Bottega Veneta

The sales associates here are the BEST. Although the selection won’t be as plentiful as the newer opened Boston location, the service doesn’t lack one bit! The ladies here can bring in anything into the store for you to see as long as it’s available in the company.
My boyfriend broke the second Bottega bracelet I bought him in less than a year and I asked the ladies here what could be done about it. They offered to just swap it out for a new one. Best service ever? I think so.
Additionally I recently broke my Bottega clutch. It snapped in half. I know. I’m not too careful with my things. Regardless they can have it expedited and fixed for around $ 145 which is a lot more than I can say about what China Bottega offered me (they said sucks for you). 5 stars out of 5!

I’ve been to the store three times now, twice making purchases. Generally, I’m a fan of the store for the quality of the Bottega shoes and bags, which is pretty standard whether you’re purchasing from the store directly or a department store. I’ve found that the shoes I’ve been interesting in trying on or purchasing at the Bottega store have had pretty limited sizes available. Twice, store associates recommended that I call ahead before visiting the store to request my sizes in particular shoes I’m interested in trying on. While I appreciate the sentiment, my trips to the Natick Mall (a good 45 minute drive west of Boston, where I live) aren’t always planned days in advance.
On another trip to the store, I brought one of my Bottega bags to be repaired. It was a more preventive measure than anything; some of the stitching on the handle was coming loose. Even the store associate who took my information for the repair request said that the repairs had been taking much less time than usual (three weeks as opposed to the typical six) and that I would be receiving a call when my bag was at the store ready for pick up. Sounded simple and straight forward. It was anything but! I called the store at four weeks, five weeks, and six weeks — each time, I was told that the store did not have any idea where my bag was (umm, are you serious?) and that they would call me back (no one did — not ONCE). On one of the calls, the store associate hung up the phone on me. Needless to say, the manager (I believe her name is Katie?) cleared up the issue at EIGHT weeks — returning my bag via overnight FedEx and paying for the $ 40 repair charge (to compensate for my inconvenience). Sigh.
Bottom line, I would only recommend this Bottega store for purchases, not repairs or other particular services. I won’t be entrusting my possessions to them in the future. If any of my Bottega bags or shoes need repair, I’ll be taking them directly to the Leather Spa in New York on a trip to the city myself.

So I waited a year before the review of Bottega. I bought a wallet last June and wanted to see how well it would hold up before raving (or ranting) about the store. Turns out this will be a rave.
Their goods are pricey, it’s true, but whilst not a household name yet (for those not very into fashion) the quality is remarkable. Everything is still handmade in Italy and they offer understated luxury in a world usually filled with logos. People who know Bottega will recognize a piece immediately, which leaves the brand without the need to have the company name plastered all over their products. The quality and craftsmanship is what drives the prices here.
Now to my wallet. $ 380 full price but I was lucky enough to catch one of their unadvertised (other than a small placard in the window) sales so I snagged one in a discontinued tan colour for 50% off!!! I had been on the quest for a nice wallet for several months and toyed with the thought of an LV or Gucci but I could not resist the Bottega one at that price. I could not be more pleased with my purchase… a year later and it still looks fantastic. The woven leather is so soft and luxurious but ever so durable as well. This is a piece that will last many years.
Another plus is the fact that the saleswomen here are SO FRIENDLY! They treat customers the way a store should; especially a luxury store. They were not snooty in the least and were more than happy to help me with the sale items rather then turning their nose up at someone who wasn’t paying full price. Such a difference from the luxury-​nazis across the hall at LV where everything is always full price and they still treat people like crap.
Whenever you are in the market for high-​end leather goods give Bottega a shot and you won’t be disappointed.