Hermes Kelly 28 Bag Handmade In Togo Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 89 Noir

Every collection has one bag that requires no thought, and in mine it is this Noir Togo Kelly 28. Black is less a colour you choose than a colour you stop having to think about, and Togo’s pebbled grain makes it a working black – matte, soft, kind to repair – rather than a sharp, high-shine evening black.

In daily use the grain behaves: keys do not scratch through it, cafe chairs leave nothing behind, and the corners keep their colour through a season of school runs. The 28 by 22 by 10 centimetre format holds wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses and a small pouch, and the strap lets me wear it hands-free when I am carrying a coffee and a child’s violin case.

Silver hardware on black is the cooler, more modern pairing; gold would look more traditional, and both are correct in their own way. I chose silver because this bag spends more time in daylight than under chandeliers.

Honest notes, and there are three. Silver fittings pick up fine scratches over years, visible against black. The light interior lining shows marks sooner than a dark one would. And Togo will slouch gently at the top as the bag fills. None of these has ever made me reach for a different bag instead.

If someone is buying a first Kelly 28 and wants the safest possible choice, this is what I point them to – a black that looks soft rather than formal.