Hermès Birkin 25 Bag Handmade In Epsom Calfskin Leather Gold Hardware 18 Etoupe

Etoupe in Epsom is a different animal from Etoupe in Togo, and it is worth being clear about the difference before choosing. Epsom’s heat-embossed grain gives the grey-taupe a fine, regular crosshatch pattern and a firm, boxy body, whereas the Togo version is softer and more pebbled. Epsom also takes gold hardware particularly well, because the pressed grain gives the metal a matte backdrop instead of a shiny one.

The dimensions do not change: twenty-five centimetres across the base, twenty to the top of the flap, thirteen deep, with gold-tone hardware. What changes is the way it behaves. This one stands squarely wherever you put it and does not fold.

Because the interior is rigid, everything stays where I put it. Phone, card case, keys, compact and lipstick sit upright and I can reach in without searching. It is a small bag that behaves in an organised way.

The limitation is the leather’s lack of give. Epsom will not stretch to accommodate an overfilled bag, and the flap will simply not close if you push it. Pack honestly, or not at all. I keep it out of prolonged sun, since embossed leathers can dry at the ridges if they bake on a windowsill.

On the plus side, the embossed surface resists scratches remarkably and cleans up with a wipe. Gold hardware on Etoupe is a warm, settled pairing that has aged gracefully for me.