Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

Pandora - fab or chav?

160 replies

phooey · 21/02/2011 21:07

I bought myself a cream leather Pandora bracelet, to go with the lovely Monica Vinader cream and silver Fiji bracelet DH bought me for Xmas.

I've become a tad obsessed, it's cleverly designed for magpies like me! I've bought 3 beads for it already at a cost of £40-£50 each Blush

I'm going to buy a black Pandora string too so I can wear beads around my neck too.

I feel like a convert to a cult, but also that a lot of jewellery has copied the Pandora style recently, especially M and S costume stuff, so it's nice to have the real deal. It's also very versatile - adding different colours of glass beads depending on outfit.

Fab or chav?

OP posts:
MrsvWoolf · 17/03/2011 16:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
phooey · 17/03/2011 18:29

Bristol Pandora jewellery is made from solid silver or gold. It might be overpriced, but I'm not sure it is - each bead is very intricate and heavy, I've been wearing one bead on a cord around my neck and it's a beautiful (in my opinion) piece of jewellery. 'costume' jewellery is by definition not made from precious metals.

Diss the style of Pandora if you think it looks cheap, but it is 'proper' jewellery for big kids like me

OP posts:
stylenotfashion · 17/03/2011 18:54

That's just it phooey - I don't think it looks cheap in RL at all.

I like it same as I like lots of different jewellery.

Shame people are so sniffy about it but hey ho all the more for us!

Vagabond · 17/03/2011 19:25

When I first saw a Pandora bracelet, I thought it was gorgeous and unique. Of course, that was three years ago and we were living overseas so the trend hadn't hit.

Now that they're everywhere, they've sort of lost their charm. Grin.

The same thing happened to Burberry: All the rip offs weakened the brand and thus, a 'chav' identity was hoisted upon it's lofty positioning. Shame.

I love mine though!

Original poster
phooey · 18/03/2011 07:31

I agree, and I think people who think they look cheap possibly haven't seen a genuine one in the flesh. They are heavy, intricate creatures! There are sooo many costume jewellery versions that people (possibly) think of them when they think of Pandora. Even the other brands which use precious metals IMO don't look as good as genuine Pandora.

OP posts:
Purplebuns · 18/03/2011 13:34

Glad I found this thread! I have a watch that you can put the charms (I love it so neh)on and I have found this site I think that it must a con as it is so cheap! What do you think? :)

stylenotfashion · 18/03/2011 13:59

Yes purple that is defo a fake site.

I didn't know they did watches that can hold charms - what a great idea. Link please? :)

Purplebuns · 18/03/2011 14:05

Honestly, how do they get away with it? And it was top of the search listings as well!
Here's my watch I got it yesterday and I keep staring at it fondly... I was just hoping to get a bog standard watch but it was love when I put it on, and I was a member of charms being a bit naff club before as well Blush :o

stylenotfashion · 18/03/2011 14:10

Lol I didn't like the charms until I saw them in RL too - didn't realise how heavy & well made they were. I do like that watch - ver ver nice :)

bristolcities · 18/03/2011 20:03

yes I realized that, it was a direct comparison.

Still not for me but each to there own.

CookieWook · 07/07/2011 13:48

i have been reading threads about charms - i want to start on for my daughter - Pandora is everywhere now :( but seems to be the one everyone wants - they are not cheap though - so as an alternative I was wondering - does anyone have experience of storywheels? They seem to fit the pandora bracelet. I saw them in Lewes. and have looked at them here -> www.weclarkandson.co.uk/jewellery-shop/tag/Storywheels/page/2/

sunshineatlast · 07/07/2011 13:58

Well OP I love mine and hardly ever see anyone wearing them so obviously dont have any chavvy friends.

Mine is silver with 2 murano glass beads and a silver heart one. Great for entertaining the babies.

disclaimer: I have a brown leather sofa tho so what do I know Wink

PedigreeChump · 07/07/2011 14:00

I had never, ever heard of them and after googling, don't really recognise them, no one I know has one and I don't remember seeing anyone with one.

They seem just like a charm bracelet, what's the difference? I quite like charm bracelets, always have really.

NB I just bought a 1? pink plastic charm bracelet from a market stall in Spain a few days ago because it matched my cardi, so I am obviously no jewellery officionado...

PedigreeChump · 07/07/2011 14:03

aficionado

terrible spelling!

JanMorrow · 07/07/2011 14:32

Not a fan myself, although I don't HATE them or anything. I just find them a bit boring.

I prefer proper charm braclets and was lucky enough to be given a Links one for my last birthday which is more my thang, but each to their own!

HalfTermHero · 07/07/2011 17:59

I still like them !

madmomma · 07/07/2011 21:06

well my dears I'll out-chav you all: I have a fake pandora bracelet that I got, full of charms for £10. It's gorgeous and I love wearing it. Class comes from inside :)

lovemyangels · 07/07/2011 21:35

I love mine, DH bought me it for Christmas last year and DD picked two pretty charms to go on it, I have since been bought 3 more by DH which all mean something to me. could not care less what anyone else thinks!

cambriaid · 28/03/2013 11:17

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

joliejolie · 28/03/2013 13:06

I like mine because my dh bought it and now buys a bead every time I have a special occasion. I now have a bracelet full of beads that my dh and dc chose carefully for me for a special day. What could be better than that?

ClaudiaCutie · 28/03/2013 14:14

They seem to be a marmite product don't they? Ultimately they are harmless and those that do love them seem to get a lot of pleasure out of them.

Personally I think they are a rather banal and if I apply the hypothetical question "would Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn agree to wear one of these items?" ... I think the answer would be an emphatic no.

I suspect that in twenty years time they will look amusingly anachronistic. But for those that get enjoyment from them, well, why not?

MrsKoala · 28/03/2013 15:36

Personally i don't like them. it's not because of the mass production of them but the aesthetics. When i first noticed people wearing them i presumed they were from a cracker made by their dc from some hobby craft beads. Then i noticed a shop in town full of women, all dressed the same (ugg boots, skinny jeans, orange fake tan, white tipped nails and highlights - all of these things i dislike), being trailed after by bored lookiing men as they pointed to stuff. So i went to investigate and realised it was the bead shop, but they were so expensive Shock

I also think it's a way of the gift giver looking like they have been thoughtful, but really they have gone to the same shop and picked the same gift as at every other special occasion. It takes no thought other than deciding between which bead.

To me they look like childrens jewellery, not sophisticated at all - but then again i'm a po faced misery Grin So each to their own.

gregssausageroll · 28/03/2013 15:46

This thread is nearly 2 years old!

MrsKoala · 28/03/2013 16:09

Ha - oh dear. I never check that. How did it get resurrected? did i click on the wrong thing? sorry guys...as you were Blush

jemster123 · 09/11/2016 17:19

I like the birthstone rings but not really much else but it's each to their own. I do smile when I see people queueing around the block, though.