The second grid swaps the kit for a single piece. The Kelly belts borrow the turn-lock closure from the Kelly bag, and Christie's notes the bag was first introduced in 1935 as the Sac à Dépêches. I like knowing the hardware began on a bag made for carrying papers, which might be why these Hermès belts look so tidy on a plain shirt.

Start with the Kelly 18 belts in white, grey and red, and the pre-owned Kelly Belt Leather Thin in black. The Kelly 18 Duo from Rebag is burgundy and has a little more presence. The two Kelly Pocket belts carry a small pouch on the strap, which sounds fussy until you wear one with a dress that has no pockets. Beyond the Kellys, the Medor 24 has the house's pyramid studs, the Collier de Chien 50 is the wide take on the dog collar design, and the My H 18 has a gold chain-link buckle. The pre-owned Pop H in yellow and the Double D Ring in canvas and leather are the easier picks for jeans.

A pairing tip: a thin one-piece belt sits best at the natural waist over a knit or a slip dress, not threaded through belt loops. What I would skip is a Kelly Pocket and a crossbody bag at the same time, since two small leather boxes at the hip start to compete.

This third grid is the playful side of Hermès belts. Every buckle here sits on a reversible strap, so each belt gives you two colours, and the shapes come from the house's own vocabulary: the Collier de Chien in miniature, the Ancre Mors and Neo Mors with their bit-like links, the Carrousel with a dangling chain, and the Croisière and Cache-Cac'H on red straps. The Parade, Canaille, Galopin and Delacée round it out, and the pre-owned Bubble and Oscar from Rebag show how the same idea looks after a few years of wear.

I would think about scale before shape. The 13 mm kits are delicate enough for a slip dress, and the 24 mm versions hold their own against denim and wool trousers. If you already own a strap, remember that Hermès sells straps separately, so a second buckle can share the one you have.

What I would skip: a statement buckle with a printed shirt. The buckle is the print here, so give it a plain knit, a white tank or a single-colour dress. And if you love the chain on the Carrousel, try it on standing and sitting, since anything that hangs will move when you do.

So where would I start. If I could only own one Hermès belt, it would be an H kit on a neutral reversible strap, because the two sides give you two colours in one. After that, a thin Kelly for dresses, and a statement buckle only once I know which colours I actually wear.

On pre-owned Hermès belts, Rebag lists a condition grade for each piece, so read it before anything else. I passed over belts marked Fair while putting this together and kept to the better grades. Check the strap edges and the holes you will actually use, because a belt worn on a different notch will show it.

The Constance bag says something about how Hermès thinks. Sotheby's notes it was designed by Catherine Chaillet in 1959 and named after her daughter, and the H on its flap is the same letter that sits on the belts in the first grid. A good house repeats itself on purpose. A good belt should feel the same way: you keep reaching for it because it already works with everything you own.