Hermes Evelyne 16 CM Bag Handmade In Epsom Calfskin Leather Gold Hardware W0 Vert Bosphore

Vert Bosphore is a deep, cool green, the colour of water under a bridge at dusk, and I bought it for autumn, when it works with camel, oxblood and tweed in a way no bright green could. On Epsom, the shade has a polish that keeps it from ever reading as outdoorsy.

The leather is what gives the colour its edge. Epsom’s heat-embossed surface is even and firm, so the small Evelyne, 16 cm up, 18 across, 5 deep, holds its square silhouette like a little chest of drawers, and gold hardware glints against the dark green in the way brass does against painted wood. The strap adjusts to sit crossbody under a coat, which is how I wear it nine months a year.

Capacity is what the size allows: phone, cards in a slim holder, keys and a lipstick, with a rolled scarf tucked along the wall when it is cold enough. It is a companion bag rather than a carrier, so think train stations and long dinners, not farmers’ markets. In this dark green it looks equally correct with a suit or with a heavy knit.

A caveat about firm dark leathers: Epsom in a deep colour can show pale pressure marks where something has pressed against it in a bag or a car seat. Mine has a faint one near the corner, visible at an angle, and it has never bothered me, but there it is.

For winter wardrobes and anyone who wants one green that behaves like a classic, this is my recommendation in the small size.