Hermes In the Loop 18 Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Silver Hardware 0M Chai

Same milky latte brown, a cooler spoon. The silver hardware on this In the Loop 18 gives the Chai tone a more neutral, almost office-friendly cast than its gold twin, and the difference is larger in person than the two photographs suggest. Against a grey suit it looks bought together with the outfit.

The bucket underneath: eighteen centimetres wide, roughly nineteen and a half to the top of the loop, a twelve-centimetre base. One open interior, no dividers, a spongy pebbled Clemence body that leans gently against the hip when worn on the shoulder. In autumn I carry it over a wool coat; the taupe-brown then reads darker, closer to cocoa.

Daily contents: a wallet, a phone, a key pouch, a compact and, in cold months, a pair of thin gloves in the leftover space. Because the mouth is wide, packing takes seconds, and because the leather is soft there is no corner digging into the ribs when the strap is shortened. It is the bag I grab when I am running late and cannot afford a wrong choice.

One thing I would change: with silver fittings Chai loses a little of its warmth, which is either the point or a disappointment depending on your wardrobe. If you dress mostly in grey and black, silver wins; if your closet leans camel and cream, weigh the gold version carefully. My own wardrobe is grey, which decides it.