How do you authenticate an Hermès Constance bag?

When you’re trying to authenticate your Hermès Constance bag, there are a few things to remember. For one, there is no “authenticity card” — Hermès doesn’t accompany its Constance bags or any of its handbags with any such certificate. There is a label stamp inside any authentic Hermès Constance handbag that reads “Hermès Paris Made in France” — the lettering will be clear and it won’t appear blocky or oversized. Lettering on this label that looks anything other than professionally set and lightly pressed into the leather may mean that your Hermès Constance bag is a fake.

Stitching is a good metric to consider because each Hermès Constance handbag is hand-sewn by Hermès artisans according to Hermès’s celebrated saddle-stitching technique, so while the sew lines will have some inconsistencies, the work will be demonstrative of the company’s commitment to quality, and the stitching will indicate as much. (The Birkin is another coveted accessory of the house, and spotting a fake Birkin bag requires similar inspections.)

Hardware on your authentic Hermès Constance bag is always made of a genuine precious metal — the metal is typically brass that is hand-polished and plated with fine gold, palladium or permabrass, while the iconic H-shaped clasp has been silvered, lacquered, set with diamonds, and more over the years. This metal will feel substantial, and it will not tarnish over time.

In 1959, Catherine Chaillet, a designer at Hermès, created a new handbag — linear with rounded corners, at once classic and modern. Chaillet named it Constance for the daughter she had soon after. While the distinctive accessory isn't one of the luxury house's much-publicized top-handle bags or totes, Jacqueline Kennedy's enthusiasm for the design established its must-have status.

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