Hermes Jypsiere Mini 23 Bag Handmade In Evercolor Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 0L Gris Meyer

Grey is the most useful colour in a wardrobe and the easiest to neglect. Gris Meyer earns its place by refusing to be anonymous: a mid-grey with a faint green whisper that makes white shirts and camel coats look deliberate rather than accidental. It also, quietly, makes everything around it look sharper.

Five centimetres through the body keeps the bag flat, and it carries a phone, keys, cards and a lipstick without persuasion. I wear mine crossbody with the strap shortened a notch, where it sits at the natural break of a coat and stays out of the way of seatbelts. The strap is set high enough to clear a coat collar.

Evercolor’s fine grain gives the grey warmth, and the silver-tone fittings have a soft shine that suits a muted colour. On a busy monochrome outfit the bag slips into rhythm with everything, which is more of a skill than it sounds. Over a knitted dress in winter, the green undertone warms the whole look.

One honest caveat: this grey photographs flat, and on a screen it can look plainer than it is. Give it daylight judgment instead. In person the depth and slight green undertone are what stop it from being just another grey bag. It will make you question why you ever bought a loud bag. Judge a grey by how often you reach for it, not by how it looks on a shelf.