Hermès is a French luxury fashion brand that was founded in 1837. It specializes in leather goods like bags and clutches, accessories, ready-to-wear clothing for men and women, jewelry, watches, fragrances, home furnishings, and decor.
If Hermès were to be compared to Prada, Hermès products would have steeper prices.
Prada vs. Hermès: Which Luxury Brand Is More Expensive?
Hermes products are a lot pricier than Prada products regarding bags and leather goods like belts and wallets. However, Prada is more expensive than Hermès in ready-to-wear clothing items and accessories.
1. Bags
It is no question that Hermès bags are more expensive than Prada bags.
As mentioned earlier, you can buy a bag for less than $1,000 at Prada. You can get the Prada Gabardine Yoke, which is technically a belt bag but is still functional enough to carry important items like your keys and cash.
For $1,000, you can only buy a bag strap at Hermès. You can get the Sangle Flipperball 25mm or the Maxi Quadrille 25mm bag strap for $950 each.
The most affordable bag you can get at Hermès is the Picotin 18 Lock Bag which costs $4,625. This bag is made of Taurillon Clemence leather and matte Mississippiensis alligator and has a palladium-plated Kelly lock closure.
The Saffiano Leather Double Prada Bag is the most expensive Prada bag, which costs $4,400. It features a double handle, a detachable shoulder strap, and gold-toned metal hardware, and its lining is made from Nappa leather.
The most expensive Hermès handbag is the Birkin, with the Togo Birkin 35 model now priced at $12,400, which is $100 more than its 2021 price. Meanwhile, the Birkin Sellier 35 is currently priced at $13,000.
The most expensive Birkin bag ever made was priced at $2 million. This is the Diamond Sac Bijou Birkins that was re-released in 2019. This bag was a rare commodity from the Haute Bijouterie Collection, with only 3 pieces made, and each piece is inlaid with more than 2,700 diamonds.
Hermès bags are so expensive because each bag is made with high-quality materials derived from cows, lizards, ostrich, and crocodiles. Each bag showcases the designer’s craftsmanship as every detail was well thought-out.
2. Women’s Clothing
Hermès has a good collection of women’s clothing, from tops and blouses to bottoms to dresses and outerwear.
Prada products are slightly more expensive for women’s clothing than Hermès products.
At Hermès stores, you can get a plain shirt for only $550, whereas the cheapest women’s clothing item that you can get at Prada costs $750, which is the Interlock T-Shirt.
The most affordable bottoms you can purchase from Hermès is a pair of shorts from their loungewear collection, costing $870. Meanwhile, the most affordable bottoms you can get from Prada are the Gingham Check Shorts, which cost $750.
Many women’s clothing items from Prada cost more than $4,000, while Hermès has a good variety of items that cost less than $4,000.
Prada’s most expensive products are leather jackets starting from $5,700 and can be as pricey as $10,500, while leather coats are priced between $11,000 and $13,000. On the other hand, Hermès jackets start from as low as $1,800, with the priciest outerwear at $9,800.
Overall, Hermès has generally more affordable clothing items than Prada.
3. Men’s Clothing
Hermès also has clothes for men. While its collection is not as big as Prada’s, it does offer good options for buttoned-down tops, shorts, trousers, knitwear, and outerwear.
Compared to Prada, Hermès has more affordable clothing options for men.
The products from Prada’s menswear collection start at $775. The most affordable shirt is Pique Polo Shirt, a plain polo shirt in three colors.
Meanwhile, you can get plain t-shirts from Hermès for as low as $275. This is the brand’s cheapest clothing item.
These t-shirts come in many colors and have the Hermès “H” logo embroidered on them. For plain Hermès polo shirts, you can get them for only $365.
Most of Prada’s menswear collection items cost between $2,000 to $6,000. The coats and jackets are the most expensive items in the collection, starting at $4,400.
The most expensive jacket for men is priced at over $12,000.
As for Hermès, you can get many items below $1,000, but most of the items in the menswear collection are priced between $1,000 and $4,000. The jackets are the most expensive items, with a few priced over $12,000.
4. Shoes
Apart from bags and ready-to-wear clothing items, Hermès also has a collection of shoes that are more affordable than Prada’s shoe collection.
The most affordable shoes you can purchase from Prada are rubber slides costing $525. These slides are available in several colors and feature the signature triangle logo.
At Hermès stores and the website, the most affordable shoes you can get are the Egérie Sandals which cost $295, and the Famosa Espadrilles, which cost $590 and are available in three colors.
Meanwhile, Prada sneakers start at $695, and the most expensive ones cost $1,895. Hermès sneakers start at $800 with the Advantage Sneakers, and the Daydream Sneakers are the most expensive ones, which cost $1,400.
