Hermes Evelyne 23 CM Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Silver Hardware 89 Noir

A black Evelyne is the least dramatic way to carry this design, and that is exactly the point. On Noir, the cut-out H all but vanishes into the leather, so the bag reads as a clean square with a strap and nothing else. Nobody notices it, which I have come to prefer.

Clemence in black shows every variation in the grain, and there is more texture here than on any smooth black bag I have owned: matte in one light, faintly sheened in another. The silver hardware stays crisp against it and, in my experience, collects fewer obvious scratches than a polished gold finish would.

My daily load: phone, wallet, keys in a pouch, sunglasses, and a slim water bottle in the corner. The 23 cm width and 7.5 cm depth handle that without strain. The long strap, worn crossbody, turns it into a hands-free bag for markets, airports and school pickups; the same strap on the shoulder works with a coat.

Two honest points. Black Clemence can look slightly grey where it bends, which shows the bag has a life of its own; some hate that, I do not. And with everything black, finding your keys inside takes a second, so I use a light-coloured pouch.

If your wardrobe is mostly dark and you want one bag to match nearly all of it, this is the bag I would hand you.