Hermes Lindy 26 CM Bag Handmade In Taurillon Clemence Leather Silver Hardware 8Q Beige Marfa

Beige and blue denim: if there is a more reliable combination in casual dressing, I have not found it. This Lindy 26 in Beige Marfa – a sandy tone with a warm blush underneath – has become my weekend bag, and it has yet to meet an outfit it argued with.

Twenty-six by eighteen by twelve centimetres is a deceptively useful size. In Clemence’s thick, pebbled leather the bag holds a compact wallet, a phone, keys, sunglasses in a soft pouch and a small bottle of water; the top folds over everything when you carry it by the strap. Silver hardware keeps the sand tone from tipping yellow.

The exterior pockets, with their little clasped flaps, are the unsung heroes – a phone slides into one, a glove or a parking stub into the other, and your hands stay free. The rolled handles are there when you want a hand-carry look for lunch.

Honest note: light beige Clemence will pick up a grey halo on the back panel if you wear it crossbody over a dark wool coat all winter. Mine has a faint one and it brushes away with a suede cloth; still, if you want zero maintenance, choose a darker leather over this one.

For spring and summer, though, it is the neutral that makes denim look expensive. The strap can also be pulled short enough to read as a shoulder bag for lunch, which is useful when crossbody feels too casual.