Need to update your wardrobe this year? Want a new swimwear? Or do you just want to shop till you…read moredrop without burying your wallet alive? Then this discreet yet stunning local clothing line could do the trick for you. Apartment 8, with branches in Trinoma, Greenhills and Glorietta, have been around for some time and has been creating quite a stir because of their trendy collections. Endorsed by famous fashion bloggers, Apartment 8 offers clothes for women, mostly for teenagers and young adults. But hey, their clothing line is for everybody, as long as you wear the dress, and not let the dress wear you. From casual to formal, from summer to winter, from vintage to modern - Apartment 8 surely has them all.

I come by The Ramp all the time because even though I rarely ever buy anything, I think their…read moreclothes are always plenty eye-catching and intriguing without having to be so on trend all the time. I'm especially a big fan of their Yhansy line of accessories, which used to have its own stall in Shangri-La I've had to say goodbye to. Their stuff can be a little odd sometimes, which I like, and they're not all that expensive either. Their men's clothes can also be quite interesting, especially the Mundo line, which is always out there, with the prices to match. The shoes can be good though, and are much more affordable. There are a lot more stores in the place for sure, but I guess the problem is the whole area can get a little muddled and confusing, with their home line being hidden in the corner, covered by children's clothing, and all the women's clothes overlapping each other. It's honestly a bit cluttered, which is why they don't get as much traffic as they'd want from what I can tell.

I am easy to impress when it comes to fashion, since I'm no expert and I couldn't really tell a…read morestylish look from a boring one. Like I could really like this dress, but I wouldn't know that it's not uso anymore or that it's drab or boring. It's like fashion-blindness. Everything looks good on a hanger or a mannequin. So imagine me in a place with lots of good clothes like The Ramp Crossings in Trinoma. PROS: The place is just so classy and beautiful, like a #ladyboss type of store with crisp shirts and stylish dresses. There is a huge variety of styles - from the trendy and edgy, to the girly florals and flowy fabrics, to the classic LBDs and killer heels. The Ramp has it all. I can't help but get lost in the beauty of all these clothes I think I'd never get to pull off; They have shoes, accessories, even some pieces of furniture and décor at their Crossings Home brand. CONS: When you buy clothes from Crossings, you're dressed to kill. And it kills the budget too because their apparels are fairly expensive. It's on the mid- to high-range pricing, which I think is justifiable given the good clothes that they sell. TL;DR: The Ramp Crossings offers stylish pieces and classy accessories for the Manila fashionista.

Jellybean offers women's clothing for all occasions: be it formal, semi-formal, casual, for a…read morenight's out, or simply being fashionable at the malls. Divided by color in their store, you wouldn't have a hard time looking for what you want (because you may basically want them all) and would be tempted to mix and match all day long. Their clothes are of quality, although some may complain it's too thin, but if you take good care of it, it would last long. They offer hip, fabulous and updated dresses, shirts, blouses, skirts, jumpsuits, shorts and what have you! Also, their shoes are also beautiful! I always choose Jellybean if I want new heels or clogs (they specialize in those kinds of shoes), and even flats. They also sell teen style bathing suits, accessories and sunglasses.

I remember being in college and making it a point to enter Jellybean everytime i shop. They carry a…read morelot of cute and trendy clothes and sell it at very affordable prices making it the perfect store for college students who need to look smart everyday. When they go on sale, you will be surprised at ho much you can buy without shelling out much. Back when the shopping meccas like Forever 21, Uniqlo, and H&M were still overseas, this is where i would go to shop for everyday clothes like blouses, skirts, and even shoes. They have small stores but the variety of styles is impressive. They have clothes that match different personalities and preferences. Even hipsters would find something nice in this store. What i like about this store is how they organize their clothes by color so mixing and matching becomes easier and fun.

I.Candy is a clothing line which has always been one of my favorite stores. Not only do they sell…read morecolorful, updated and retro style clothes, they also offer dresses that suit for almost any occasion. You can work their dresses up as a semi-formal outfit with high heels or wedges, but you can also style it casually, with sneakers of your favorite Keds. With these, you know that one dress can rule almost any outfit, you just have to style it right! Regarding quality, I like the fact that some of their dresses can be easily altered without major cuts and re-linings. They're manageable, especially if you know how to sew. Thankfully, I do! So I.Candy is one of my dress shop bffs. Btw, they also have cropped tops and other blouses, if you're not big in dresses.

