The Sac De Jour is Saint Laurent's roomy, Birkin inspired top handle bag, released in 2013 when Hedi Slimane dropped the Yves from the house name. On the secondhand market it sells for a fraction of its muse's price, which makes it one of the smartest pre-owned purchases in luxury. Here is the story, plus the tells that expose a fake.
What does the name Sac De Jour mean?
Sac De Jour is French for bag of the day, a fitting name for a design built to work every day of the week. The line launched in 2013, the moment Hedi Slimane took over the maison, dropped the Yves from Yves Saint Laurent and renamed the house Saint Laurent. The bag was his modern take on an icon, with the Hermès Birkin as the reference point.
The name also does the branding work: it promises versatility, and the bag earns that promise every time it leaves the house.
Why did the Sac De Jour cause a stir?
The Birkin resemblance did not go unnoticed, and it drew some debate at launch. The bag still became an instant fan favorite. Sleek lines, a simple silhouette and a genuinely roomy interior made it easy to carry, and celebrities around the world adopted it quickly, which is how a new release becomes a permanent fixture.
Counterfeiters have copied the shape for years, which is why the details below matter more than the silhouette.
The comparison is worth understanding, because the two bags share a shape language but not a market. The Birkin is an investment; the Sac De Jour is a style purchase. That distinction is exactly why it thrives in resale, where buyers can judge it on its own terms.
Is the Sac De Jour a good investment?
No, at least not in the narrow sense. The Sac De Jour does not hold value like a Birkin, and it was never built to. Resale prices reflect that honestly, which is where the opportunity lives: buying pre-loved skips the depreciation the first owner already absorbed, so you get the design and the leather without the retail haircut.
Treat it as a beautiful everyday bag you can sell later at a fair price, not as an asset in a vault. That reframe is why the Sac De Jour is such a strong pre-owned find.
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How do you spot a fake Sac De Jour?
The tells are in the details. Run these checks:
- The zipper should read Saint Laurent, and the hardware should feel thick and heavy rather than hollow.
- The lock and key should carry the Saint Laurent logo.
- The interior logo should match the embossed logo on the exterior.
- On the word Laurent, the letters N and T should touch slightly at the top. The Saint Laurent wordmark uses a Helvetica font, and Paris is set in the serif font Copperplate.
- The interior lining is ultra suede, and the raw seams are finished with a glossy wax coating.
- The leather should smell like leather. A plastic or chemical smell is a dead giveaway.
What does the pre-owned market look like?
The Sac De Jour moves through resale in a reliable set of finishes: deep blues, neutral greys, black with studs, and embossed croc treatments in rich colors like burgundy. Because the design has run across many seasons, there is usually something for every taste, including matching pairs that work for best friends or mother and daughter duos.
It also sits in the sweet spot of the resale market: recognizable enough to turn heads, practical enough to carry daily, and priced far enough below retail to feel like a discovery rather than a splurge.
Frequently asked questions
What does Sac De Jour mean in English?
Bag of the day. The name signals the design intent: a bag that works Monday through Sunday without asking for special occasions.
Does the Sac De Jour hold its value?
Not like a Birkin. It depreciates from retail, which is exactly why buying pre-owned is the smarter entry point.
Is the Sac De Jour inspired by the Hermès Birkin?
Yes. Hedi Slimane designed it as a modern take on the Birkin, and the similarity drew debate when the bag launched in 2013.
What is the fastest fake check?
Start with the zipper: it should read Saint Laurent, and the hardware should feel thick and heavy rather than light or hollow.
Meet the original icon in our story of the Hermès Kelly and Birkin, sharpen your eye with the guide to spotting fakes, then browse new arrivals for the next Sac De Jour to land.
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