Hermes Kelly 2424 24/24 Bag 21CM Handmade In Evercolor and Swift Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 89 Noir

There is a version of every bag that exists to be packed in thirty seconds, and for me the black mini 2424 is it. Slung crossbody with the strap at its shortest, it sits out of the way while I get on with the day. No decision, no colour that has to be honoured that day; it simply goes and I follow.

The build is Evercolor and Swift in near-cubic proportions. The twenty-one centimetre frame is compact, but the gussets open right up, so the bag takes more than it looks like it should, and the silver hardware keeps its detailing recessive. Nothing flashes when I move. The strap hardware is small and quiet, so nothing taps when I walk; the bag moves with me rather than announcing itself.

Essentials only: it carries cards, keys and my phone, plus a lipstick in the space beside them, and it has never once made me feel under-packed at dinner.

Black is forgiving about almost everything except dust, which shows on it the way it shows on a piano. A ten-second wipe when I get home keeps the finish looking new, and I mind that far less than I would mind stains on a pale bag. One more note: because the leather is soft, I store mine with the strap laid flat inside rather than hanging it, and it has kept its line.

If you want one mini that works with a suit on Monday and jeans on Saturday, this is the one I would hand you first.