We are what we wear, they say. Well, perhaps; but, that is not entirely true all the time. By now, you must already have realized that life isn’t just black and white; good and evil; true or false; nor yes and no. There are many truths that lie in between. You cannot entirely say that the person you may have come across the street is educated, rich, snobbish or even picky. Those are simply impressions. The thing about impressions; they wear off when you see beyond the clothing. However, people wear what they wear as it may match their personality; their mood perhaps; or simply because it caters to their creativity and self-expression. This is where fashion comes in.
In the Philippines, there is this thing called UKAY-UKAY. It is where you buy pre-loved or let’s say second-hand fashionable items (clothing, bags, shoes and the like). As a Cebuano word the translation for UKAY would be to RUMMAGE (Ukay-ukay items are also called UK, short for the word). Yes indeed, it is quite a handful of unorganized and messy quest. An Ukay-ukay store is a very good source of fashion ideas for the not so financially endowed (a.k.a. broke) fashionistas. Just because they do not have fat budgets for designer brands, doesn’t mean they cannot dress up. Oops…. Hold up! I don’t think fashion only refers to designer brands. I mean, personally, brands don’t matter to me for as long as I look what I imagined my varied ensembles should be. What good would brands do if I don’t look good in them? Lastly, brands don’t always spell quality.
Great finds await in the UKAY-UKAY
DISTINCTIVE DESIGNS
Mostly these items come from various countries. This means you get to wear unique designs because they come varied. These are designs or items you might not see in RTW stalls; that if you are brave enough to be different. You would become an instant icon of high fashion. High fashion patrons are not content with just jeans and shirt or what everybody is wearing, they go for far more intricate (if not the unusual) designs. This is why being that means a very expensive and extravagant lifestyle. So if you are highly artistic and brave in terms of fashion, why not go to ukay-ukay stores where you could buy dresses for as low as 50 pesos? If it is your lucky day, the store may lower prices down to 5 pesos for all items. You could already come up with your own haute couture ukay-ukay version wardrobe. Great save! It is always how you carry your clothes that define the latter, not the brand.
DESIGNER BRANDS
Ooops…! Here I go again. I know, I said designer brands don’t matter. I still hold firmly to that belief but let’s face it; it gives a different feeling once you get to wear them. It feels more like for once you have pampered yourself to expensive clothing. Since, you found them in ukay-ukay, they come way cheaper. Now, you already have something to shove in the face of those who snob you for being a cheapo (quite harsh, I know, but it happens). Let’s be practical, fashion is not priority for those who are struggling to come up with an amount for the semester’s tuition; nor for those who could hardly come by through minimum wages. But just because we are poor, we stop being creative? NO! Because we are poor we become resourceful.
QUALITY FABRIC
Because the Philippines is often hit by calamities, relief goods arrive from different parts of the world. To make the long story short, these goods especially clothing, bags, shoes and the like wind up in the hands of traders. Voila! You have ukay-ukay. These clothing mostly comes from well-off countries like North American and European countries; they may also have come from China, Japan and South Korea. These items were intended for the calamity stricken families. Regardless of the issues and anomalies of this growing ukay-ukay business, people still patronize it because other than the low prices, there are good if not best quality items you can find in the rummage. Just carry with you keen eyes and dutiful hands.
VINTAGE CLOTHING
Yes, that’s been a thing now. Some shops add style to some clothes to make them more attractive (if not expensive looking); Or… you could do it yourself. You are now an agent of gentrification. Big word, huh… go look it up! Anyway, if you think it might be time to come down to the ukay-ukay stores, make sure you bring tons of patience with you and ginormous amount of enthusiasm. Unlike the department stores where items are very well sorted out, in the ukay-ukay (amidst the heat, the migraine-triggering smell and the frenzy) mostly, you only get classifications according to prices. If it’s not your lucky day, you’ll have to wait for the schedule of the next opening of new bundles. There isn’t an assurance really that you’ll get what you want. You see, in the ukay-ukay, it is not always about what you want to buy; it’s about what you can find.
Before you go flock the ukay-ukay stores near you, make sure it is really something that you want. These items, particularly the clothing come from different owners; owners you know nothing about. They may have contagious diseases or so. I’m not scaring you or something; it is one possibility you should put into consideration. These items may trigger skin allegies. However they have undergone decontamination before granted access. Be very cautious; make sure you wash them first before wearing them. It is better safe than sorry.
References
Chan, K.J. (27 February 2012). Health hazards caused by "ukay-ukay" clothing. Philstar Global. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/39vhSvw
de Jong, R. (20 November 2011). Ukay-ukay. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2QAyl9g
Ladrido, P. (2 May 2018). When ukay-ukay is more than a challenge. CNN Philippines. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2ZMRx7R
Ukay-ukay. (2019). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/35fhYnQ
You must be logged in to post a comment.