives are pretty private, and will remain that way 🙂
I didn’t even notice the kid.
Lighten up. She’s not exploiting him, if that’s what you’re suggesting. She seems like an excellent Mother and would never intentionally put him or her daughter in harms way.
Just purchased one of these and i love it. found a bag liner that has a top zip and it’s perfect to grab and go for both everyday and travel. all of my bags are sizable, but i don’t carry them around for shopping or other quick runs, and definitely not when traveling. This sits nicely in a larger bag, and can easily the basics.
Love the bag, but that carved wooden table caught my eye! Is that in the design district? (Sorry to veer off topic!)
The carved wood table was in the design district! Good eye!
Any thoughts on Evelyne TPM for a man who is not used to carrying any bag at all?
Montre Hermes Arceau en acier Vers 2010. 🙁
Thanks for the review, Megs. 👍👍
After a year of use, is there any issue of color transfer inside the bag. If i put a light card case inside, would it be a problem? Thanks.