Givenchy Pandora Review and Buying Guide

Sometimes you will hunt for weeks, months, or even years and never pull the trigger on a bag you are hunting for. And then sometimes you do a quick search for a bag and find the PERFECT bag at the PERFECT price, and buy it on the spot. This is what happened to me with my Givenchy Pandora– lovingly called the Panda by fans.

I first saw the Givenchy Pandora during college being carried by another student. Her Panda was pebbled “Pepe” sheepskin, in a beautiful grey color. I had never seen the bag before but the silver “GIVENCHY”logo was unmistakable. At the time I knew I could not afford such an expensive handbag, so the bag became a distant dream.

Fast forward four years, and four designer handbags later, and I was in Barneys in San Francico looking at Balenciaga Cities, when I spotted a beautiful large black pebbled sheepskin Givenchy Pandora. I picked it up and WOW, that bag just made my outfit look killer (see below!).

The following day I did a quick Google search of “Givenchy Pandora”, clicked the “shopping” tab and sorted prices low to high. What did I see? A large Givenchy Pandora in calf leather for $699…. $699? Yes- $699. From the reputable seller Fashionfullcircle none the less. I messaged them right away asking for proof of authenticity (sales receipts specifically) while they didn’t have one I was told that the bag was from Elyssa Walker in Pacific Palisades (near Culver City where the seller was from). I spent the next three or so hours comparing the photos of the bag, to photos of Givenchy Pandoras on Barneys and Fashionphile, which I knew would have photos of authentic Pandoras. After I was fully confident that the bag was authentic I pulled the trigger buying the bag the same day I first search for it, and MAN am I happy I did!

Sizes & Leathers of Classic Givenchy Pandoras:

The Pandora has been around since 2010, and as a result there are many variations of the Pandora. As for what I would consider the “classic” style of Pandoras there are three sizes-  Mini, Small, and Medium. The small is a cross body style with only one long strap. Both the Small and the Medium have longer straps which can be worn crossbody, and a smaller handle which can be worn on the crook of the arm, by hand, and the Medium’s smaller strap is the perfect length for me to wear it as a shoulder bag!

• Mini– 1 lbs, 9 ½″W x 5″H x 4 ½″D with a 20” – 24” convertible strap drop
• Small– 2 lbs, 10 ½”W x 7″H x 5 ½”D with a 6″ handle drop & 21″ strap drop
• Medium/”Large” on some used sites– 2 lbs, 13”W x 8″H x 6 ½”D with a 7″ handle drop & 19″ strap drop

A big difference between the Small & Medium Pandoras if the Small’s longer strap is connected to the rings of the small handle, while the Medium has dedicated hooks on the back of the bag for the longer strap- making it less prone to sagging when you use the longer strap. Also- Note the differences in strap lengths above! The Small Pandora has a longer strap and smaller handle, while the Medium Pandora has a shorter strap and longer handle.

There are two common leathers the Pandora is made with- pepe sheepskin and sugar grained goatskin. While the first Pandora I saw was in sheepskin, and the leather was no doubt beautiful, I knew from researching the Givenchy Pandora thread on the Purseforum that the soft buttery Pepe sheepskin leather is be prone to water spots, the color can fade easily, and the corners wear quickly. I ended up getting a medium Pandora with silver hardware in sugar grained goatskin.

Medium Givenchy Pandora in Grained Goatskin Review:

I. Love. My. Pandora. PERIOD. It is the most useful bag I have. I love it so much I want to get a smaller version soon. What is not to love? As mentioned above the Medium Pandora can be worn with the long strap crossbody or on the shoulder, and with the short strap by hand, by the crook of the arm, or over the shoulder. It is light, has compartments perfect to keep you organized, and fits much much more than you would initially expect.

In the above photos I have my Baggu pouch (seen in my Chloe Faye Day review) in the main compartment, Ray Ban aviators in their case, an Iphone X with a hefty phone cover in the smaller front compartment, and Louis Vuitton card case plus house keys on a leather chain in the smallest front zip pocket. My record capacity for this bag was all those items plus one of my scarves, plus my favorite light jacket, PLUS my fiancé’s rain jacket (you really need layers when living in San Francisco). Inside the main compartment of the bag there is an additional small zip pocket, and two phone case sized pockets- neither of which I use (expect of course for the emergency hair ties and tampons that I keep in every bag).

The interesting thing about the bag is even when it is stuffed full, it still looks very cool and not at all bulky– hence the name pandora right?

What You Should Pay for the Medium Givenchy Pandora Used:

I had an amazing find when I found this bag on eBay. As I said, I simply did a Google search, and it Googles “shopping” section sorted the prices low to high. Low and behold this beautiful Pandora was for sale on eBay for under $800. I have an issue saying no to bags under $1,000, so when the bag I am looking for is priced under $800 there is basically NO WAY I am NOT going to buy it. Despite my amazing find I still would of bought this bag for $850-$900 given the great condition.

*Note- The below prices can be used as a guide for both the Pepe Lambskin and the Sugar Grained Goatskin in Medium but the Goatskin tends to cost more than the Sheepskin*

*2nd Note- On used sites search “Givenchy Pandora” and do not include “Small”, “Medium” or “Large”. In the screen shot from The RealReal you can see a Medium Pandora described as Small. If you specific the size in your search you may miss out on a find.*

• Full Price New: $2,150
• High Priced Used: $1,150 average high (always expect black in perfect used condition or new with tags for this price)
• Average Price Used: $900 dead average (The average price of a used Givenchy Pandora in Medium. Pandas at this price point can be seen in a variety of colors and conditions. I would pay no higher than $900 for the Givenchy Pandora in Medium)
• Low Price Used: $600 (I paid $699 for my beauty, but many well used Pandas, or unusual colors and materials, are priced at $600 or less- I just got super lucky!)

Happy Hunting!