Hermes Kelly Mini 2 19CM Bag Handmade In Bright Faced Alligator Leather from Mississippi Gold Hardware M3 Blue Encer

There is blue, and then there is enamel blue. M3 sits in the second category: deep enough to pass for near-black in a dim restaurant, alive enough to read clearly as ink in daylight, and on bright-faced alligator the scales throw back little highlights as you move. I have owned blue bags that faded into the background of my wardrobe; this one is the opposite of anonymous.

Alligator from Mississippi is farmed and finished to a gloss so even that it looks lacquered. Each scale is a separate little tile, and running a thumb across the surface is half the pleasure of owning it. Gold hardware was the right call on the model I handled, because the warm metal draws out the depth of the blue instead of freezing it.

Practically, 19cm fits a phone, a compact, keys and a cardholder, and the firm gator walls keep them separated rather than jumbled. This is an evening bag that photographs beautifully under warm light.

Honest notes: bright alligator shows fingerprints and water spots more readily than matte, and the glaze asks to be wiped rather than ignored. Store it in its dust bag away from radiators. If you want a bag you can throw around, choose matte instead; if you want one that catches candlelight, this is it.

As a rule I wear it with dark tailoring so the enamel blue is the only colour in the frame, and I have never once thought it looked like too much.