They sold me too much fabric for a dress. They could have recommended less. Ended up paying for an…read moreextra yard.

We went to the SM Southmall branch to buy fabrics, and this guy with a beard (who looked bored with…read morehis job) 'assisted' us. We were having second thoughts about the color he gave us--it was way different from the sample we had. When we asked if there was any other fabric that matched the sample, he just shrugged us off and went to assist another customer. He was rude and definitely not helpful. When we finally chose the fabric, he charged us for both fabrics.

On my way to Tabora from Ylaya, I pass through the bodega and end up in this store. I've had a lot…read moreof transactions here back in my college days mostly for the basics, and the lots of tools that they offer. I've bought threads, bobbins and cases, fabric puncher, eyelet tools and the eyelets themselves, scissors, tape measures, pins in bulk--just ask them, they probably have it! I also love the wide variety of garment (and bag) closures they sell here. They have durable ordinary zippers that I prefer to use than those super breakable invisible ones, and they carry a lot of products from a trusted zipper brand, YKK. I saw a lot of jacket zipper variant even (the ones that have metal teeth) and in a lot of colors. If you have some weird zipper fetish (like me), go crazy. Have I mentioned that I zipper-hoarded here? Nope, you don't need to know that.

This is one shop I never not go to whenever I'm in Tabora, especially when I'm looking for…read moreembellishments that I need in bulk. Like when I did a gown of Elsa for a client before. That little sumb'ch needed more than a hundred snowflake-shaped sequins. If I bought them in Carolina's smaller packs, I probably would've spent around 500 pesos. But I actually saw a better version here from their wide selection of bulk sequins. One pack was just 85 pesos. Talk about huge savings. I also love the way the store's semi-complete. This is where I buy my fusing 'cause they have the usual thickness that I needed for gowns, among others. They too sell a lot of yarns and ribbons here, which I normally have zero use for, except for DIY cat toys.

I usually refer to this shop as "the awesome button place at divi" my entire life, until now, when…read moreI had to dig deep into my stacked receipts just to know its name for Yelp purposes. I kid you not, this is one amazing shop that will make you shake your head and realize that you will never ever see a place with so much buttons in your life. Possibly even ever again. (Unless of course, you'll go to another shop equivalent in India, hah). I just cannot stress over how much buttons they have in stock here. And it's not just buttons you would see in your everyday garment. They have buttons for ANY kind of clothing you can ever come up with in your head. I'm not exaggerating. The selections of colors, designs, shapes, and sizes of buttons here is CRAZY. Whenever I go here, I just awe at everything. In fact, I already memorized the placing of the buttons, like for example, this side has the golden Victorian-ish ones, and this corner has the ones with gems in them, or this side has the boring plastic ones. It's just a really fun experience for any crafting or sewing enthusiast, or a button-hogging dork like me. You can buy a really "mayaman-looking" button here for 4-5 pesos each. Sometimes, when the button design gets complicated, you can get them for 8 pesos and above. But seriously, I don't even care. There's probably no shop out there I can get those for way less, anyway. I button-hoard from here. A LOT. I just regret never really taking a picture of the shop's interior or exterior, or the beauties for sale. Most of the time, my face is just tightly glued against the glass and nothing can ever pry it off.

This shop is like a refuge from the unforgiving exo-divi atmosphere. Usually, when I Tabora…read moreshop-hop, I end up in Everson (and Wellmanson) towards the end, cause it's kinda near the end of the street. So when I enter, the super relieving air-conditioning was some sort of unhealthy rejuvenation from all the sweat bestowed upon you by the sun. I guess this shop is more for the crafty people and not the sewing people. But I still frequent it, looking for stuff I can invest on, like swarovsky-looking beads. They always work well in gowns, and they come really cheap. And then, I leave when I'm all freshened-up. They have a lot of cute ribbons though, and those little flowerettes you can glue on your scrapbooks. They have those in rubbon form though, so you have to cut them individually. But that's the fun of it, don't you agree? This shop is a must visit for all you thrifty crafters, and for those who wants an aircon break from their divi quest. The latter is free!

There are lots of places in divisoria where you can get laces in bulk, or as the vendors fondly…read morecall it "de-tali". You can get them for super bargain prices that you can buy two or three bundles for the price of five yards of your regular Carolina's lace. Then again, the good thing about Carolina's is that you have choices laid out in front of you. There's no risk (or little, if there is) of buying the wrong lace for your project. So it's price or convenience--you pick. In Bonyee Merchandising, you won't even have to! Their walls are literally plastered with laces, it's like a huge library o' laces, with viewable samples in clearbooks you can ask from the staff! Their lace designs possibly number in the thousands, and all you have to do is to walk through the shelves and shelves of 'em! I would warn you though, the laces here are not too dressy and elaborate. There are some along that line, but you wouldn't find something expensive-looking. There's not much corded, embroidered, beaded, and very detailed bridal laces. If I were to put a lace from here on a garment, it's most likely going to be made of cotton, and very casual, or boho--YEAH! That's the perfect word. Boho laces! As for the price, expect them to be 20 pesos per yard and below. It will go up depending on the width of the lace. I think some laces are sold by the pack, so it's pretty much a good bargain!

The Cut is where boys go to become men (No, not the filthy way). If you're a guy with discerning…read moretastes, and the mall shops doesn't represent the real you, this is where you go. Located in a spot on Salcedo Village that is increasingly becoming hipper by the day, The Cut carries a lot of exclusive and limited release stuff, stuff you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. They carry shoes, shirts, bags, wallets, cufflinks, hair care products, socks, tobacco, handkerchiefs, and everything in between.The items have been "curated" to bring out your inner swag and differentiate you from the heathens wearing those China knock-offs they bought from 168. Yes, the prices here are a bit on the high side, but that is a paltry price to pay for being the most well-dressed man in Manila. Man up, man. While you're here, you might as well go up the mezzanine and check out Felipe and Sons, the parent company of The Cut, where you can get a proper shave and cut, and probably get a suit tailored for you as well. Because that's how real men roll.