What's a dude doing in a lingerie store, you ask? Well, for sure I wasn't there for myself. But as…read moreI write this, I have a friend who's about to get married civilly and he doesn't want to blow his and his fiancée's budget on an expensive gown. Nosing in and around Starmall EDSA-Shaw, I chanced upon this tiny shop selling women's undies. It's called Creem Lingerie. I swear, I wasn't lured in by the colorful, vibrant thingies hanging on the racks. I mean, being a married guy kinda makes me, uhm, knowledgeable and unmindful of women's underwear. Rather, what caught my eye was the row of white wedding gowns hanging by the wall. And I immediately remembered my abovementioned friend. I entered the boutique to check out the gowns. They all looked new and made of good quality fabric. Best of all, they were all reasonably priced - I know because when my wife and I got married, the price of her gown bore a huge hole in our budget. Indeed, if you are tight on cash or you simply do not want to spend big money on something that will only be worn once, then the gowns here at Creem Lingerie are good for the job. Lastly (and I'm going to say this just because I accidentally saw the price tags after I checked the gowns), Creem Lingerie has very affordable women's underwear. Some of them go as low as PHP 150.00 and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. This boutique is a must-visit when you're in Starmall EDSA-Shaw and if you're a woman, of course.

All women deserve to feel sexy. No matter your size, civil status or body type, you are sexy. Lucky…read moreDoll Bikini and Lingerie can make this a reality. No, they don't offer a weight loss program. It's not even anything related to boosting your confidence. What they have are really nice womanly things to make you feel your best. Whether you're into sexy costumes, corsets or babydolls and teddies, this is the place to shop for it. They have a showroom but it's so easy to just get it online. If sexy role playing isn't your thing, you can still look through their store for quality bikinis and swimsuits so you can be even hotter than this summer weather we are having.

What word do you use when referring to women's underwear?…read more Panty- Doesn't have a nice ring to it. It sounds bleh. Underwear- Sounds too generic. It sounds like something for a infirmary. Undergarments- Lacks character and it could be anything really. Lingerie- It's sexy but it just doesn't sound realistic hehe. Intimates- It's better used as a verb than a noun. So, what then right? I honestly don't know. I've always had a thing for underwear. I buy them all the time. It makes me feel pretty, it compels me to work out more and it pleases my lover. For some years now, I've had to resort to "padala" from the States just to get my "gear". We used to have a shortage of proper underwear in the country until La Senza came along. I come here a lot, often on sale season when they sell 10 pieces of underwear for P1500. The quality is very good, I still use my loot and it hasn't been baconized through the years.

If we're being completely honest (who am I talking to here?), I'm the girl that still runs to the…read morechildren's section to get her underwear supply for the year. I like them as comfortable as possible and it makes me laugh how despite the garter getting loose or finding holes in some of my undergarments, I still keep them around. Anyhoo, La Senza is actually the sister company of Victoria's Secret and they have some pretty nice pieces here. The bras aren't bad either. They're very pretty and I think most girls would have a blast here, particularly when they're on sale.

This might be a little TMI, but I love Bench underwear. I'm not a big fan of their clothes in…read moregeneral, but I am sold on the kooky, wacky, and sometimes raunchy undergarments they sell. I now do not own any plain pair of inner wear. Like my tops and pants would usually be simpler than what I'm wearing underneath. Thanks, Bench! The Bench Body shop here in Glorietta I find is quite pleasant as there aren't a lot of people in the area in general, so it's often likely that you're just one of two people in the store. What I also love about them (Bench in general) is that they always have something on sale. And it's not just a a small bunch of stuff--it's like a whole bin or racks of things that are on discount. For someone like me, that's like being a kid in a candy store! Only the candy is oddly-colored, overdesigned boxer briefs.

Pop Culture isn't so much as a store so much as it is a part of Alabang Town Center. This place is…read moreto Alabang Town Center as a district is to a city. I hope that analogy helps clear things up for you guys out there. Anyway, Pop Culture has a lot of small stores, one of them sells video game hardware and games. Most of them sell clothes for girls at a really low price point. Then there's a store that specializes in selling ipies, bongs, and rolling paper and other Rastafarian paraphernalia. It's interesting to walk down this part of Alabang Town Center because of just how cool some of the stores are. Most of them have forgettable names, but it doesn't make the place any less interesting. When I just window shop for the heck of it, I find myself strolling around this place even if it's just for a few minutes.

Do you sometimes feel like your limited budget is keeping you from enjoying a mall? That's how I…read morefeel often whenever I'm at Alabang Town Center and mostly everything I see in shops are out of my budget. Though with Pop Culture around, I finally have a place where things are of "within reach" on those days where I'm in a pinch. Pop Culture is that section of Town, beside the food court that's basically a small group of boutiques that sell a lot of good clothing, accessories, shoes, bags and whatnot. There's a Girl Shoppe by the entrance, which sells a variety of women's accessories, while the other stores inside have a lot of imported clothes from Bangkok and sometimes locally manufactured like Get Laud. Lots of Korean accessories too. What I love about Korean accessories are how dainty and quirky the designs can be. Most of the prices here are relatively cheap to averagely priced (around Php 100-450 for, let's say, a top) so there's surely something that fits every budget.

Ahh Mendrez. The sign of their store alone is enough to conjure up found memories of my early…read moreadolescent years. I often bought school shoes in this store. I would go here with my mom and she would recommend to me a pair that was in fashion. Back then fashion was the least of my concerns. So long as I didn't look like a garish clown I was happy with what I wore. So far as I know, Mendrez is a local brand. So there, you can already tell that there's a level of craftsmanship and quality in material that you won't find in foreign brands whether in the US, Japan, or Europe. That said, out of the local brands of shoes, I have to conceded that Mendrez is probably the only one that I'll ever trust. Most of the shoes I bought from Mendrez actually lasted me for quite a long time. When we hear of local, there's a strong tendency to think that it's something that won't last for more than a year. To it's credit my Mendrez lasted me for two years of everyday wear.

A good old reliable store for basic shoe needs; I used to buy black flats for school here, haha…read more While some of the designs can occasionally be a little bland, I like how Mendrez is able to follow the trends set by more expensive brands and offer their own versions for half or even a quarter of the prices of other stores. I recently replaced an old beat up pair of sandals with ones from here. They're sturdily built, comfy, and stylish without being in your face. I'm definitely a fan!

Back when I was a kid I accidentally ruined my shoes. As punishment I ended up having to buy new…read moreshoes with my own money. What happened next was a disaster. I ended up being a scrooge and penny pincher and buying shoes from a local brand thinking all shoes were the same. I bought a pair from a store called Rusty Lopez. The design looked good and the material seemed decent. I though I got away with my first bargain. Boy was I wrong. I ended up having to have the shoe replaced no less than three times because it would break in less than a week. I decided to never buy from this brand ever again. Shucks I wouldn't even touch it. Seeing it's name is an eyesore that fills me with rage and bad memories. After years and years of waiting, writing this single star post has given my opportunity at revenge! Man is it sweet. On the plus side it did teach me the great lesson of you getting what you pay for.