Noir
Black — the most liquid resale color.
Noir is the French term for black, used by Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Celine to designate their canonical black leather color. It is the most universally liquid color across all brands and models — always commands the deepest secondary market, lowest variance in pricing, fastest sell-through rates. Noir is the textbook 'reference color' against which every other color's premium or discount is measured.
History
Black has been the default luxury leather color since the early 20th century. Coco Chanel's 1955 2.55 was black. Hermès Birkin's first-ever production (1984) was a black Box Calf. The dominance of black as the liquid color has only deepened over time as more buyers enter the secondary market for the first time.
How to identify
True Noir is a deep black with no visible undertone. Compare to Vert Noir (very dark green-black) which photographs as black but shows green under direct light. Noir Togo is the textbook reference — if your bag photographs absolutely flat black with no undertone, it is Noir.
Price impact
Baseline reference for liquidity, not necessarily for price premium. On Hermès Birkin 30 in Togo, Noir is the median of pricing. On Chanel Classic Flap Medium Caviar, Noir is the deepest market with the highest sell-through rate. On all brands, Noir sells fastest and trades within the tightest IQR.
Used by: Hermès · Chanel · Louis Vuitton · Dior · Celine
Variants featuring Noir
Live data from our aggregations. Click any variant for full statistics.
- Hermès Birkin30 · Togo · Noir (Black) · Palladium Hardware$26,424
- Hermès Kelly28 · Epsom · Noir (Black) · Gold Hardware$23,164
- Hermès Kelly25 · Togo · Noir (Black) · Palladium Hardware$26,541
- Louis Vuitton CapucinesBB · Taurillon · Noir (Black) · Gold Hardware$5,606
- Hermès Birkin25 · Epsom · Noir (Black) · Gold Hardware$30,969
- Hermès Kelly32 · Togo · Noir (Black) · Palladium Hardware$20,421
- Hermès Birkin35 · Togo · Noir (Black) · Palladium Hardware$22,394
- Louis Vuitton CapucinesGM · Taurillon · Noir (Black) · Gold Hardware$8,874
Frequently asked
Is Noir the same as Black on Chanel?
Yes. Chanel uses both 'Noir' and 'Black' in product descriptions depending on the market and era. Both refer to the same color.
Should I buy a Noir bag as my first luxury purchase?
From a resale perspective, Noir provides the deepest liquidity if you ever decide to sell. From a style perspective, it pairs with everything. Both considerations align toward Noir for a first purchase.
Related terms
- Togo · Grained calfskin, soft hand, retains shape.
- Epsom · Embossed calfskin, stiff, holds vibrant color.
- Clémence · Heavy baby-bull leather, slouchy, matte.
- Swift · Smooth calfskin, color-saturated, scratches show.
- Box Calf · Smooth lustrous calfskin, archival prestige.
- Chèvre · Goatskin, scratch-resistant, lightweight.