The Hermès Twilly: To Tie One On….or (K)not?

The twilly can be both a useful and fun addition to your bag. Come learn how and why to use one!

So you’ve finally scored that gorgeous Hermès bag you’ve been dreaming of. Congratulations! Now you need to decide – are you team twilly or no twilly?

What’s a Twilly?

It’s a double-sided ribbon, made of the same silk twill (hence the name) as an Hermès scarf. Twillies are also produced like the scarves and are printed with Hermès scarf designs. Many Hermès fans enjoy using twillies to decorate their Birkins, Kellys, Constances…or any kind of bag at all, whether made by Hermès or not. While some see the addition of a twilly as purely decorative – and they certainly are fun – they can also be functional.

Oddly, per the Hermès website, the official dimensions of a twilly are 2” wide by 32” long (I really do recall them being 33″ long but the website currently says 32″), but in actuality, these dimensions are, ah…approximate.

Twilly lengths can vary.
Twilly lengths can vary. These twillies are both in the “Tree of Song” design, but are not the same length and are both longer than the official length of 32″.

Twillies are a relatively new product for Hermès. Launched for Autumn-Winter 2003, the “little newcomer” does not seem to even have been originally contemplated for use on a bag, with catalog photos demonstrating it worn on the head, neck and wrist. It didn’t take too long, however, for the customers to get creative with their new silk “gem(s)”, eventually adding them to their bag handles, as well as their belt loops, shoes and many other ingenious places. 

Intro to the Twilly
Hermès’ Introduction of the Twilly, as presented in the Autumn/Winter 2003 scarf catalog.
More Original Twilly Info
The first season, twillies were offered in just a few simple designs and colors. From the Autumn/WInter 2003 scarf catalog.
Original wearing twillies
Twillies were initially marketed to be worn like a scarf; in the catalog, it was shown on the head, hair, neck and wrist.

While many people do enjoy using their twillies on their bags, many others prefer their bags to go au naturel. That’s certainly a very popular choice, but as mentioned, these twillies can sometimes serve a useful purpose. With the ever-growing increase in the popularity of Birkins and Kellys, and the concomitant ever-rising prices for them, many customers have become increasingly concerned with protecting their bags from unnecessary wear and tear. Now, of course, while a certain amount of wear and tear is inevitable (and in some circles, even desired), there is something to be said for avoiding as much dirt as possible, to prolong the time one can enjoy the bag before it has to be taken in to the “Hermès spa” for repair and/or cleaning, and for this the twilly is key. As much as we try to keep our hands clean, there will always be a certain amount of natural oils on them; this is great for, say, rubbing out a scratch from box leather, but it’s not so good for keeping bag handles clean, especially on the lighter-colored bags. The twilly can protect your bag handles from the natural oils on your hands (and the dirt and color fade that come from those oils), as well as anything else that may be on them. 

What, however, if you don’t have a light-colored bag, or even a top handle? Well, of course you can still use them to decorate your bag. While many people may find a twilly to be fussy or feminine, they can also be pretty and whimsical. Tied to any strap or loop, the twilly adds a bit of color and liveliness – and let’s face it, as much as we love our bags, we carry them every single day, so sometimes adding something just a bit different can be very welcome. Further, while some may find twillies to perhaps be a bit too whimsical, it really is just a matter of personal preference, and one’s individual taste and style. I say this as someone whose mother (in her early seventies) loves the rodeo bag charms and is quite the enabler!

Once you start using the twillies, however, you’re bound to get a little addicted and even creative with them. There is another bonus to using the twillies, especially if (like me) you like to wear color, and/or your bag is not a neutral color; with the many design options for twillies available, you can coordinate your bag to whatever you are wearing. Hermès scarf designs are always made in colors to coordinate with their leather goods, so there is almost always a twilly option (and usually several) to match your bag as well as your outfit. 

 

A bag with twillies coordinates an outfit
I have a tendency to wear a lot of color. With the twillies and even a scarf, I can look put together no matter which of these colors I wear.

 

So, how to tie a twilly? That can take a little practice. While many SAs will now offer to tie the twillies on your bag for you, eventually they will come loose, or you will want to change them, so it’s always good to know how to do this. Although there are many ways to tie them on a handle, there are three methods that are very popular. While these methods of tying don’t have any official names (at least that I am aware of), I will call them the asymmetrical, the symmetrical and the bow.

