Hermes Constance 19 CM Bag Handmade In Box Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 89 Noir

Every wardrobe eventually asks for a black evening bag, and I answered with box calfskin rather than a grain. Smooth, glossy box turns black into something with depth, liquid at the edges and matte only where light gives up, and with silver hardware the result is precise rather than romantic.

A shallow 4 cm body, nineteen centimetres wide, fifteen tall: it disappears under an arm and inspects nothing of what I carry. Phone, two cards in a slim holder, the house key and a lipstick. For anything more I take a tote, and I suspect most people will do the same once they live with it.

Box calf is the most traditional leather in this size class, and it is honest about what it is. On black, hairlines show sooner than they would on red or burgundy, because light picks out every surface mark. The consolation is that box takes a polish: a minute with a soft cloth brings the shine back, and the flap edge buffs to a glassy sheen that grained leather never achieves.

My advice is to decide before you buy whether you are a person who enjoys maintaining things. If you are, box is one of the great experiences in leather. If you are not, this bag will test you. The shape, at least, has been faultless: square corners, a perfect flap line and a clasp that has never caught on a coat. It has earned a permanent place on the shelf.