Goyard Bag vs. Hermès: Which brand should you buy?

Goyard is a historic French brand known for its exclusive, hand-painted monogram canvas and understated luxury, while Hermès is the worldwide benchmark for ultimate luxury, status, and investment-grade leather goods like the Birkin and Kelly bags. While Goyard offers a discreet, artisanal elegance at a high but more accessible luxury price point, Hermès operates on another level of exclusivity, craftsmanship, and cost.

Let's find out which of these legendary French houses is the right choice for your collection and lifestyle.

Goyard: Understated Elegance & Artisanal Craftsmanship

Goyard dates back to 1853 and has built its reputation on a foundation of secrecy, heritage, and exclusivity. Far less mainstream than its competitors, the brand appeals to customers who prefer "if you know, you know" luxury. Goyard prioritizes tradition, offering iconic coated canvas bags that are hand-painted, lightweight, and highly customizable.

• Product mix: Known for its signature Goyardine canvas totes, wallets, and travel pieces. The most popular models are the versatile Saint Louis tote, the more structured Artois, and the reversible Anjou tote.
• Price point: Luxury pricing, but more accessible than Hermès. Small leather goods start around $1,200, while popular totes like the Saint Louis and Artois typically range from $1,600 to $3,500 depending on color and size.
• Quality & Materials: The brand's signature is Goyardine, a durable and waterproof coated canvas made from a blend of hemp, linen, and cotton. Bags are finished with natural leather trims and handles.
• Style & Aesthetic: Timeless and discreet. The repeating chevron pattern is recognizable to enthusiasts but flies under the radar for the general public, making it ideal for those who shy away from flashy branding.
• Customization: Goyard is famous for its personalization services. Clients can have their initials, stripes, or custom symbols hand-painted onto their items, creating a truly unique piece.

Goyard is an excellent choice for those seeking a heritage luxury brand that focuses on practical, lightweight designs and personalization over overt status symbolism.

Shop Goyard: goyard.com

Hermès: The Pinnacle of Luxury & Investment

Founded in 1837, Hermès is widely considered to be the most prestigious luxury brand in the world. It is a symbol of unparalleled craftsmanship, timeless design, and ultimate exclusivity. Owning a Hermès handbag, particularly a Birkin or Kelly, is not just a fashion statement - it's often viewed as a serious financial asset due to the brand's limited production and high demand.

• Product mix: While famous for the Birkin and Kelly bags, Hermès offers a wide range of luxury goods, including other handbag styles like the Constance and Evelyn, as well as silk scarves, ties, jewelry, ready-to-wear, and home goods.
• Price point: The highest end of the luxury market. A standard leather Birkin or Kelly bag starts around $10,000 at retail and can often command prices over $50,000 for specific sizes, materials, and hardware combinations.
• Quality & Materials: Unmatched. Hermès uses the finest leathers in the world, like Togo, Clemence, and Epsom, and each bag is handmade by a single artisan in a process that can take many hours. The stitching, finishing, and hardware are all markers of elite craftsmanship.
• Style & Aesthetic: The definition of timeless elegance. The silhouettes of the Birkin and Kelly have remained largely unchanged for decades and are immediate and universally recognized symbols of status and wealth.
• Exclusivity: The shopping process is part of the brand's aura. Acquiring a new Birkin or Kelly often requires establishing a significant purchase history with the brand and receiving an offer from a sales associate. This carefully managed scarcity protects the brand's value.

Hermès serves clients for whom cost is a secondary concern to craftsmanship, heritage, and the status that comes with owning one of the world's most sought-after products.

Shop Hermès: hermes.com

Goyard vs. Hermès Comparison

Price Comparison

There is a vast difference in price and value between the two brands. A classic Goyard St. Louis tote might cost around $1,800, making it a significant luxury purchase. However, this is just a fraction of the entry point for a Hermès Birkin or Kelly, which begin at over $10,000 and frequently sell for much more on the secondary market.

Goyard offers relative value within the high-luxury space, providing artisanal quality with a rich heritage for a price under $4,000. A Hermès bag is a different type of purchase altogether - it's a major asset. Because of their rarity and demand, Birkin and Kelly bags often appreciate in value over time, making them a better financial investment.

