Hermes Kelly 35 Bag Handmade In Togo Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 0L Gris Mayer

My first grey bag was a compromise. I wanted black and worried it would look severe, so I bought Gris Mayer, a level, unromantic mid-grey, and expected to trade it in within a year. I still own it. On the Kelly 35 in pebbled Togo with silver hardware, grey turns out to be the colour that makes every other decision easier: it takes navy, camel, olive and black in the same week, and it never once looked out of place in between.

The leather does its part. Togo’s grain is deep enough to swallow scuffs from car doors and café chairs, and the matte surface means dust barely registers; a quick brush every few weeks and it looks new. The bag is 35 by 24 by 12 cm, which carries a wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses, a paperback and a water bottle with room to spare, and the strap crosses the body comfortably on long walks.

Silver hardware keeps the grey cool and business-like; the turn-lock, sangles and clochette are all the familiar full-size parts, easy to handle with one hand.

One honest note about soft leather at this size: a 35 Togo with a heavy load, a laptop or a full water bottle, will bulge slightly at the base over time, because the leather has give but not armour. A light bag insert fixes it and keeps the lining tidy. It is the only accommodation I have had to make, and it costs nothing in looks.