Before I became a wife and a mother, I used to be kinda cool. YRYS was the store of choice during…read moremy high school days and even throughout college. I hated wearing plain shirts over jeans. I wanted something unique. I was more into the punk-rocker chick look that you'd see in US stores like Hot Topic. The different stores from the Gozum sisters really made my heart flutter when they first launched in the Philippines. Of the three brands they have, YRYS was my favorite. Everything there is so stylish and fashion-forward. Before them, finding a short plaid skirt here was next to impossible. They broke boundaries in an ultra-conservative country and revolutionized the way women dressed. And it's not just the clothes that I really love, it's all the little accessories, too! Suspenders, hats, finger gloves, belts and cool jewelry were available for really affordable prices. Even now that I do dress more conservatively for the sake of my daughter, I often find myself still looking through their display window, reminiscing the old days when I was able to fit in those super short skirts that I loved so much. Here's a tip: watch out for sales, especially when it's midnight madness at the mall. They often slash their prices by more than half. They have racks of clothes marked down to P200 and P300.

I love this store! Their clothes and accessories are a mix of styles - kitchy, rocker, punk, trendy…read moreand tumblr-esque. When I was still a youngin at school, I'd always buy from this store for their great price point and fashion. I love their accessories the best. They sell some really cool jewelry, finger gloves, hats, flash tattoos, suspenders and even corsets (I have 2 from them). I always feel like I'm in the streets of Hong Kong when I entire the store and look around...like I'm checking out those affordable and fashionable fashion stalls or stores at the night market. This store is perfect for high school students and hip college students and the prices won't break the bank. Look out for sales too because who doesn't love a sale? As you can see from my photo, you can even buy items for P99! Now that's a steal!

In the Philippines, most women are accustomed to the "pagawa" culture, which essentially means…read morehaving just about everything you wear custom made--from Christmas dinners to weddings. Which is why it was such a big thing when Myth opened in Greenbelt 5. Unlike your usual retail shops, Myth offers designer RTW finds. That means, gorgeous embellished gowns and perfectly tailored cocktail dresses readily available for purposes. For someone with a busy schedule and not too much time to shop for dresses for special occasions, Myth is a godsend. I can enter the store and come out with the perfect dress. A well curated shop, the boutique offers finds from established (Randy Ortiz, Noel Crisostomo, and Francis Libiran) designers as well as up and coming ones like Nixon Marquez whose embellished tees are my current personal favorites. Its like a quick introduction to Filipino fashion and if you have some balikbayan relatives or foreign friends visiting the country, it's a great place to take them to if they'd like to bring something special home.

Whenever I'm in Podium to get a cone from Sebastian's (always to get a cone from Sebastian's),…read morethere's only really one store that I visit often, and that's Sewn & Co. in Markati Palazzo. There are a lot of other boutiques and showrooms in the Markati Palazzo, and all of them have more clothes, but the great thing about Sewn is that their clothes are much younger and more accessible, both in style and price, than the others. It's all very sweet and soft, which I do look for sometimes--they had a long, knit vest thing that I liked which was on sale, but I was undecided about it until it vanished from their racks and I regretted skipping out on it. They also carry a lot of other lines, with a focus on women's swimwear and sandals and shoes. They also have a few preppy men's shoes though, so that's something for the guys to see. I always look at their accessories rack, for sure, but there are many other things they have like cosmetics and glasses and stationery other girly things. And if you're into that they're always worth a look.

There's one stall in the SM women's clothing department that I always look at when I'm in the area…read moreand it's Coco Cabana. Even when the men's resort wear line got its own label under Coco Republic, I'm always sure to be crossing over to the women's line to browse their clothes. Their style is very summery and bright, of course, which isn't exactly on the nose of the current minimalist active wear fashion, but I like that. Sure, give me a crisp, clean, black and white outfit any day, but sometimes you'll feel like having a beachy island look and Coco Cabana helps with that. Most of their stuff is women's swimwear and kaftans and short shorts and summer dresses, which I'm not so invested in as much as their mesh and sheer overlays and tops, which I am in love with. The colors might be a little garish sometimes, but there are a good number that can be part of your closet. I'm always at SM Cubao, but I do prefer this branch over the others as they seem to have much more of the stuff I like than the SMs in Makati or Megamall, even if their stall here is smaller. I also appreciate that there are often fewer people in the department store, which is great for me to be looking through women's resort wear in peace.

This branch of ukay-ukay is quite popular, especially in the Cubao area. From experience, I've…read morespotted really good finds in their Cubao branch, and I'm happy to report that this branch in Parañaque does not disappoint either. Among the ukay joints around the area, Fashion Delite here at Jaka Plaza is the one with thte most variety. There's soooo much that it's actually difficult to browse the racks because there's just so much to choose from. As for prices, don't expect it to be dirt cheap like those Php 5-20 peso types of places where the clothes are already quite questionable in quality. This place often has new arrivals, so you're not stuck with the "pinagpilian" racks for too long. I frequent this place from time to time whenever I am in need of an 'ukay fix' (it's an addiction, really). I've gotten really good stuff here, such as skirts with unique prints on them, shirt dresses, a canvas beach backpack, tops suitable for meetings and printed dresses. But, my favorite purchase from this store has got to be this pair of original, high-cut Doc Marten boots with 2 inch heels for only Php 400. It was beautiful and fit perfectly. It was a great companion while it lasted, as I gave it away when I decided to go vegan, and one of which I wanted to let go of are my stuff that had leather on them.

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.

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.

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.