My 1st Thrift Shopping (Ukay-Ukay) Escapade [Part 2]

Hooray for ME! It’s my 5th Post! 🙂 I’m sure there’s still a long way to go but I consider this as an achievement already. haha! So here it goes.. Part 2 of my 1st Thrift Shopping (Ukay-Ukay) Escapade will be a bit different because around 75% of this entry will be devoted to pictures! I’ve decided to show you guys the clothes that I bought!

Since I really enjoyed my Baguio Ukay Experience, I wanted to try thrift shopping here in the Metro. Because when we went there, I wasn’t able to buy anything using my own money. (Remember, my sister was the one who paid for my Zara shoes! Which also explains why my 1st Ukay experience has 2 parts.) Going back, I was excited to shop for clothes at the nearest Ukay-Ukay, then I realized something. I don’t know where to go thrift shopping! Which was why I took the time to research about Ukay shops and all the details that I needed to be familiar with. For instance, where were they located? how do I get there? what should I bring with me? what to expect? and other stuff that seemed relevant. Then I came across a blog which had information about Thrift stores located at the South. I found out that Starmall Alabang was considered to be a one-stop-ukay-shop because it houses around 8 thrift stores! This was very convenient for me because it will only take me around 30-45 mins to get there, depending on the traffic. They also have another branch in Las Pinas which has an Ukay store inside and another in front of the mall.

It was on the 4th week of January when I finally decided that I was ready (mentally, physically and financially) to head out and give Starmall Alabang and Las Pinas a visit! I pictured what I wanted to buy and I was determined to buy something that would bring life to my closet. I have a lot of white, black and grays in there and I wanted to keep an eye on clothes that has this Spring/Summer vibe.

When I arrived at Starmall Alabang, most of the thrift shops were on SALE! (meaning there wasn’t a NEW ARRIVAL sign and some clothes were sold at 3 for Php 100/US$ 2.30). Lucky me! 🙂 I was able to shop in almost all of the stores. I decided to go to their other branch in Las Pinas but the shop there wasn’t on sale. It was kinda’ pricey for second-hand clothes but they didn’t look used so I still bought a few. The thrift shop in front of the Las Pinas branch was on sale (Php 50/US$ 1.10 each) but I didn’t find anything that I liked so I just went home. I felt so happy and very satisfied with the items that I bought that day and had a feeling that this wouldn’t be my last Ukay trip. I knew that my feet would “itch” for another Ukay adventure but I’ll tell you guys all about that in another post.

Here are some snapshots of the clothes that I bought that day. Enjoy!

a plain gray top (Php 40/US$ 0.90)

printed tank top (Php 60/ US$ 1.40)

This next one was kinda pricey but I like the fabric used to make this! Super smooth.. It’s similar to those of H&M and Forever 21!

flowy printed sleeveless top (Php 120/ US$ 2.80)

elephant dress shirt (Php 60/US$ 1.40)

This next one is FUN to wear! I feel like a walking Optical Illusion! Haha! But I still like it, I think it’s pretty COOL! 🙂

optical illusion tank top (Php 70/US$ 1.60)

G2000 Black Blazer (Php 250/US$ 5.80)

This pink one was a great buy because it still had its tag on. This means it hasn’t been worn. I still need to buy a big button for this because it doesn’t have one. 🙂

Pink Blazer (Php 250/US$ 5.80) I bought this with a tag still on it!

I’ve been looking for a black sling bag with an attitude, and I’m glad I found this baby!

studded black sling bag (Php 150/US$ 3.50)

I got these from Starmall Las Pinas. And as I mentioned above, the store had the NEW ARRIVAL sign on their windows which explains why they’re kinda’ pricey!

vertical striped button-down top (Php 150/US$ 3.50)

I bought this dress for my sister, Honey. I just remembered her when I saw this, so I bought it!

colorful artsy dress w/ pockets (Php 250/US$ 5.80)

I still have around 5 more clothes to show you but I had them altered to fit me perfectly. I haven’t picked them up yet so I’ll just post them in another entry! I know your thinking they’re not really screaming “SPRING/SUMMER” because most of them are black, white and gray again. I did fail on my 1st attempt but I was able to buy some on my second Ukay trip. I will show you those soon!

