Hermes Kelly Mini 2 19CM Bag Handmade In Epsom Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 0S Vert Fizz

Vert Fizz is a watery, barely-there green — the shade of the inside of a lime rind, softened until it stops being sour. It is the kind of colour you notice on the second day of owning the bag rather than the first, and I have come to think that is its greatest quality. Silver hardware keeps the whole piece light and cool.

Epsom’s pressed grain makes pale greens safer than they have any right to be: the surface is even, rain-proof and resistant to the small scuffs that would show as darker smudges on a gentler leather. The bag also keeps its shape, so the colour stays laid out like paint rather than pooling in folds.

Inside the 19 x 12 x 5.5 cm Kelly Mini I carry a phone, a cardholder, keys and a lipstick. It goes with white shirts, grey wool and denim, and it looks best in the kind of outfit that does not contain a single other soft colour to compete with.

Two honest notes. This green is a seasonal mood in most wardrobes — many people pack it away for winter and rediscover it happily in spring, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it is not a year-round workhorse. And pale green is merciless next to yellow; worn against a buttery tone, it will look ill. Keep it with cool colours and it never misses.

As a gentle alternative to white bags, it is the one I recommend most.