I'm in the Market for a New Bottega Veneta Bag, so I Took 3 for a Test Run

I know journalists are supposed to be completely unbiased, but after owning, testing, or at least touching pieces from practically every fashion brand under the sun, I can't help but sway more toward some than others. For designer handbags, there's one brand that I always recommend and come back to, and that's Bottega Veneta.

This is true for a couple of reasons, and it doesn't just have to do with the fact that the Italian leather goods house manufactures pretty things. (Though, that doesn't hurt its cause.) It's correct that Bottega Veneta's prior creative director, Matthieu Blazy, designed handbags that perfectly aligned with my tastes, but he's also introduced programs like the Certificate of Craft, which allows shoppers of certain styles like the Jodie, Sardine, and Andiamo bags to receive complimentary repairs for life. Bottega Veneta's signature Intrecciato weaving technique is yet another example of craft at its finest. Plus, many of its handbags are equal parts practical and aesthetically pleasing, featuring utilitarian separators and inside pockets as well as multiway straps that don't appear bulky or unintentional like so many other handbags with these functions.

It's for these reasons and so many more that I'm in the market for my fourth Bottega Veneta bag. I currently own a small Andiamo and a Sardine, both in the Fondant colorway, and a Barolo-colored Cobble. Since investing in a Bottega bag is hardly a small financial decision, I decided to put my journalist hat on and do some digging into the brand's newest styles. I tested out three of the most anticipated ones, all of which are from the just-debuted Smooth Leather series—the Andiamo, Hop, and Liberta.

About the smooth-leather series:

Introduced in the brand's F/W 24 collection, which debuted last February during Milan Fashion Week, the smooth-leather series includes four non-intrecciato handbags: three signature styles for Bottega Veneta—the Hop, Andiamo, and Cabat—as well as a new clutch silhouette named the Liberta. According to the brand, Blazy's decision to work with smooth leather for this collection was inspired by the brand's craft pre-intrecciato, and it was meant to draw attention toward the shape of the bags. "With the absence of intrecciato, it is the quality of the materials—carefully selected to be as soft and silky as possible—and the silhouettes of the accessories that embody the Bottega Veneta DNA," a press release states. "[The] smooth calf leather has an outstandingly smooth texture without visible grain. The material is realized with a production process known as 'slow leather,' referencing the lengthy nature of the leather's treatment and a subsequently reduced usage of water, sodium sulfide, chrome waste, and tanning agents."

I spent a day with three of the new smooth-leather styles, finding out firsthand how functional, easy to style, and compliment-prone they each are. Scroll down to read through my findings.

Large Hop

Even before I received and began testing out this large version of the Hop bag, I knew I'd love it, especially after I read the reviews on various designer retail websites. "I can fit EVERYthing in here," wrote one happy customer at Nordstrom. "When I travel, I can even fit a pair of booties along with all my other regular purse stuff, and the bag isn't too heavy. The strap is surprisingly soft and comfortable no matter how full the bag is." I own plenty of chic, structured handbags but somehow don't possess anything practical that can fit everything I need without looking frumpy or stuffed, so this particular review got me excited about the prospect of a long-awaited solution.

I styled the black Hop bag on a very warm Saturday spent walking around the Upper West Side running errands, pairing it with a sheer white linen dress from St. Agni, black leather flip-flops, and an in-case-of-emergency navy sweater by Navygrey. (You never know when the temps will shift, so I like to always have a knit on hand.) Shockingly, the entire sweater, which is enormous, fits inside of the Hop bag along with a tripod, my facial spray, extra SPF, sunglasses, a notebook, and so much more. There's a large zippered pocket on one side of the bag as well, which makes finding your keys, credit cards, and other essentials hassle-free.

My favorite detail of this bag is definitely the strap, though. Like the reviewer mentioned, it's so wide and soft. No matter how much you stuff inside the Hop, it never digs into your shoulder, something that I've struggled with ever since I started working and coming into an office on a daily basis.

Dimensions:

Height: 24 cm/9.4"
Width: 54 cm/21.3"
Depth: 13 cm/5.1"
Handle drop: 27 cm/0.6"

Shop the intrecciato version.

Medium Liberta

A few years ago, I wouldn't have been the least bit interested in a clutch, but as I've gotten older, the style has grown on me significantly. I can style them with both casual jeans-and-tee ensembles and formal skirts and dresses, and this is more of a fit to the way that I dress now in my late 20s than my early ones.

This brand-new Bottega Veneta clutch is a perfect example of this. Called the Liberta, the rectangular envelope-style bag features a curved flap with a braided-leather closure that latches onto a brass hook and is available in two sizes, small and medium. (I tried the medium.) It's just structured enough that it holds its shape but is still flexible with how much you can fit inside. Plus, for anyone who isn't yet into clutches, it has a long shoulder strap that you can pull out and play around with to make it work for your needs. You can tie a knot in it to shorten or lengthen it.

I went the more dressed-up route when I tested out the Liberta bag, styling it with an equally smooth leather corset top from Khaite, a black column skirt, and stiletto mules for a dinner out at American Cut, a steakhouse in Tribeca. To tie in the hardware on the bag, I wore a watch and sunglasses, both of which are black and gold. Remember, the little details matter.

Dimensions:

Height: 20 cm/7.9"
Width: 30 cm/11.8"
Depth: 8 cm/3.1"
Strap drop: 55 cm/21.7"

Shop the small version.

Large Andiamo

I've now test-driven both the original intrecciato version of Bottega Veneta's large Andiamo bag and the smooth-leather alternative, and both times, I've walked away wanting to take the supersized tote home with me and never let it go. Yes, it's large, but for a travel, weekend, or work bag, it's honestly perfect because it fits so much inside and has multiple pockets—one that's zippered and two more that are open—to keep everything organized.

My favorite aspect of the Andiamo bag is that there are multiple ways to wear it, including as a crossbody when you pull the rope strap out, as a shoulder bag when you double up the straps, and as a standard top-handle bag. It also has brass feet on the bottom that make it stand up nicely, even with its slouchy body.

I had so much to do on the day that I test-drove the smooth-leather version in gray, and I paired it with a Tory Burch plaid button-down shirt, white carpenter jeans, and leather flip-flops. As I went from a work function to the office to a few shops to check off errands, I tried all of the different ways to carry it, ensuring that each one is as comfortable and practical as my smaller version. Hint: It is.

Dimensions:

Height: 35 cm/13.8"
Width: 42 cm/16.5"
Depth: 18 cm/7.1"
Handle drop: 9 cm/3.5"
Strap drop: 45 cm/17.7"

Shop the intrecciato version.

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This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.