When Bottega Veneta first released?The Pouch?it immediately caught my eye. Its squishy, smooth leather, along with its soft gathered pleats was calling to my inner minimalist. And yet, I did not want to give into the social media hype, so I decided to wait a while and see if I still felt the spark once the bag?s sold out status fell off a bit. Sure enough, the interest stuck, and I was off to pursue one of the fashion world?s biggest ?it? bags.

Aesthetics?

This bag comes in a few different leathers nappa, intrecciato weave, and butter calf. I decided to go with the calfskin, as it?s the toughest of the three and I can be a bit hard on my bags. Butter calf is the perfect title for this leather because it is truly SO SOFT! The leather itself appears smooth from afar, and as a smooth leather should, it has a soft touch, nice sheen, and a solid flop factor. Up close it has a very flat, small grain, which helps prevent scratches a little better than say, a lambskin. Its simplistic nature and hardware-less design makes it easy to wear with any metal if you?re big on jewelry. I wear a lot of big rings and bracelets on my hands so the Pouch makes a great canvas to show them off. I?m also a big fan of the fact that this design lacks a logo. I?ve been looking for a simple grab and go sort of bag that transitions well from day to night and easily be dressed up or down, and this bag does just that.

Usability + Functionality

Truthfully, even my ?small? bags are oversized, not only because I like the look but I tend to carry a lot. Pictured above is my daily load, but actually it could still hold more. Without the book it can even fit my Sony A7R III camera and a small notepad for when I?m out photographing. The pouch has just a single compartment, so organization can be tough. There have been several times I had to stop when I was walking to try and fish something out. With that being said, I can see how internal pockets could interfere with the bag?s design. When carrying I do have to be mindful of my nails which can be a bit of a chore. No big scratches yet but I have been sure to keep it moisturized and buff the leather after almost every use.