Asymmetrical Tie

For me, this is the easiest and most practical tying method, because you don’t have to worry about making your ends even like you do when you’re tying symmetrically. I have successfully done this in the passenger’s seat of a car in the dark many times (because my husband is patient but always ready to leave about ten minutes before I am), and once you get the hang of it, it’s really not difficult.

Here’s what an asymmetrical tie  looks like:

Assymetrical twilly tied
Mythiques Phoenix twilly tied on a Birkin handle asymmetrically.

The technique:

(Please be kind, this is my first “how to” video! )

Symmetrical Tie

This is the most common way of tying your twilly to the bag handle, at least that I have seen. It takes some practice, because (especially if you are a bit particular about the ends being even) you have to figure out where the exact middle is and then wrap the handles evenly all the way down each side.

Here’s what an symmetrical tie looks like:

 

Twilly Tie - Symmetrical
Mythiques Phoenix twilly tied on a Birkin handle symmetrically.

The technique:

Bow Tie

This one is sort of a mystery to me. It’s adorable and when executed successfully it looks great; however, this is definitely the hardest of the three methods to tie properly. For most of the photos and videos I have seen demonstrating this method. it seems that either: 1. the ribbon they are using to tie the both is not an actual Hermès twilly, and/or 2. the bag they are tying the twilly on is not an Hermès bag. Of course, if you are using a longer ribbon to tie, it will be easier to do, because you do run into somewhat of a length limit when you get to the end that needs to be tied in a bow. Remember to use as little of the length as possible when wrapping the bag handle, so that you have as much left to tie the bow as possible, and also both methods of tying involve the “rabbit ears” method of tying.

Here’s what a bow tie looks like:

Method 1:

Twilly Bow Tie 1
Animapolis Twilly tied in a bow, Method 1

Method 2:

Twilly Bow Tie 2
Animapolis Twilly tied in a bow, Method 2

There are at least two methods of tying a bow with a twilly, and I still need to practice both of them,  but for what it’s worth, here they are:

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MademoiselleConnasse

To each their own, but I don’t care for the way these look. I like my H bags devoid of unnecessary scarves, charms, and other parasites.

Michee F

I agree, except I do like to tie a regular H scarf on the handle. It’s my trademark. The prices
for the discontinued tchotchkes are RIDICULOUS. I have seen resellers price discontinued Breloque charms at up to 14K! They were already overpriced when Hermès was selling them for $600.

Nina

Parasite? That’s really a gross descriptor, but whatever.

MademoiselleConnasse

It’s called a metaphor.

jewelnabq01 .

Wow! How pathetic. You seriously have no life. Get one.

Vlad Dusil

Sanitized this thread from all the unnecessary infighting.

C

As a fellow lover of bright colors and patterns, twillies are versatile and look delightful. I was at Fendi recently and the SA wrapped a leopard print twilly over an otherwise staid and plain Peekaboo handle, and the overall look was fantastic.

That being said, the profit margins on these must be crazy. The twilly and any brand that sells them really benefits from its RELATIVE affordability. The thought of someone asking me out of the blue if I want to spend $200 ($400 if you’re wrapping both handles) on a little strip of silk is laughable. But when you’ve already dropped $4-15k on a bag, $200 feels like a mere rounding error.

How well does the silk stand up to our oily, grimy hands? When the twilly gets a little worn, can you dry clean it or do you just toss it and buy another?

Notorious Pink

I do hand wash my twillies. A little Dawn dish soap and cold water has worked for me.

Polkadotbird

You can gently handwash silk scarves – I handwashed a silk Hermes scarf that I’d bought secondhand and all the “stains” came out, so it’s quite effective. If I had a twilly and it got a little worn, I would just handwash it. You could dry-clean it if you prefer.

Michee F

I dislike twillies on Hermès bags. I WANT my Hermès bags to show that they have been a decades long part of my life. I don’t want some precious, nouveau bag that must remain pristine and ready for resale the moment I become bored with them and want a new one.

As Hermès has become more known to the masses, fussing over the bags and thinking of them as cash cows has become a relatively new phenomenon. So what if the oils from my hand wear the underside of the handle? My bag is not an “investment”, it’s a part of ME – and I love it’s patina and wear. I take reasonably good care of all of my Hermès bags, but other than that, I don’t worry about them. Plus, as long as I am living I will never sell any of them. Ever.

Lori

I would love to wrap a twilly around the handles of my Birkin, but I don’t like the look. I would only do it to protect the bag. So instead I try to carry the bag on the crook of my arm to protect the handles rather than the fussy twilly look.

Notorious Pink

Many people don’t use them. Where I live, I rarely see anyone else with them!

