Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)

Manila has seen a steady stream of cool and stylish international fashion brands coming into the…read morelocal market and I am very happy about that! (Although my wallet may not be as ecstatic.) One of those brands in Stradivarius, which hails all the way from Barcelona, Spain. Whenever I enter Stradivarius in Glorietta, I always get a little bit confused - confused because I don't know which top, blouse, skirt or pant to grab first. I always find a whole lot to love amongst the different laid-black styles that the brand is well known for. Easy-breezy, unfussy clothing that's great for everyday is what Stradivarius is all about. Nowadays, since I'm much older and less susceptible to following every trend in the fashion book, I'm more inclined to choose the understated but still quite fashionable option. And I love how Stradivarius has got a ton of those kinds of options. Sure, they still have the more trendy stuff but it's balanced well with the unfussy, minimalist stuff that I love.

Holy hell, I can't believe I only discovered this store a few weeks ago. Like, where has this gem…read morebeen all my life? Stradivarius has a TON of great clothes that feel very bohemian and classy. Basically, if you want to emulate Vanessa Hudgens' Coachella style, go here. Something really important I noticed is that all the fabrics are very comfortable and soft. Other trendy stores *cough* F21 *cough* tend to have beautiful designs in itchy material, which is terrible for my super sensitive skin. No problems for my skin demands here! My major and only problem with this store is that some of the items are super overpriced. Would you spend over a thousand pesos on a tiny pair of floral shorts or a super thin, plain maxi dress? My sis and I decided no way. It's important to shop with a critical eye here and look for pieces that really give bang for your buck and would be hard to find. The bags and hats scattered around this big store are super cute. If I had the money, I'd snatch up more than a few of them. Also, there's this gorgeous leather jacket I was eyeing and will hopefully get on sale soon for a trip abroad. Need to get it on sale otherwise my wallet would cry.

I took me quite a while to place the correct categories for this place, as there seems to be no…read morecategory called "CUTE THINGS YOU DON'T NEED BUT WILL BUY ANYWAY". Yelp, get on it! I'm a sucker for anything that has animals on it (NOT their skin! Ditch fur and leather, please!). Or polkadots. Or vegetables. Or fruits...Or all! This place is for every girl who likes "kawaii" things --BUT of course, that wouldn't be appropriate to say because this store hails from Korea, so instead, say "gwi-yeo-wo-yo"! Are you celebrating someone's birthday soon? If so, this place has the cutest little party hats (of course, with animals!) to top your dear celebrant's head with, greeting cards, party "gear", and other colorful festive things! If you're a sock collector, then this is the place to get cute silly socks! Pretty notebooks that are too cute to write on? Check! Mushroom lamp? Check! And if you have not outgrown your sticker addiction, they have soft, "pillow-y" ones that are just ~squeeee~! Koreans really know how to make things murderously cute! Take my money!

Finally, Korea's uber cute fashion is finally within reach! Artbox is full of adorable clothing,…read morestationery, mugs, and what-have-yous! I wanted to get so many things that I don't even need anyway. Like a blanket with a hood. Or an unnecessary number of socks. Or storage boxes. (Well, I may need those storage boxes.) If you're a complete sucker for things with cute animal faces, this place is a must-see for you!

In the Philippines, it has always been more popular to have a gown custom made than buy it off the…read morerack, most especially for gown for special events like weddings. However, there are still women who would like to see the actual product before making a purchase. This is why Rosa Clara exists. I once had a client who had several ideas as to what she wants for her wedding gown, so we headed to Rosa Clara to see some designs that closely resemble her pegs. Choosing from their wide range of styles, we were able to pick out 5 pieces most similar to what she had in mind. It was startling as the styles and cuts she actually liked did not suit her well and flatter her body type. The comsultants at the shop then picked three dresses that they had her try on. These dresses were not the bride's initial type, but we were quite surprised that the styles she tried on actually worked. In the end, she chose one that was not characteristically "her", but fit her and flattered her very well.

Having a custom made dress doesn't necessarily mean that it will turn out looking amazing…read more Sometimes, even the best couturiers have their bad days. Enter Miss Selfridge. Miss Selfridge is a good place to buy ready to wear formalwear. It's relatively cheaper than a custom made dress. They have short cocktail dresses and full on formal wear with sparkly beading, embroidery and the works. They usually have good deals on their sale racks but be careful when buying last pieces. There are usually runs on the dresses. If not, the beading tends to be incomplete. A lot of people are afraid of buying ready to wear gowns because they run the risk of having another person show up wearing exactly the same thing. I always buy ready to wear formal wear and I've never had a twin at an event. Even then, it's always a game of Who Wore it Best. Rock that gown and everybody will only remember you.

