How to break in a leather bracelet

New braided leather is stiff and slightly glossy. Wear it for a fortnight and two things happen: the braid flattens where it rests on the wrist bone, and the clasp starts to sit at an angle that matches your arm rather than the photo.

Do not oil it in the first month. Oil softens the braid too fast and the clasp begins to slide. Water is worse — dry it on a towel, never on a radiator.

By the second month the leather has darkened by a shade or two. That is the tannin reacting to skin; it is the only patina the piece will ever have, and it cannot be replicated.