Hermes Kelly 35 Bag Handmade In Epsom Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 75 Bleu Jean

Bleu Jean is not really denim blue, which is exactly why it works where denim blue would not. Seen in daylight it is softer, a shaded cornflower with grey in it; in a boardroom it reads as a serious navy. On a rigid Epsom Kelly 35 with silver hardware, the colour looks quieter the more formally you dress, and warmer with chambray and linen.

Epsom carries the shade beautifully. Its embossed grain is even and light-grained, so the surface reflects softly instead of picking up glare, and the bag stands square at 35 by 24 by 12 cm whether it is holding a laptop sleeve or just a wallet. The grain also resists water well: I walked mine through a drizzle and the drops beaded off, no marks left behind.

In daily use the 35 is the size where a Kelly stops being a gesture and becomes a tool. Keys, phone, a document folder, a compact camera and a folded scarf all fit without negotiation, and the shoulder strap keeps both hands free on a commute.

The trade-offs are the honest part. Structured Epsom has almost no give, so the bag will not swallow an extra jumper the way Togo will; what fits on Monday fits on Friday, no more. And the strap is fine enough to dig slightly into a shoulder over a long day of walking. Neither bothers me, because what I wanted from this bag was exactly this: a blue that behaves as well as it looks.