Baglady164

Sounds like NYC. Me either.

Aliza Zibkoff

Personally not a big fan of the scarf wrapped look. It kind of remind me of “Grey Gardens” in the worst way! Definitely not weighing down my Hermès with any tchotchkes, they are heavy enough as it is.

Karen

I didn’t know what you meant by “Grey Gardens” so I googled it, watched a trailer, and know I understand. I found it odd that the characters wore so many scarves, but I think the twilly is pretty on the Hermes bags.

Vlaibl

I love twillies! I wrap my single handle bags, which tend to be minimalist, with a twilly that coordinates with my outfit. I’m a symmetric wrap kinda girl. I just make my husband wait!!

Notorious Pink

I’ve gotten good at doing it in the car! Yours must be more patient than mine! 😉

Vlaibl

He never knew a single thing about handbags. Over the years, he’s developed a great appreciation and knowledge base for them. Female coworkers ask him questions which is hilarious. He’s proud to know so much now. So he’s tolerant.

Vlaibl

I love twillies! I wrap my single handle bags, which tend to be minimalist, with a twilly that coordinates with my outfit. I’m a symmetric wrap kinda girl. I just make my husband wait!!

SarahMcGee

My Hermes SA informed me that Hermes will not replace the handles of my Birkin’s or Kelly’s and strongly recommends protecting the handles from the oils, etc. on my hands with a twilly. I only purchase one, on occasion, to decorate my bag. I don’t wrap the handles since I don’t like the feel of silk beneath my fingers, but I love how they look wrapped. However, if they were only produced in 2003, and not necessarily created to protect the handles, what was used to protect the handles prior to the invention of the twilly, if anything? Is this a marketing scheme or do they legitimately protect the bag handles? Also, thank you for making the video’s, you did a fabulous job!

Baglady164

I have a Hermes pocket square I keep in the bag and just pull it out if I’m going to be carrying a bag with light colored handles for any length of time or if I have hand lotion on or it’s really warm outside. It’s discrete, easy and doesn’t change the look of the bag if you’re not into that.

Notorious Pink

As far as I recall, there wasn’t anything. But these bags have seriously gotten only exponentially more popular over the past 15-20 years. I’ve heard handles can be replaced if they are very damaged (and it’s pretty costly to have it done).

I have found that the twillies do a good job of protecting the handles. It’s really not as important with a darker bag, as the dirt doesn’t show as easily. I just love using them for the pop of color.

Thanks for the positive feedback on my videos – they were my first ones!!!

Giselle

Will the twillies make the color of the handles look different? Since the whole bag is exposed to sun and oils, and handles are wrapped.

Cat

I’m also not a huge fan of the wrap, but I do like a little knot of bow just as decoration.

Notorious Pink
Sofia

I mainly use the twillies to keep my Birkins’ handles clean. Thank you for the tutorials! Can’t wait to try the bow! Here’s pics of my Birkins with the symmetrical tiecomment imagecomment image

Callie

These are so pretty! Is the etoupe (?) a 30cm and the orange a 25cm?

Sofia

Thank you! They are both 25cm, and the brown one is a color called ‘biscuit’

TheCityGirl

If I do use twillies (I usually don’t) I’m all about the symmetrical knot! comment imagecomment image

Callie

Your bags are so pretty, too! I don’t know which one I like the best! The twilly’s match the bags perfectly!

TheCityGirl

Thank you so much! I love how I can switch up the look/style of them by just switching out twillies (or opting for none at all, too).

Sparky

I think wrapping the handles looks pompous.

Laura

Pompous? How?

Sparky

Seems to make the bag too precious ( I bought this now I have to protect it to use it). Draws extra attention. Any bag with wrapped handles, not just Hermes. Strikes me as excessive. Looks pretty though!

Laura

I understand your point. Thanks for clarifying!

Sparky

Most welcome!

Donna Warder

I’m an “au naturel” girl. I find that the Twillies slip off the handles to easily. So why bother? If they were longer, I’d wear them as a belt.

HappyFace313

I think Twillies are a cute addition to every bag.
Mainly I use them to add a dash of color to a rather neutral bag, or as a shoulder strap for an LV Pochette Accessoires. I truly like the versatility of Twillies. 🙂

Katie Bees

I wrap the handles on both my B’s and K’s when I am traveling, in the summer (sweaty hands are gross), as well as when I am consistently using one of them (3 or more times a week). The last thing I want to do is send my bag to the H spa to come back looking fresh and new with handles that look old and worn.

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