Being the designated driver of my girlfriend on Friday nights, she dragged me to go to the…read moreApartment 8 Design House, because she heard from a friend that they really had good deals for off-the-rack dresses. Without having any other choice, I went with her to look for this place. It wasn't difficult to find the place because of our familiarity with the area, and the house that greeted us was pretty impressive. We had to ring the doorbell to be let in, and the place really felt like a design house (I don't exactly know what to expect, coming from a guy, but I guess in my head, this is what a design house should look like). The dresses on the walls were arranged well, and even the dressing rooms were fashioned after something you would see in fitting scenes on TV. In the back room, you could see the design staff was working hard, looking through the latest trends and coming up with fresh designs for dresses. I still couldn't tell the differences between most designs, or what was or wasn't trending, but I'm pretty sure that Apartment 8 deserves a lot more recognition.

I've seen a lot of Apartment 8 Clothing with their very active Instagram account…read more Not only do they make unique pieces od clothing, they also the dress with Kim Chiu being their favorite star to dress. While I've visited their Greenhills branch, I was told that their main store along Scout Borromeo offered a better selection of choices. Since I was looking for a gown to wear as a wedding guest, I decided to check them out. It was a quite Thursday afternoon and I was pretty sure they we're expecting any guests. The lights were closed, the aircon was turned off and the guard was a little shocked to see me there. But everyone hurriedly went to their places and accommodated me well. Unfortunately, they offer limited sizes which meant dresses were a lot snug on me. If I wanted a particular design, I had to ask for them to custom make if which was out of my budget. Anyhow, they do really good designs with unique patterns and nice tela.

Shopaholic's Place is situated in an unassuming corner in Farmer's Plaza and if youdon't slow your…read morewalking, you'll miss the branded clothes inside. It has its days let me say. Sometimes I feel that the shop keep is to blame because I keep seeing hideous dresses on display on the mannequins. But going inside, I tend to find pretty tops like sheer blouses and A-line dresses for a modest (mahal for me) price usually around Php250 to Php350. Their kids' clothes are a lot cheaper and cuter too. They have the cutest cotton dresses for less that Php 200, leggings for Php 100-150 and cotton shirts from Php100-150. I bought my daughter a pretty striped oranged Ralph Lauren (kuno) cotton tee here for Php120. I go home and my mother tells me how expensive it was. So I've been shopping wrong apparently... A star less for the limited choices and the kind of expensive prices.

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....

Cut through this place in my efforts to traverse the Green Belt madness ... To my pleasant…read moresurprise, as I was cutting through on my way to look for some athletic shoes at a small specific vendor, I began to notice the absolute gigantic section of shoes that exists in this store among other things... Also noticed the tidiness and the efficiency with which its employees moved throughout, not hesitating to help other customers... I went down to the first floor thinking I was going to find an exit out in the direction I needed to go but instead, I found a sprawling athletic shoe section... Found exactly what I needed... The price wasn't spectacular but it was about what I expected...

Cineplex/Restaurants/Play areas/ outdoor area with water features. However on this day 7-7-19 they…read morewere all dry.

Seven Dials, alongside two other boutique shops in one area located in The Ramp, is one of my go-to…read moreboutiques when I wish to update my wardrobe. I go here when I want to find the latest colors, the latest styles, and sometimes just to feast my eyes on their wonderful collection every month. They specialize in semi-formal women's wear, with croptops, blouses, dresses, and other fashion staples that all women's closets should contain. What makes them unique is that they arrange their clothes by mixed color, which allows its customers to generate ideas on what color goes great with another color. If you're stuck on what to wear on the next themed party, go on and try browsing through Seven Dials!

I love shopping at Claire's especially at Christmas time and I have a lot gifts for my tween and…read moreteen godchildren. They have the cutest items that are great for that age range. The truth is, I also buy a lot of things at Claire's for myself. They have a lot of hip accessories like sunglasses, jewelry, hats and bags. The best gift I found there were locked diaries for tweens with cute owl designs and a bejeweled red one. They are also among the few stores that have gloves, we're not really a glove-wearing country so that's a bit hard to find before Claire's. And they also carry the Prism line of Katy Perry. They often go on sale offering buy 1, take 1 promos for items of the same price. If you ever chance upon one of those, I suggest going big on the shopping because you will always be able to find young girls and those young-at-heart to give the items to.

Claire's is every pre-teens dream come true. When i would vacation in the US, my shopping itinerary…read morealways included Claire's for all my kikay needs. Their accessories are the best! They sell colorful hair pieces as well as cute earrings, belly rings (for the rebellious kind) and even boy band merchandise. Just so you know, i didnt buy any of the Justin Bieber stuff when he was super famous. In grade 6, all my classmates wanted to have my denim wallet which had glitters and the world Angel stitched on the front part. When i told them it was from Claire's their faces looked a bit upset because they knew they wouldnt be able to buy it right away. When i saw Claire's open their first branch in BGC i remember feeling what i used to feel when i wouls enter their US stores before. Unfortunately i was already working so i decided to be happy for the preteens instead. I still pass by once in a while and delight in the cute stuff they have.