Quality & Materials

Both brands prioritize excellent craftsmanship, but their core materials are fundamentally different. Goyard's legendary Goyardine canvas is celebrated for being extremely lightweight and durable. It’s an excellent material for an everyday tote that needs to withstand constant use, travel, and environmental elements without weighing you down.

Hermès, conversely, is the benchmark for leatherwork. The quality of their hides, the perfection of their handmade saddle-stitching, and the overall construction are without equal. While a fine leather bag requires more care than canvas, the structure and longevity of a Hermès bag are designed to last for generations, which contributes to its incredible resale value.

Style & Aesthetic

The choice here comes down to visibility versus discretion. Hermès bags are unmistakable status symbols. Carrying a Birkin or Kelly telegraphs a certain level of wealth and access. The designs are structured, formal, and iconic in a way that transcends fleeting trends.

Goyard's aesthetic is much subtler. Its signature pattern is distinctive but less recognized by the general population than, say, a Louis Vuitton Monogram. Goyard offers a classic, practical appeal for those who value heritage and artistry but don't want to carry a bag that advertises its price tag quite so openly. It’s luxury for insiders.

Shopping Experience

You can walk into a Goyard boutique and purchase many of their classic bags, subject to availability. The experience is intimate and often focused on their well-known personalization and monogramming services, allowing you to create something unique.

The Hermès shopping experience for its premiere bags is famous for its difficulty. You cannot simply walk in and buy a Birkin. The process involves building a strong purchase history across different product categories in the hopes of being offered one by a sales associate. This intentional gatekeeping is a core part of their brand strategy, reinforcing extreme exclusivity.

Which One Should You Choose?

Both Maisons offer beautiful, well-made products, but they fulfill very different luxury desires.

Choose Goyard if:

• You prefer understated, discreet luxury over a recognizable status symbol.
• You want a lightweight, durable, and highly practical bag for everyday use or travel.
• Your budget for a luxury tote is in the $1,500 – $4,000 range.
• You love the idea of personalizing your bag with hand-painted monograms or stripes.

Choose Hermès if:

• You are making a significant financial investment and want a bag that is likely to appreciate in value.
• You seek the ultimate symbol of status, prestige, and timeless luxury.
• Unparalleled leather craftsmanship is your absolute highest priority.
• The allure of exclusivity and a challenging acquisition process is part of the appeal for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Goyard or Hermès more expensive?

Hermès is significantly more expensive than Goyard. A popular Goyard tote costs less than 20% of the starting retail price of a new leather Hermès Birkin or Kelly bag.

Which is a better investment, a Goyard or Hermès bag?

Hermès is a far better investment. Iconic bags like the Birkin and Kelly are famous for holding - and often increasing - their value over time due to high demand and limited supply. While Goyard has good resale value, it doesn't appreciate in the same way.

What are Goyard bags made of?

The signature material is Goyardine, a coated canvas made from a blend of natural fibers like hemp, linen, and cotton. This canvas is then trimmed with leather. The brand's chevron pattern is hand-painted, not printed.

Why are Hermès bags so hard to buy?

Hermès deliberately limits its production to maintain the highest standards of craftsmanship and exclusivity. The brand has a unique sales model where premier bags are offered to clients who have demonstrated loyalty and a broad purchasing history with the brand.

Is Goyard considered a high-end luxury brand?

Absolutely. Goyard is one of the oldest and most respected trunk makers in France. Its exclusivity, artisanal focus, and high price point place it firmly in the top tier of luxury, even if it is more discreet than Hermès.

Does Hermès ever go on sale?

No. Hermès never holds sales or discounts its products. This strategy protects the brand's integrity and ensures its items retain their high value for customers.

Which bag is more durable for everyday use?

For carefree, daily use, a Goyard canvas tote is arguably more practical. It is lightweight, water-resistant, and less susceptible to scratches than a delicate leather bag. While Hermès bags are extremely well-made, their high value often makes owners more cautious about using them daily.

What is Goyard's signature personalization service?

Goyard offers a marquee (or monogramming) service where craftsmen hand-paint initials, stripes, and other custom designs onto a customer's bag or trunk. This personalization is a hallmark of the brand and makes each piece unique.