I always make sure to check the latest collection of Miss Selfridge because they have really nice…read morepieces. I like how their clothing items range from casual to evening wear. I have had times, especially during the sales, where I would buy a lot of great looking tops - may it be for the beach, everyday or corporate wear. There were also times where I am in dire need of semi-formal or evening wear and I would also find it here. The price range for Miss Selfridge is okay especially if you need a dress for a special occasion but I recommend that you wait for their sale if you want to purchase some casual/corporate wear for everyday use. They also have really nice and sturdy accessories - scarves, bags, and very beautiful hats! Some of my scarves from Miss Selfridge have been with me for years and they haven't faded at all. Good price for the quality.

After living in Thailand for a month years ago, I've always been on the lookout for stuff from that…read morecountry. I was so happy when I found out that A'postrophe had some stuff, specifically bags, from Thailand. They don't just have stuff from Thailand, they also have items from other countries sold at a relatively cheap price. Exactly what do they have at the shop? Oh my. It's pretty hard to explain what they have because it's an eclectic kind of place. They have clothes you can wear every day, costumes for parties or just because you wanna dress up, jewelry to make you stand out, shoes that are so pretty, items for your house that can be considered art and on and on and on. Just know that whatever you're style or taste is, you'll fall in love with this shop.

The fact that A'postrophe caters to my not-so-hidden hippie chick aesthetic is not lost on me. The…read moremoment I stumbled upon this kitschy, colorful beauty of a store in Glorietta, I was hooked. So many things I wanted to buy! The Hmong floral bags from Thailand! The brass skull paper weights! The seed bead earrings! The Nepalese brightly colored keychains! Whoever is in charge of A'postrophe is doing a damn good job at curating the products, because I love everything they sell here. Of course, not everything they sell is aimed towards pleasing the granola girls out there. There are products that are more trendy, but still really gorgeous. Their selection of costume jewelry is also really well-curated. I remember purchasing a gaudy gold plated ring in the shape of a jaguar's head, with green gemstones for eyes, and a large red gemstone in its mouth. You'll have to see this store to believe it, but I love going in here even just to window shop and to take my mind off the ugliness of the city.

So you may not be a girly girl but if I could give you one good reason to visit this place it would…read morebe the fact that one of the most celebrated local designers, Rhett Eala, is the Creative Director behind this brand. Taking his painterly inclinations into more commercial territory, Rhett's designer touch has turned the store around into a place where fast fashion becomes somewhat of an art. Think dragonflys and butterflies on dresses, skirts, and tops, in a collection aptly named Metamorphosis--and that's just one of Rhett's standout collections in the last couple of years. Plains & Prints as its name suggests, is a treasure trove of women's wear good for the weekends, the office, and sometimes both. The aesthetic of the store is generally feminine and romantic but there are some pieces in store (if you look closely enough) that favor the more rugged, but still riding high on the bright colors. It's a bit pricey for a retail shop but considering the team behind the designs and the effort that the store puts into properly curating the lines available for each season, I'd understand why it's more expensive that most of the other local stores around it.

It's undeniable that as you grow older, taste really changes. When it comes to clothing and the…read morestyles that I prefer, what I liked before is light years away from what I like now. Before, when I was much younger, I used to be quite a trendwhore, blindly loving and wearing any new trend in sight. Now that I'm much older (and wiser), I've come to appreciate simplicity and comfort. But of course simple doesn't need to be boring, and comfort doesn't necessarily mean unstylish. One local brand that's got the whole easy, breezy stylish look down pat is Facile, a newcomer in the local fashion scene. Only two collections young, Facile is all about comfort and ease of wear, without sacrificing style. The brand usually comes out with a small capsule collection of tops and dresses that capitalize on the slouchy, effortless way of dressing. I'm such a big fan and if you see their clothes, you will be too. The brand doesn't have a physical store yet but they do have an online shop and pop-up in bazaars from time to time.

My mom lives in the province and she doesn't want to go on several trips to and from Manila just to…read morehave the long dress she's going to wear for my wedding made. And since I'm not really very good at finding designers, I just relied on the quality dress shops in Greenbelt and Glorietta to find the perfect attire for her. Although there are many good stores in Greenbelt, I felt that their styles and designs do not fit my mom's preferences. They are either too modern or too ostentatious. I was almost on the brink of despair when I chanced upon Infini in Glorietta. The shop has beautiful long dresses that are conservative and more agreeable to my mom's liking. I brought my mom to the shop and she absolutely loved this green dress. The only problem was it did not fit her. She's tall, so the lengths of the sleeves and bottom of the dress were too short for her. Thankfully, the staff heard our dilemma and said that it wouldn't be a problem for them to make a new dress for my mom patterned in the design that she picked. What's more, they can do the new dress in two weeks or less. Of course, I paid additional fee for the service. But I'm truly pleased with the end result. The dress was a perfect fit for my mom. She looked beautiful, confident, and radiant on my wedding day.