Hermes Evelyne 16 CM Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Silver Hardware 3w Prunoir

Prunoir sits somewhere between aubergine and black, which makes it the most understated of the deep Evelynes and my default for anything formal. Under restaurant lighting it is black; in daylight the plum comes through, and it is the most useful colour trick in my wardrobe, especially in winter.

The Evelyne 16 carries 16 cm of height and 18 cm of width with a 5 cm gusset, small but not a toy. Clemence keeps it soft against the body, the silver hardware stays quiet against the dark leather, and the cut-out H at the front is the only decoration, exactly as it should be. The strap adjusts from long crossbody to shoulder length in seconds.

My load is fixed: phone, a slim cardholder, two keys on a ring, a lipstick. That is the honest capacity. It will not take a notebook, a sunglasses case and a wallet together, so pick two and the bag keeps its shape. For evenings out it is faultless.

One trade-off worth stating: dark leather in this plum tone hides marks well but picks up lint from wool coats, which I brush off with my hand. And like all Clemence pieces it is soft rather than rigid, so it will lean when empty and sit upright once it is full.

For a small formal bag that stops short of predictable black, Prunoir is the one I recommend without hesitation.