Hermes Birkin and Chloe Paddington

There are bags, and then there are bags. While trends in designer handbags may come and go, there are those certain few that, over the years, have really stood out amongst the crowd. Here we look at two of the most popular designer handbags of all time. The Hermes Birkin As the story goes, back in the “good old days” circa 1984, actress Jane Birkin was seated next to Hermes Chief Executive Officer Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. While in the air, Birkin allegedly complained to Dumas about the difficulty she was having finding a chic weekend-sized bag that would fit the bare essentials for travel. Hence, the Birkin bag was born. With a serious reputation as a status symbol and a waiting list of between six months and eight years (depending on your choice of fabrication), the Birkin bag remains to this day one of the most coveted designer status handbags of all time. The Chloe Paddington The Chloe Paddington bag surged to the height of its popularity in 2005. With it's satchel-like shape and padlock style hardware, the bag was, and still is a time-tested favorite. Paddington bags were known especially for their high-quality leather, particularly with the first season release. Although today, most non-fashion industry people would be hard-pressed to find a Paddington that has not been previously used, there are still many specimens out there for sale, and yes, these previously-owned bags still do garner a price tag of several hundred dollars and upwards.