First off, The RealReal is all about “authenticated” Hermès hats, selling them for, like, up to 90% off. Which, okay, sounds amazing. But then you think, “Wait, *authenticated*? So, are they… real Hermès or not?” Like, if they’re real, why are we calling it “Brandless”? Is it some weird marketing thing? My brain hurts already.
Then Reddit pops up with the “vintage and contemporary” angle, shipping ’em globally from boutiques. Okay, cool, expanding the scope. But still, that nagging question: what *is* a “Brandless Hermès” hat? Are we talking about a hat *inspired* by Hermès? Or are we talking about, like, a legit Hermès hat that someone ripped the label out of? (I mean, people *do* that, right?). It’s a freaking mystery!
And *then* you have these tracking sites (Hermes Tracking and Hermes Sendungsverfolgung – one’s German, I think?), that are just selling regular, full-on branded Hermès hats. Which just throws a wrench in the whole darn thing! Like, why are they even in this conversation? They’re not helping!
Vestiaire Collective is throwing “second-hand” and “pull-on hats” into the mix. Okay, second-hand makes sense. But “pull-on hats”? Is that, like, a beanie? Are we talking about Hermès beanies now? ‘Cause that’s a whole different level of bougie.
And THENNNN, Etsy (basically – “Caps —-Shop our hermes hat selection from top sellers and makers around the world. Global shipping available.”) chimes in with “top sellers and makers around the world.” So, are we talking about independent artists making hats *inspired* by Hermès? FINALLY! That makes a *little* bit of sense. Maybe “Brandless Hermès” is just code for “Hermès-esque” or “Hermès-style” without actually being a real Hermès hat.
Honestly? It’s all a bit of a mess. My guess? “Brandless Hermès hat” is a search term used by people who want the *look* of Hermès without the insane price tag. They’re looking for dupes, knock-offs, or just hats that have a similar vibe. It’s probably a loophole to avoid trademark issues or something, ya know?