Hermes Evelyne 23 CM Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Gold Hardware P9 Anemone

Anemone is the loudest thing I own, and I say that with affection. It is a deep, saturated flower purple that shifts between blue-violet indoors and something warmer in the sun, and it refuses to be a background colour.

In Clemence the shade has texture to match its intensity: the pebbled grain breaks up the surface so the purple never looks flat or synthetic. Gold hardware is the unexpected part, pink-gold warmth against violet, and it makes the Evelyne 23 feel like a piece you plan outfits around. The 23 by 7.5 by 23 cm body is squarely cut and crossbody simple.

Practically, this is an accent bag, so I keep the load light: phone, cardholder, keys, a lipstick and a compact. That is also what the colour asks for, since a full, lumpy purple bag loses its line. Worn against navy, charcoal or cream, it does the entire job of an outfit in one square of colour.

Honest note: nothing about this colour is versatile. It does not want to be your only bag, and it will not go with your olive coat. What it will do is lift a plain wardrobe every third day, and after two years of regular use mine still looks like the day it arrived.

Buy it because you know exactly what it is: one strong colour, done properly, in a leather that can take it.