Hermes Jypsiere Mini 23 Bag Handmade In Evercolor Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 71 Blue France

Blue France is what most people picture when they say navy: deep, saturated, serious, with just enough life in it to avoid black. In Evercolor it looks almost ink-dark in a dim room and unmistakably blue in the sun, which is a range I enjoy having on my shoulder. It is the bag I hand to a friend heading into a serious meeting.

Twenty-three centimetres of width suits a phone, a cardholder, keys and a flat comb, with the strap-over flap keeping the contents sound while I walk. The bag sits neatly against the body, and the adjustable strap takes it from hip to crossbody without fuss. The interior stays flat, so cards can be pulled out without lifting anything else. At the end of a workday it still sits as neatly as it did at breakfast.

Silver hardware reads honestly against this blue, and the fine Evercolor grain prevents the dark surface from looking flat under indoor light. Compared with the paler blues in this line, it is the one that will still look right in November. Gold would have made the blue look older; silver keeps it current.

A candid note: against dark tailoring the bag blends so completely that only the hardware speaks, and if you need your accessories to stand out, that is a problem rather than a virtue. If you like the idea of a secret, deeply blue bag, this is exactly the point. I have worn it to interviews, funerals and two weddings.