The most expensive shoes from Prada are the Monolith Leather and Nylon Boots, priced at $2,200. For Hermès, the most expensive shoes are the Deandra Patchwork Snakeskin Platform Boots which cost $4,250 and come in two colors.
Even though the priciest shoes from Hermès are significantly more expensive than the ones from Prada, Hermès generally has more affordable shoe styles and designs.
5. Wallets
Like all other leather items, the wallets from Hermès are slightly more expensive than the ones from Prada.
The cheapest wallet you can get from Hermès is the Calvi Card Holder, which costs $405, while the cheapest one from Prada is the Saffiano Leather Card Holder, which costs $395.
Hermès wallets start at $435, while the most expensive one costs $5,150. The Hermès 1938-19 wallet is made of Villandry calfskin and smooth Mississippiensis alligator.
Prada wallets cost between $700 and $1,500, and they come in different sizes and styles, from small coin purses to wristlets to big wallets with several compartments.
6. Hats
Just like Prada, Hermès has a decent collection of hats. They offer caps, beanies, pop caps, newsboy caps, and wide-brimmed hats.
Prada hats are generally more expensive than those from Hermès.
Most of the hats from Hermès cost less than $1,000, with the most affordable ones at $340. The most expensive Prada hat costs $1,070, while the most affordable one costs $525.
7. Belts
While Prada has a good collection of belts, Hermès has more. You can choose from over a thousand belts on the official website.
Hermès belts are slightly more expensive than Prada belts.
The most affordable Prada belt costs $625, while the most expensive one costs $3,000. Meanwhile, Hermès belts start at only $345, but more than half of its collection are priced at more than $3,000.
The most expensive Hermès belt costs $20,545. This is the Mini Athena Belt Buckle and Reversible Leather Strap 13mm. It is a leather belt with a buckle made of white gold and encrusted with 1.5-carat white diamonds.
8. Fragrances
Compared to Prada, Hermès has a bigger collection of fragrances, and they are a bit more expensive.
For women, the most affordable perfume from Hermès is the Twilly Eau De Parfum collection which features three different scents, and each one costs $84 for a 30ml bottle.
The most affordable Prada perfume for women is a bit cheaper as the Prada Candy Eau De Parful 30ml is priced at $75.
The most expensive Hermès perfume is the Caleche Soie De Parfum which costs $199 for a 100ml bottle. Meanwhile, the most expensive Prada perfumes for women are the ones from the Infusion Collection, which cost $160 for a 100ml bottle.
For men, the most affordable Hermès perfume is the H24 Eau De Toilette which costs $82 for a 50ml bottle. The men’s most affordable Prada perfumes are from the Luna Rossa collection, priced at $80 for a 50ml bottle.
The most expensive Hermès men’s perfume is the de cologne Terre d’Hermes Parfum which costs $142 for a 100ml bottle, while for Prada, it is L’Homme Prada Eau De Toilette which costs $105 for a 100ml bottle.
Why Are Hermès Bags More Expensive Than Prada Bags?
Hermès was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès in Paris, France.
The brand originally catered to European noblemen and started as a manufacturer of bridles, saddles, and other leather riding gears. This is why the Hermès logo has a horse on it.
Several decades later, the brand expanded and created more leather goods, starting with leather handbags, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Since it is a more established brand in producing fine quality leather goods, Hermès is more expensive than Prada.
While both luxury brands have exhibited excellent craftsmanship through the bags they sell, Hermès uses materials of rarity and higher quality.
While Prada mainly uses Saffiano leather derived from calf, Hermès takes it up a notch by using leather from calf and other animals like lizards, ostrich, and crocodiles.
In addition, Hermès products tend to be very rare as it only manufactures a limited number of items per bag style and design. This is why Hermès bags have such high resale value.
Why Are The Rest Of Prada Products More Expensive Than Those From Hermès?
Even though Hermès bags and other leather goods are more expensive than Prada’s, the latter has more expensive products regarding clothing items and shoes.
This is because Prada is a more versatile brand than Hermès, specializing in more than one product type.
While Hermès is a household name in fashion, especially regarding bags and leather products, Prada is the more established brand in fashion overall.
Does Prada Or Hermès Sell More Products?
Hermès products may be extremely expensive for bags, but it sells more products than Prada.
In 2021, Hermès had total revenue of $11,656 million, slightly lower than its 2020 revenues, but these numbers still make Hermès the 4th highest selling luxury fashion brand in the world.
Meanwhile, Prada’s revenue in 2021 was only $3,384 million, ranking 8th overall in revenues in the luxury fashion sector.
Sources:
The Top 10 Most Expensive Designer Handbags In The World