Hermes Kelly 28 Bag Handmade In Epsom Calfskin Leather Gold Hardware S4 Deep Blue

Deep Blue is a colour with two lives. Indoors, under lamps and low ceilings, it is indistinguishable from black; in direct sunlight it opens into a dense, dark blue with a whisper of green at the edges. I have watched colleagues discover the difference mid-sentence, and it is the best trick this Kelly 28 plays.

In Epsom the trick stays crisp – the embossed grain holds the dye evenly, so the colour never muddies or fades at the fold lines. The 28 by 22 by 10 centimetre frame keeps its formal posture: wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses and a notebook inside, flap closing flat over the lot, strap detachable for dinner.

As a working bag it is close to indestructible in appearance: rain beads off, scuffs wipe away, and the surface does not absorb hand cream or newspaper ink. The rigid structure means the bag looks the same in year five as in month one, which is either the appeal or the limitation, depending on your taste.

The honest caution I give everyone about this colour: if you are buying it to see vivid blue, you will be disappointed most of the time. You are buying near-black with a secret. Buy it for that and you will love it.

With gold hardware warming the darkness, it is the most formal Kelly 28 I own that still works with jeans and a crisp white shirt.