Hermes Kelly Pochette Handmade In Swift Calfskin Leather Silver Hardware 9D Jaune Amber

I own three yellow bags and Jaune Amber is the middle child: warmer than a lemon, less brassy than a mustard, roughly the colour of good honey in a jar. On Swift calfskin the shade lands a little deeper than it appears on a screen, which suits anyone who worries that yellow washes them out.

Shape and size are the Kelly Pochette standard, so you get a 22 cm body, 12 cm of height and a 7 cm gusset, with silver hardware keeping the warm tone from tipping into autumn leaf territory. What actually fits: house keys, a phone, cards and a tinted balm. Adding much more than that robs the piece of its clean line. I once tried it with a compact camera and regretted it by lunchtime.

Swift is smooth and takes dye beautifully, so there is no mottling across the flap, and the leather folds without cracking. The trade-offs are the usual ones for a vivid smooth calfskin: fine scratches appear where rings and zips brush the surface, and strong sun over several years will gently deepen any yellow. Mine lives out of direct light on a shelf when not in use.

It works with navy, white, olive and brown, and I like it best with a grey knit in early spring, when everyone else is still wearing black. In summer it looks right against linen, and in January it warms a charcoal coat better than red does.