Chanel Classic Cardholder Review – Pros, Cons, and Is It Worth It?

Chanel is one of the most timeless fashion houses around, and their classic styles will never go out of style. With their constant (and steep) price increases, however, many customers are hesitant to pull the trigger and make a purchase that’s likely to leave a hole in their wallet. Today, I’ll be talking about one of Chanel’s most coveted items that won’t break the bank – their Classic Flat Cardholder. You can also watch my YouTube review and unboxing here.

What It Comes With

All of Chanel’s SLGs (small leather goods) come in a classic Chanel box and bag and are packaged with a Camellia flower sticker, tags, dustbag, care booklet, and placeholder cards.

Details

If you’re new to Chanel, this is a great first piece to introduce you to the brand. The cardholder showcases their hallmark interlocking CC logo on the front and has their classic quilted pattern, both of which are features that make any Chanel product instantly recognizable. You can also find ‘Chanel’ and ‘Made in _’ embossed on the inside of the middle pocket. Chanel’s cardholders can be made in France, Italy, or Spain, and this specific one was made in France. This cardholder is also made with calfskin (caviar) leather, which is their most durable leather because it’s more resistant to scratches and overall wear. You can also opt to purchase a cardholder in lambskin, which looks and feels much more luxurious than caviar, but is also considerably more delicate.

Capacity

Chanel’s Classic Flat Cardholder features one slot in the front, one in the middle, and two in the back. The middle slot can fit two cards comfortably – perhaps three if one of the cards is thin, like a MetroCard. That being said, this cardholder will only be practical for you if you tend to carry 5 cards or less.

Pros

Slimness – Chanel’s Classic Flat Cardholder is very slim, and it’s designed this way to take up minimal room in your purse.

Design – In my opinion, there’s no beating Chanel’s classic interlocking CC logo and quilted pattern. There’s something about the experience of pulling a Chanel cardholder out of your purse that just makes paying for things a bit more fun! This specific cardholder is really beautiful; you can see in the photos that it’s a chameleon and changes shades of pink depending on the lighting. In some lights, it looks almost iridescent whereas in others it can look like a salmon or dark pink.

Durability – Calfskin leather is the way to go if you’d like a carefree, durable cardholder. The one pictured above is from the 22A collection, has puffy quilting, and you don’t need to worry about scratches on the leather.

Cons

Capacity – Because of the cardholder’s slim design, it doesn’t carry as much as your typical wallet; you can only comfortably fit up to 5 cards. Any more than that is pushing it and will likely lead to the slots stretching out over time.

Corner wear – While the body of the cardholder itself has held up really well, you can begin to see some wear on the corners as a result of the cardholder being tossed around in a roomy bag. This will inevitably happen with any cardholder though, so I don’t consider this to be a con that only applies to Chanel’s cardholder.

Hard to get – Chanel recently implemented a quota of 1 SLG per month, and they seem to have significantly reduced inventory of SLGs that are readily available for purchase in the boutiques. Chanel also does not have an online boutique, meaning the only way to get their products is in their physical stores, buying pre-loved, or via a trusted third party. Luckily, I do have this exact cardholder and a shiny black caviar cardholder available to purchase at my small business, Isabelle Vita New York, so feel free to message me on my Instagram or Facebook page if you’re interested in buying it!

Is It Worth It?

As someone who only carries around a few credit cards and my ID, I think this is an excellent choice for a luxury SLG. It was my first Chanel purchase and I don’t have any regrets. I’m especially glad that I purchased the cardholder in caviar leather since it let me experience the durability of the leather without shelling out $8k for a bag!

If you like to carry around cash, coins, and/or more than 5 cards, then this is not the cardholder for you. In that case, you’re better off purchasing the Hermes Calvi Cardholder instead, and you can read my full review on that here.