To wonder why any grown woman would want to wear a Pandora bracelet?

[WellSlapMyThighAndCallMeNancy]

I loved that kind of thing when I was 5. The little beads, different colours and styles.

But they still look like childs jewellery when on an adult woman.

They cost a lot of money (in my world they cost a lot of money) but they look so cheap. Really tacky.

They're on par with the dingle dangle clowns. The only difference is its silver (or white gold?) and on the wrist.

But how many people can afford something entirely bespoke? Why is it only allowable to love a piece of jewellery if hardly anyone else has it?

Ffs, where are these personal bits of jewellery? Almost everybody walks into a jewellers and buys something that is mass produced. Such snobbery is laughable.

Just googled them. They are very expensive. One was nearly £700 for something in silver.

Brilliant marketing though. A range of expensive trinkets that people feel are personalised and special.

Genius marketing.

Bespoke doesn't have to mean expensive, in the slightest.

I'm back ,still being a snob about this - and the grin means don't take this thread so seriously!! It's AIBU on mumsnet - not life or death. OP reasonably wonders why so many people love expensive, mass produced tat -cue the lovers of said tat clutching their pandora's in horror as they realise they've been had.

I love mine -the charms I have chosen are very personal to me. YABU - just because you don't like them doesn't mean they are childish and tacky.

Bespoke is a bit much for many people. I couldn't design a piece of jewellery. I wouldn't know where to start. And I'd lose interest half way through. But Pandora is a bit too ubiquitous for me. And it does have a slightly of the moment feel. But I don't think they are ugly - apart from the horrid little bears.

For the record, I happen to be really rather fond of tarty shoes.

So put tat in your pipe and smoke it

I have no idea how much they are, my mm bought mine for me. They are cute though and in ten years time they will still be cute. It's not like I have them for an investment or anything. Most of the jewellery I own, except my wedding and engagement rings, are mass produced as is the majority of jewellery.

I thought they were for rather spoilt children.

Don't have a Pandora bracelet - have a Links one. No doubt that's considered equally naff

Bespoke doesnt necessarily mean something unique and cool. I am wearing a really boring ring right now where the conversation went "aw, those stones are cute" " they are sapphires, don't put them round a ring because they are too soft, you might smash them" "yeah but they are lovely, I want them" "alright then, but be careful with them" "great , put 10 on a plain band please". It's not really a big deal and I think you get a better deal with stones and metal than buying 'a name'. I do love that ring despite it's plainess and I've only dinged one stone :)

A question for all the offended people: are you bothered because people don't like your chosen jewellery or because they are expressing that they don't like it?

Because, y'know, people will always dislike stuff that you like and cherish - is it any more upsetting knowing that particular random internet strangers dislike your bracelet, than knowing that there will be always be unknown people who do?

If a friend turned around and said "Your bracelet is vile" to your face, that would be rude and upsetting; to be offended because, predictably, there are some people in existence who don't like your stuff, and have reasons for their opinion, is a bit U.

Really don't give a shit. They are pretty. People shouldn't get upset.

DH bought me a pandora bracelet a couple of years ago, it's something I would never pick..ever for myself. All Birthdays and Christmas's new charms pop up and I'm to much of a wuss to tell him that I can't stand the things..DS's also now buy me charms to put on it ..so I just smile and think that some thought was put into it

Somethingonce, I am not offended but I don't like the implication that those who do like these beads are somehow more easily conned or lesser people simply because they own these bracelets,

For someone to read MrsDeVere's post ^^ and then mock buying them as a useless emotional attachment because they are mass produced is weird, cruel self-important.

It is fine not to like something of course, there are loads of things I hate, but I hate the thing not the person who likes them.

For someone to read MrsDeVere's post ^^ and then mock buying them as a useless emotional attachment because they are mass produced is weird, cruel self-important

Yes, this a thousand times.

I'm am rather offended (although I have a cheaper Charmilla rather than a Pandora) and think the sneering about mass-production and everyone wearing the same thing is unkind and actually wrong - with the myriad of charms available it is highly unlikely that someone else will have the same charms. If they are worn with 'meaning' or sentimentality the charms are chosen for a specific reason, and it becomes far more personal.

So posts like MechanicalTheatres I guess it's because it seems, um contrived, to have a sentimental attachment to something that's mass produced, and that everyone else has are intrinsically wrong (aside from being hurtful). I have yet to meet someone with the same combination of charms as me, even though I have met someone wearing the same basic watch band.

I expect my mum felt the same way about her 'mass produced' charm bracelet with her dead sons teeth marks.

It was me that made that comment, not MechanicalTheatre. Before she gets a hard time for it.

My apologies MechanicalTheatre. I got my 'M's mixed up, although I understand that you don't understand the emotional attachment to 'things' either.

lol They are expensive, but each to their own!

Are you a bit jealous you don't have one?!

(Jingles charm-filled Pandora bracelet.)

I like mine, my Dad bought me a little something, my friend got me a couple, one when my dt's were born... etc. You call it tat, I call it treasure and I like dressing like a 5 year-old. It makes me smile.

Well, each to their own :)

I am still wearing and enjoying my Pandora bracelet :) it was chosen and given to me with love from my DH. I am attached to it, ditto my engagement ring, ditto my wedding ring (which belonged to my GM) and gold watch. I will be passing all these on to on to my DC.

All the negative comments on this thread are like water off a duck's back to me. In the big scheme of things whether you like or dislike Pandora bracelets is really very small..........

I do understand emotional attachment to 'things' - I went on to say exactly that in the very post you quoted...

Its interesting how quick people are to feel judged IMO

Like OP I have seen their shops everywhere and I was curious to their popularity, thats IT

its a bracelet, so what if some people think its a rip off??? give.a.shit and wear it happily

and how quickly it was assumed that Op was JUDGING everryone

ironically pandora are pricey so quite why people linked them with greggs I dont know!

I fess I was the one that was cruel about the eponymous waterfalls

only cos they remind me of carol in EE, who i kind of ;like and want to see have a make over

but its not like I go out searching people in them and then mutter "you waterfall wearing CUNT" ....

storm in a teacup

We are getting very confused here Midnight. My last post, all of it, was directed at Mechanical - who doesn't get emotional attachment to things.

TBH I didn't understand your post, the one I quoted. You call it contrived to have an emotional attachment to a Pandora bracelet, and then contradict yourself by saying you understand an emotional attachment to a personal pice of jewellery. Are you saying charm bracelets can't be personal? Surely anything can be personal? Unless a poster went to a shop, bought a Pandora and just said "and bung 10 charms on it" without choosing, then surely it's personal? Not being PA, genuinely confused.