If you’ve been following along on instagram, over the course of the last few months, I’ve been sharing my Bottega handbag journey, for lack of a better word.

New In: Small Bottega Jodie:

The mini Jodie has been all over for quite a bit. I own it in a light blue and I really do love it, but I know I’d get more use out of it if I had a more neutral color. It’s not to say I regret the purchase, but it’s definitely not one of my most worn bags and I’m okay with that. I got it knowing it wouldn’t be a daily bag.

However, the texture, the look and the classic woven Bottega feel of it is what I really appreciate. Last year, I started having a larger version, particularly after seeing the below two images, haunt my mind. It got to the point where I couldn’t stop thinking about introducing one into my closet, so I did what any normal person would do, I started stalking the stores. Living in NYC, I’m lucky to have access to more than one and be able to try on, touch, feel and analyze in person.

Image via @clairerose. I am pretty sure this is the small in brown.

Image via @figtny. I am pretty sure this is the small in black.

 In person, I  tried on the teen version. Beautiful, but my main question was “would it fit under my arm with a coat?” and the answer to that is no. Living in a place with four seasons, for this particular purchase, this was important to me.

I tried on the small which is actually larger than the teen and very confusing if you haven’t thoroughly  studied Bottega (joking). Photos below for reference. It seems like it fits well under the arm, but a few have called out that it can slip off with a larger coat. Brooke from Somewhere, Lately did mention this, but said it didn’t particularly bother her and she loved the bag.

I also went back and forth on color. Do I get a color in the tan and camel family? Then again, one of my last big handbag purchases was this Celine, so that made me rule that color out. While black felt a bit safe, I wanted safe. I own a lot of black bags (and rotate most of them), but none in this larger category that I love love.

Side note: this grey color is also so beautiful!

Ultimately,  I went with the black in the small size. Obviously I cannot properly review the bag to know whether it was a great buy. Only time will tell its comfort level, whether it’s something I reach for, love and  wear all the time.  It’s kind of like living in a new house – you don’t really know how you’re going to use the place until you’re actually in it.

In a few months, I’ll give a proper review and update whether it was a good buy. In the meantime, thank you to anyone whose been invested in this hunt! It’s always fun to share.

I also have a instagram highlight saved with more information and visuals.

FYI: Once again, if you prefer to buy from a Sales Person, I purchased via @InnaYourShoes at Bergdorfs.