That’s it for now, I need to sleep so that I could wake up early for the SWAP MEET 3-Day Flea Market tomorrow. I’m super excited! I promise to take pictures and write all about it when I get home. Hope you enjoyed reading this entry. Til’ my next post! God Bless! 🙂

My 1st Thrift Shopping (Ukay-Ukay) Escapade [Part 1]

Hooray! It’s been my 4th consecutive post since I started my blog here at WordPress. 🙂 I know! I can’t believe it either! Haha! And the good thing about this is that I’m kinda’ getting used to it. Ok, as promised, this blog is all about my 1st Thrift Shopping (Ukay-Ukay) Escapade [Part 1]! This is just the 1st part because it’s going to be quite a narrative (with pictures, of course!) and I promise not to leave out the great details!

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It was December 2011 (yes, it’s only been less than 2 months), my family decided to spend Christmas in Baguio. It was the first time for my family to spend Christmas away from home. But i think Baguio City was a great choice for a first! And if you’re not aware, Baguio has been considered to be the Ukay-Ukay Capital of the Philippines! Ironically, I wasn’t aware of this when we went there so I wasn’t all excited about the thrift shopping experience, I was more thrilled about how cold the weather would be in comparison here in the Metro. (Segue: I prefer to freeze to death rather than be burnt to ashes!)

So anyway, one evening we decided to try thrift shopping at Session Road. Apparently it was a street filled with numerous vendors selling both brand new and second-hand clothing, shoes, bags and toys. And with great number of items for sale, comes great number of people as well! Haha! 🙂

got these pictures from the internet

But what really got me overwhelmed were the prices written in bold marker ink: Php 10, Php 15 and Php 20! (That’s around US$ 0.20 – 0.50!) “Seriously?? These clothes are being sold for that small amount of money?! How could they earn a profit out of that?!” I said to myself while scanning the place in search for a great find. I didn’t really see anything that I like though. But my younger sister was determined to find a pair of vintage looking shoes. And guess what she saw amidst the low lighted street? She saw these good-looking pair of heeled Oxford’s. Wait, that didn’t sound right, I researched the net and came across with the politically correct term: “Blucher” with heels.

You could see the minor wear-and-tear, but it was still a great find. She tried them on, but it was too big for her size (she was a size 6 and this was a 7). I guess it wasn’t really meant for her. Man, she was disappointed! And being the one person with the biggest shoe size in my family (excluding my dad, of course!), I was a size 7! 🙂 I tried them on and they fit perfectly. They were sold for Php 300 (around US$ 7) but i tried to haggle and got them for only Php 250 (US$ 5.80 )! Felt bad for my little sis though. But she still bought them for me because she didn’t get me anything for Christmas. Sweet! 🙂

So after searching for a few more great finds, we decided to head back to where we were lodging and showed our folks what we bought. I headed upstairs to examine the shoes and I found out something even more interesting about them. They were branded, and not just any brand…

Yes, you got that right! Zara TRF Heel Blucher to be exact! 🙂 A pair of Brand New Zara TRF Heel Blucher would cost you around Php 2200 (US$ 50)! And paying around 11% of that amount for a slightly used pair would certainly be considered a great buy! I have to thank my little sister for this one. If it wasn’t for her, i wouldn’t have them in the first place! 🙂 Thanks Jam!

(From L-R) Ate Honey, Jam, Me*, Mom, J-Bee, Che & Dad

Baguio was a great place to spend Christmas, but maybe this year, my family and I would celebrate the holidays the traditional way. Coz’ everybody knows that there’s just no place like HOME!

But if ever you get a chance to visit Baguio City, try visiting the famous thrift shopping locations and night markets. You might be surprised of what’s in store for you there! Watch out for the sequel of my 1st Thrift Shopping (Ukay-Ukay) Experience. The setting would no longer be in Baguio because it would already be here in the Metro (Alabang and Las Pinas). I still consider this to be part of my 1st Ukay-Ukay Escapade! Hope you guys enjoyed reading. Til’ my next post! God Bless! 🙂

Take me with you: February [Part 1]

I know I was supposed to post an entry about my 1st ever thrift shopping adventure but instead I want to share 2 events that I’m really looking forward to this month of February. No, it’s not Valentine’s Day, don’t …