Hermes Picotin Lock 18 CM Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Swift Gold Hardware 10 Craie 37 Gold

Craie is French for chalk, and the name is honest: this is a soft, powdery white without a trace of cream, paired with the golden-tan tone the house calls simply Gold. Together they read like fresh bread and honey – clean, warm, impossible to dislike. It is the most summery two-tone I have seen.

Sized eighteen on the square with thirteen of depth, the small Picotin is worked in Clemence with Swift, the smoother calfskin, finishing the crisper lines. Gold hardware completes the two-tone warmth, and the whole palette feels made for linen and straw.

A phone, cards, a key ring and sunglasses go in, and I keep the contents deliberately pale and tidy because the open top makes everything visible. The bag suits long lunches, garden parties and any day when winter has gone on long enough.

The honest trade: white leather of any kind asks for care, and chalk-white especially so – denim, newsprint, ink and dark leather jackets are all risks. Both Clemence and Swift wipe clean with a dry cloth, but blot rather than scrub, and this bag will stay bright for seasons rather than months.

If the two-tone idea still feels bold, come back to it in summer: against tans and whites it looks like the easiest thing in the world, and you will wonder why every bag is not paired this way. Mine has survived two holidays and one very close encounter with a gelato.