In the fall of 2023, Ferragamo sent the Hug bag down its runway in Milan, under creative director Maximilian Davis. The house says the form is inspired by the representation of a hug: an embracing shape, and a nod to the people who make it. Two leather arms fold round the body and lock at the front. That is the whole idea, and it is a good one.

What I like about the Ferragamo Hug bag is how much house history sits in the hardware. Salvatore Ferragamo came back to Italy in 1927 after twelve years in the United States and set up his first company on Via Mannelli in Florence. In 1938 he bought Palazzo Spini Feroni, a 13th-century building near the Santa Trinità bridge, and the company has worked from it since. House legend says the Gancini hook on the buckles came from that building's ironwork and the iron hooks set into its side for tethering horses. So every clasp is a small postcard from Florence.

The quiet end of the range is where I would begin in October. The Hug Soft Shoulder Bag (M) in black has a slim top handle and gold-tone Gancini buckles at the sides, and it works with a camel coat and a gray knit. The Hug East-West in warm taupe and dusty pink and the one in Mascarpone both have long arched straps, so they sit under the arm like a baguette. For a bigger day, the Hug Handbag (L) in black has the clochette and buckle straps. The Mini Hug crossbody in Nero is the one for weekends, and the Small Hug top-handle has a red interior that I find very cheerful.

Practical tip: look at how the side panels meet at the front. Close both Gancini buckles and check that the leather sits flat and the two arms line up.

Ferragamo makes the Hug in grained leather, brushed calfskin, patent and nubuck, and color is where those finishes show off. Hold the bag in daylight before you decide, because a plum grain and a glossy patent are two different bags in the same shape.

The Hug Soft Shoulder Bag (M) in denim is the easy blue, with a slim black handle that keeps it grounded. In plum, the same shape looks richer with a charcoal coat and black tights. The Hug Handbag (L) in sky blue is crochet-textured with silver-tone buckles, which makes it the one for a bright day, a white shirt and straight jeans. The College Red shoulder bag has a pale pink interior, a small surprise every time you open it.

For evening, the Hug Whispers in navy patent is an east-west shape with a long arched strap, and the gloss catches light nicely against a black dress. The Hug Hammered crossbody in moss is my pick for a green wool skirt and brown boots. The orange alligator-effect suede shoulder bag is the loud one, and the Burgundy top-handle is the one that goes with everything in a fall closet.

The test: stand at a mirror and see if the color fights your coat. Take the strap off and check that the bag still looks finished.

What I would skip: the brightest orange if your outerwear is already patterned. Let one thing be loud.

Vogue notes the Hug comes in a few sizes and shapes, and the smallest ones are a different thing altogether. They stop being a daily bag and become a finishing touch, the way a good earring does.

The Hug Handbag (XS) comes in warm taupe and dusty pink, midnight blue, and a light denim version in laser-cut leather with a drawstring lining. It measures about 5.5 inches high and 8.8 inches long, so a phone, a card and a lip balm is the honest limit. I would take the midnight blue to a dinner with a satin skirt and flat boots. The Hug Mini Denim Handbag is the casual one, and it looks right with a white tee and a dark jean in October.

The Hug Mini Leather Top Handle in dusty pink is soft against a gray sweater. The Mini Hug Crochet Raffia in Cremino is the summer shape, and I would carry it into early fall with a camel trench. The Extra-Small Leather Shoulder Bag in brown and the Mini Hug crossbody in light camel are the ones that read as neutrals and keep the hands free.

Fitting-room test: put your actual phone in it and close both buckles. If the panels bulge, go up a size.

What I would skip: the tiniest size if you carry a full-size wallet. It will only frustrate you.

A bag as structured as the Hug needs a slouchier cousin, and the Soft versions are exactly that. Ferragamo's Florence company dates to 1927, and the Soft versions trade the frame's structure for a looser, easier drape.

The Hug Soft Shoulder Bag (M) in Testa di Moro has a dense weave of leather straps in calfskin, and a strap length of 21.7 inches, so it sits comfortably over a coat. In natural brown, the same size is in textured suede. The large (L) in Mascarpone and Testa di Moro is roomy and cream, and the large black one has plush shearling trim, which is exactly the right idea for a cold evening. The Soft Bicolor in navy and Testa di Moro has brown lining.

For a sleeker look, the Hug Suede Shoulder Bag in brown and the East-West Hug in New Cognac are the ones I would wear with a long wool skirt. The Hug Grain Leather Shoulder Bag in black is the practical one for commuting.

Check the strap drop on a coat: sling it over a bulky sleeve and see that the bag does not slide.

What I would skip: the shearling trim for a warm office, where it will just feel heavy.

Palazzo Spini Feroni, the building Salvatore Ferragamo bought in 1938, began with Geri Spini, banker to Pope Boniface VIII, who wanted to show off his family's power. Buying a pre-owned Hug is a smaller way into the same story.

Everything here is pre-owned, so the real work is condition. I would look at the corners, the handle edges and the gold-tone or silver-tone buckles for scratches, and ask whether the dust bag, clochette and strap are included. The large blue patent top-handle in great condition and the large brown leather with its navy interior both come with the strap. The small pale blue crossbody is listed as pristine, and the stone Hug Soft M bicolor has a dark ochre calfskin lining and gold-tone clasps.

For black, there are three calfskin shapes: the east-west shoulder bag and the small Hug, both with burgundy lining, and the mini top-handle with a strap and clochette. The medium in flame red grained calfskin is the standout, and I would style it with all black and let the red do the work.

Test: open the bag in good light and look inside the lining for marks, and check that every Gancini buckle closes cleanly.

What I would skip: any listing that does not show the interior clearly. You want to see everything.

If I were choosing one, I would start with color. Black or taupe if the bag has to work with a winter coat, midnight blue if it is mostly for evenings, and red if you already own a lot of neutrals.

Then I would decide on size by what goes inside. A phone and a card means an XS or Mini. A book and a scarf means the Large or the Soft shoulder. Close the Gancini buckles and make sure you like the click.

I keep thinking about the horse hooks on a Florence wall that turned into a handbag clasp. Not bad for a piece of ironwork.