10 reasons why I love Pandora and I am proud of it

This is a continuation from: The Pandora Faceoff (1) – Are Pandora fans crazy?

The Travelling Squid writes from the perspective of a Pandora-lover. 

I love Pandora. As much as how you’re looking at me with judging eyes, Pandora lovers are not bimbos. We have good taste and a heightened sense of style. I can’t speak for others, but rather than being that materialistic, manipulative maneater who coerces her boyfriend to buy her charm after charm, I put in a hard day’s work to buy these charms with my own money.

I know everyone’s talking about Pandora. Some say it’s overpriced. Some say it’s a fad, just like Hello Kitty, waiting to die out. Some may point out that there’s bound to be a girl out there who has an identical charm. I don’t care. My bracelet is one of its kind. I am able to arrange the charms in a way that it suits me, perfectly. It’s more than just pretty.

Just so you should know, I don’t think Pandora is overpriced.  It’s my money. And I can afford it.

Here are 10 reasons why I love Pandora and I am proud of it.

Pandora…

1. Is all about personalisation

You may argue that there are lots of identical charms going around – the Eiffel Tower, the Big Ben, the Four Leaf Clover. But no bracelet is similar. Everyone wears them differently.

The arrangement of charms is important. You can do it in a chronological fashion, and for some reason I can’t explain, certain charms only look right when they are side by side.

2. Sparks off my creativity

I’m not sure about you, but I could spend hours thinking of how to arrange the charms I have in the best way possible. I also surf the web to see how new charms could fit into my collection. It gets even more challenging when you have more than one bracelet. Pandora unleashes my creative streak – suddenly, charm selection becomes such a fun thing to do.

3. Satisfies my desire for shopping

There lies in a majority of women, the need to shop. And Pandora fulfills 100% of that desire. The sense of thrill and excitement when you walk into a Pandora store, especially after getting one’s salary. The suspense of keeping a lookout for that limited edition charm. Just like counting down to that branded bag sale, shopping for Pandora charms gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

4. Always keeps me coming back for more

It’s true. There’s always something new at the Pandora store – a new charm, a new clipper, a new earring or a new ring. There are seasonal collections as well. As compared to Tiffany and Hermes, which only have a couple of designs per season, all with hefty price tags.

5. Gives me fond memories of my travels (True to the spirit of The Travelling Squid)

Be it my purchase of the US flag charm to remember the time I first touched US soil, to buying the Big Ben charm when I first visited London, to queuing to get hold of the Brandenburg Gate charm in Berlin, Pandora charms makes me think of the cities and special moments I had during my travels. When life gets tough, I take a few seconds to look at the charms and I get reminded of happy memories. It makes me feel a lot more lighter, and cheerful.

6. Comes with free polishing!

Okay, I realise this could be a moot point. I can understand why you might wanna get white gold, because it doesn’t tarnish. But silver works fine for me. Pandora offers free polishing, so I don’t have to worry if the colour turns dull.

7. Makes a great conversation topic

I love sharing about my family. My family of charms. Especially with my group of Pandora-loving friends. You might not be able to grasp this, but there’s a sense of unity and meeting of minds when we visit the Pandora shop together, especially overseas. Talking about the latest designs, giving each other comments on the charm we each have selected, it is the pinnacle of female bonding time.

8. There’s nothing like Pandora to depict my style

I know what some say about Pandora – it’s chunky and the colours do not go with most outfits. I disagree. I choose to keep my dressing simple, and Pandora exudes a special style. It gives a unique character to what I’m wearing, adding elegance to the maxi dress I’m in. If I’m in a casual mood, my Travelling Pandora charms adds a casual flair to my flannel shirt and fitting pants.

9a. I secretly enjoy watching disapproving looks from my friends when I buy the XXth Pandora charm – They Just Don’t Get It.

Or they’re just jealous. ^^

9b. Pandora is an effective tool in office politics

Contrary to popular belief, Pandora is not only aesthetically pleasing, but a very effective tool in the world of office politics. Meet a co-worker who is very ‘xiao zhang’嚣张 (arrogant and annoying)? Use a Powerful-fully-filled Pandora bracelet to fend her off. In case you’re wondering, a fully-filled bracelet has space for 16-20 charms, depending how big each charm is. It’s even more effective if your bracelet is filled with super-limited-edition charms. For the best effect, correlate these charms to your travels overseas – (to show off your in-depth knowledge of places around you.) Works all the time.

If you just started work and don’t wanna dedicate your full month’s salary to Pandora, fret not. Simply combine the power of charms (with that of your friends, sister or mother) in a full bracelet one perfect day, and flash it around conspicuously in front of your arch nemesis. It’ll be enough to take her down, well, at least for a week or so depending on her ‘reserves’.

10. At the end of it all, it’s really not about Pandora, but the meaning behind the charms.

I have been going on about how stylish, classy and powerful Pandora is, but I don’t want you to miss the point.

Pandora charms, just like what it is meant to be, it’s about the spirit of giving and remembering.

Of the Pandora-lovers I interviewed, all said it wasn’t the price, design or popularity of Pandora that drew them to it. It is because each Pandora charm on their bracelet represented something special.

It could be..

The coming of age – a gift for one’s 21st birthday.

The relationship between mother and daughter, or even mother and son.

A symbol of someone’s love for you.

A happy travel moment shared with a good friend. (If they had a Soju-bottle one that would be great.)

A farewell gift for a friend who is about to relocate.

A birthday gift of a tiny pink flamingo from a bunch of close friends.

A charm of the Union Jack, a gift from a loved one who had just return from London.

And more..

* * *

Jokes aside, the Pandora-lovers, also Friends whom I have sought help for this post are probably one of the kindest, sweetest and most thoughtful girls I’ve ever met. Compared to manipulative, materialistic maneaters, they are totally at the other end of the spectrum. For all the negativ-ism about Pandora, thank you for helping me see the other side. 

As the saying goes, never judge a girl by her Pandora, or whether she owns one. ^^ 

Of course, there are the naysayers – giving us ’10 reasons why I never want to own a Pandora’.

What is your take on Pandora? Do share them in the comments section below.