Pre-owned Bottega Veneta

Start with the woven nappa. Nappa is a soft leather, and the house from Vicenza cuts it into strips and weaves them by hand into intrecciato, a surface with no logo on it. On a used piece it is the first thing to look at. Run a finger along the strips. They should be even in width, lie flat and tuck under at the edges, with no lifting where the weave meets the piping. Wear on woven nappa shows at the corners and along the base as pale, fuzzy leather, so check those first on any shoulder or top-handle bag.

The padded leather on the shoes and some of the bags is the same soft nappa over a filling. Look at the raised sections for creasing that has set and for a pillow that sits lower than its neighbours. Then turn the shoes over. The sole edge, the heel tip and the toe tell you how much they were walked in, whatever the upper looks like.

Where the hardware is gold-tone, look at the finish before anything else. Plating wears through first at the edge of a clasp or a zip pull, so tilt the piece in the light and look there.

The lining takes the wear you cannot see from outside. Open the bag and look for ink, marks or stiff patches, and check whether the heat stamp has rubbed pale.

The leather outerwear and the knitwear wear in the same places as any jacket or jumper. On a used jacket, look for creasing at the elbows and a darkened collar. On knitwear, check the cuffs for stretch and the underarms for pilling.

The catalogue is grouped into Bags, Shoes, Accessories and Clothing. If you do not want a bag yet, start with a wallet, a card holder or a belt to get the weave in your hands. The condition of each piece is described on its page, and the price you see is the final price.