I am not really the type of person who wears sunglasses because I wear my prescription glasses all…read morethe time. Meaning, in order to wear sunglasses, I still have to wear my contact lenses. See the hassle? I know four-eyed people will feel me here. I first learned about the Sunnies by Charlie through social media. And I thought that these are expensive ones because of the endorsers. I've seen their shops too and they all looked sophisticated also the packaging of the products. A friend of mine gave me a pair of sunnies as a gift. If not because of her, I would not ever visit their store because I get intimidated easily. I checked out other designs because I loved the sunglasses that she gave me. For P299-P500 you can get a decent pair of sunnies!

I don't really wear a lot of sunglasses. It doesn't let me flaunt my almond-shaped eyes and long…read morecurly lashes (CHAROT! I hate my eyelashes). I became interested in wearing Sunnies just a few months ago. My friends and I went to Laguna for our barkada outing and I noticed that almost all of them were wearing sunglasses. I looked terrible and awkward during our group photos because I felt like I was really out of place. When I went to SM Megamall to shop, I noticed that there was a small stall just outside of H&M. It was the Sunnies Studios shop that everyone was talking about. I always see it being advertised on Facebook and Instagram. The sunglasses that they sell look really expensive, but it's actually very affordable. You can buy a pair of sunglasses for only 400 pesos. They also have a variety of designs and styles that will look good in any face shape. If you're unsure on what to buy, Sunnies Studios has a basic guide on how to find the sunglasses style that will fit your face shape.

There are plenty of ukay ukay stores all over Metro Manila, but this one located at Plaze Lacson in…read moredowntown Sta Cruz, Manila is one of the better ones. For one thing, the place is quite cool. Not air-conditioned cool, but rather comfortably cooled by electric fans and enough room to move. This is one of the shortcomings of most second hand stores. They tend to put too much of their wares causing visitors to feel claustrophobic. Not JHOLDEN. The place gives customers all the room they need to move around comfortably without bumping into each other. More importantly, however, the quality of the clothes, bags and shoes that they sell is quite good. I can't really comment on the ladies' wear, but I did notice that the men's shoes were in good shape. There was a decent collection of both leather and rubber shoes. Then there are the jackets. What they had was pretty impressive. I would have bought a couple but it was a hot summer day. Most of their clothes are in the P100 to P200 price range, so very affordable. If you have no qualms about buying and wearing second hand clothes and shoes, then this place is worth visiting.

Bangkal is such an adventure and experience for me. I love anything vintage and this place did not…read morefail me! From clothing pieces to furniture, they have it all.... Also specifically in Noel and Cindy's Thrift Shop, they helped me authenticate some of the things that I bought from the other shops! They were professional to help me buy things with better value. The thrift shops here sell mostly original items so do try to haggle! Also do your research to help you further in your shopping as you may be overwhelmed with the beauty of the items! :) I see alot of film/interior design students here too which is pleasant :)

Its always a crazy adventure to hunt for vintage or second-hand items in Manila. There is so much…read morejunk and treasure all over the metro that you would have to scour the city to really find cool and interesting stuff. If you are looking for some retro and art deco pieces to add some charater to your home, office, or domain, its worth checking out Bangkal Thrift Shops because of the variety of thrift stores that sprawl out to Apolinario St., Evangelist St., Gen. Del Pilar, Gen. P. Santos, and Hizon St., . This area used to be very popular in the 90s with loads and loads of treasures to be found. Today, it still possesses the same charm with the added challenge of being able to spot a really good piece or an item that you can probably restore or upcycle. You can also find tons and tons of books, prints, artwork, as well as vinyl records if you look hard enough. Make sure you have a budget in mind, bring your cash, and prepare to haggle. The sales people are very good at reasoning out to counter your haggle but when you find an amazing piece of furniture to take home, its most definitely worth the price and sweat!

Back in the summer of 2013 on a trip to Europe, I stumbled upon Desigual and its splashy boutiques…read more I wondered aloud who would buy these clothes, and figured that it would probably work as a sort of expensive festival chic. Well, hippies and moms, I guess. It made sense that they were brought to Manila then, as the local festival scene continues to grow with events like Wanderland and others. We're even starting to draw more interesting acts like Alt-J and Justice, and the timing is right for the bohemians to get a high-end option. Their clothes tend to fit that aesthetic and are difficult to squeeze into other fits, however, and my first few times trying their clothes resulted in me realizing why I don't like going to concerts.

When you're in Cubao and you feel like you need more grit with your apparel shopping, Fashion De…read moreLite can certainly help you in that department. Located at the Araneta Center, beside a church and across a Eurotel (how's that for a combo), easily walkable from Gateway, Aurora, or EDSA, it can be an ukay enthusiast's best friend in convenience and accessibility. If their marketing visual of the stunning Angelina Jolie in a black gown doesn't pull you in, the sight of the sheer size of the place certainly should. There are tons of racks of clothes here and it's going to be hard for one to avoid buying anything, really. Everything is laid out well, with a clear division in men's and women's clothing, and sorted by pants, shorts, long-sleeved tops, T-shirts, etc. Even with the breadth of the store though, the aisles can still be somewhat cramped, and there are only about three changing rooms. Also, this wouldn't be the cheapest ukay, mind you. Yes, P200 for a shirt is cheap, but it won't squeeze happy tears out of you, would it? Still, a bargain is a bargain, I suppose, and you could always try to haggle.

There aren't a lot of local homegrown clothing brands that approximate the success of streetwear…read moreand skate brands overseas, but the closest one would probably be THE Clothing. Back in 2007, they started peddling their own designs in the curb and parking lots of local events. Their innovative designs and keen pulse on street culture eventually made them successful enough to have an actual brick & mortar store in Cubao X. One of the secrets to their success is that their products are made and offered in extremely limited batches. You aren't even assured of getting one so there's always demand. Some shirts even go as low as 25 pieces only. If you want that particular design, you have to be there early. Merch are usually sold off during events they are part of, which are aplenty. These are held in front of their store complete with bands and a lot of alcohol.

I've always lingered outside THE but never actually been inside because I'm too broke to purchase…read moreany of their shirts even if they only go below Php500. It's a great deal for limited clothing if you ask me but for one that rants about how mahal the ukay ukay shops in cubao are becoming, Php500 is like gold. I've lingered long enough for the shopkeep to notice and stare at me weirdly. So I saunter away and linger back in the day time when they're still closed t stare at merchandise I've dreamed of having. Lately, I've been staring at this uber cool and hipster tie-dye sando (no not the ones you can make at home coz that'll probably suck) with the THE emblem silkscreened handsomely on it. One day.... Also, their events are the bomb with enough chicks to make yer eyes drool and cute tattooed boys that make you grin inside... One day.... One day....

The staff are very welcoming and accommodating, felt at ease and not rushed. My mom, dad and I…read moreeach ended up getting a new pair of glasses. Great service!

I never paid any attention to Sunnies until I saw their advertisements on YouTube. I mean, after…read morewatching their advertisements so many times, I finally made up my mind to go to their store the next time I went out. And so when I saw their stall in Greenhills, I was pretty happy with what I saw. In this shop, their cheapest pair of sunglasses went for Php399. If I'm not mistaken, the girl said their most expensive one is Php999. At first, I found myself thinking that I could get a cheaper pair at some other shop. But when I tried one on, looked at their designs and saw that their sunglasses were made well, I was kind of convinced that I had to have one. I know the rainy season is almost here, but hey, it's sunny almost every day in this country. Sunnies keeps the sun and its glare out of my eyes while allowing me to still look decent 'cause of their cool designs.