Hermes In the Loop 18 Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Gold Hardware 0L Gris Meyer

Grey is the colour I wear most and think about least, which is why Gris Meyer caught me off guard: a warm grey with a flicker of mink in it, neither the cool concrete of office carpet nor the beige of a rental car. Against black tailoring it reads soft; against navy it reads almost mushroom. Worn with cream it looks like stone in the sun.

In the In the Loop 18 format that means a bucket eighteen centimetres across, just under twenty with the handle, and a twelve-centimetre gusset that holds more than the mouth promises. Clemence, the spongy pebbled calfskin, keeps the tone matte and calm, and the gold hardware adds a single warm glint without turning the bag traditional. The leather folds where it meets the body the way felt does.

A working day inside: a phone, keys, a wallet, reading glasses in a slim case and a compact. The shoulder carry keeps both hands free on the metro, and the loop handle means it never has to touch the floor. When the bag is put down on a desk it slouches into a low cushion, which I find reassuring rather than messy.

One thing to know before you commit: warm greys are sensitive neighbours. Against cool lilacs and icy blues the bag can look slightly brown, and it is at its best with cream, camel, navy and black. That is a narrow complaint about a very wide-ranging bag, and it is the only one I have.