Hermes Birkin 25 Bag Handmade In Togo Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 7U Blue Navy

The best way to describe Blue Navy is a black bag that decided to have a personality. In low light it reads almost black; step outside and the blue comes forward. For that reason it has become the one I travel with most, because it goes with everything I pack. The other reason it travels well: navy hides a mark from an overhead locker, a seatbelt rub or a crowded train far better than any pale bag.

Togo from France, silver hardware, twenty-five by twenty by thirteen centimetres. The pebble grain gives the navy a matte depth that flat smooth leather cannot match, and it hides the sort of marks that a satin-finish dark leather would advertise. In direct sun the grain shows a fine sheen, but indoors the surface stays deep and almost black, so it works from morning to evening.

Packing it for a flight: passport in a slim wallet, phone, a folding card case, keys and a small pouch with a charger. It closes easily with all of that, and the flap stays flat rather than bulging.

The one drawback is interior visibility. A dark navy lining means dark objects disappear. I keep things in distinct pouches rather than loose, which solves it but adds a habit. It has also become the bag I lend to no one, which tells you how much I rely on it.

Hardware is silver-tone and sharply defined against the dark leather, so the plates catch the eye without being flashy. Corners remain tight after regular use.