Hermes Birkin 35 Bag Handmade In Togo Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 18 Etoupe

Some bags are for a city afternoon; a 35 in Etoupe is for a travel day. The first time I took a Birkin 35 through an airport, what struck me was how much the extra width changes the way you use it: a folder of documents, a laptop up to about thirteen inches, a pouch of cables and a paperback all go in without the yanking and rearranging a smaller frame demands.

At thirty-five by twenty-five by eighteen centimetres there is real depth to this bag, and Togo’s pebbled drape means it takes on the shape of what you put inside instead of refusing it. Etoupe is the sensible colour for this kind of use, since a greyed taupe hides the scuffs of security trays and taxi seats far better than pale or black, and the silver hardware looks no worse for the knocks.

What I would still not carry in it: a heavy water bottle, a stack of hardback books, or anything that makes the bag genuinely unbalanced on the arm. The one thing a Birkin will not do is ride on your shoulder, so a 35 that is too full becomes a workout by the end of the day.

Treat it as a workhorse that happens to be elegant and it rewards you: the grain forgives, the colour is quietly useful, and the size means you can carry one bag for a whole day of meetings instead of juggling a tote and a handbag.