I don't know if you'd consider yours truly a fashionista, but I do love dressing up! I sometimes look forward to weekends just so I could wear an outfit in mind that would never be allowed at the office. And sometimes, I do get excited to go to the office just because of an outfit i'm planning to wear for that day...even though I know no one's gonna see me at the office anyway! HAHAHA! Call me "praning" but I just always get a certain high when I'm in the mood to dress up and when I do achieve my goal of looking the way I want to look for that day. You can probably blame my mom for this characteristic of mine...being a fashion designer during all of my growing up years (she used to make ready-to-wear and made-to-order clothes for women...mostly office attires) and making me her Barbie doll during all of those years, it's just a matter of time that some of her fashionista-self would rub off on me...albeit a bit too much actually. But I don't mind...and I actually love it! She now acts as my "fashion consultant," the one-woman-jury who decides whether my outfit for the day is nice or just so-so.Ü
Anyway, let me share to you the one thing that transpired that led me to write this particular article. One morning, a prominent figure in our department asked me out of nowhere: "Where do you buy the outfits you wear at the office?" And I was stunned. Wierded-out by the question and stunned. Then she goes on to say that she considers moi a fashionista and that her apo, who's a graduating student, needs to buy some corporate attire as it is needed for school (probably for a thesis defense or a similar event), and she just wants to know where I buy my outfits so she can suggest to her apo to go to those stores. I was actually caught empty-handed and I didn't know what to say, but eventually blurted out: "Maldita. The Black Shop. And Divisoria." HAHAHA! I don't think I even own an outfit from The Black Shop. But I love the style of their outfits (it's just not within my budget) and I'd go to their store every now and then just to check out some of their new styles. Anyway, this got me to thinking: Where exactly DO I buy most of my outfits anyway? Well, after a careful scrutiny of my wardrobe cabinet, here's what I got:
MALDITA
I just love their clothes! They're a bit pricey for my taste though but I sometimes stumble upon a piece or two that are just within my budget, hence I've collected quite a few pieces of clothing from this brand. I also love their new alter-ego, Black Sheep, which is more casual, caters to the younger crowd, and are much more affordable. Their "fill-in-the-blanks" shirt is such a hit (to me, at least)! I have one that says "I Dig _______" (you fill in the blank...hehe...) although I like "I Love _______" better, but they didn't have one in my size the time that I bought mine. Anyway, back to Maldita...as I've mentioned, I slowly grew to love this brand coz their pieces (most especially their tops) are hip and stylish, and can be worn to the office. I have only one pair of pants from this store so far and it's actually my most expensive purchase by far (from Maldita) at P1,500+, which is already discounted by 15% coz of an HSBC credit card promo. Basically, the reason why I'm now in love with Maldita, is because they cater to the urban and yuppie gals (And guys too! They have Maldita Men now) like me.Ü
FREEWAY
I've got quite a few clothes from this store that stand out, not just in my closet, but everytime I wear them out as well. One is a black bolero with fur piping (that I wear to the office when I want to cover up a sleeveless top), and another, which is a battle green, sort of crocheted, bolero-type sweater with hood, and lining the hood are fur (HAHA! Ain't I a fur fanatic!). I got those two on sale because I never would've bothered buying those in their original price. Anyway, aside from my fur-mania at Freeway, I also often buy my swimsuits here because the prices of their bra and bikini sets are affordable (And by "affordable" I mean "does not exceed the 1,000-peso mark") and cute.
LANDMARK
Now that i'm an office girl, my wardrobe has changed through the past two years. It used to be full of baby tees and sleeveless/spaghetti strap/haltered tops. But now, you'll find knitted tops and collared blouses since the place I frequent most nowadays is the office. And when it comes to knitted tops, I often get to buy those at The Landmark, 2nd floor, near the shoes section. They have lots of knitted tops there that are great for office wear and are very much affordable, being in the 300 to 600 price range. My most favorite buy there is a black, 3/4 sleeves, V-neck top that never fails to get compliments from family and friends.
DIVISORIA
This place is a shopper's haven! That is, if they're willing to go through each and every aisle of the stores there, weaving in and out of human traffic (not the illegal kind), and at the same time being wary of pickpockets and taking very good care of your valuables. If you're lucky, you'll stumble upon a great buy that is of good quality and cheap (I know I have Ü). If you are a follower of fads and want to join in the current fashion trend but are not willing to spend too much on a piece of clothing that you know you'd only wear for a few months (or until the fad fades away), then this is the place to be. I'm sure that, with all the stores here, you'll definitely find something that will suit your trendy taste and is within budget. You just have to be patient and be very good in bargaining (my mom and dad are experts!). The places I frequent here are 168 Mall (and the adjacent Meisic Mall), Divisoria Mall, and Tutuban...but I find myself going to the latter 2 more often nowadays.
BENCH
Probably the reason why I have quite a few Bench pieces is the fact that I have a discount card at this store (10% discount on cash purchases, 5% on credit card, but not all of their items are covered by the discount card). My most treasured and loved Bench item is a plain white shirt that I got at P399 (or was it P299???), which you can actually find under their Bench Body or underwear line (although it's a far cry from being an underwear). I love it so much that I bought another one (exact same thing) and got one each in other colors too (baby pink and light blue)! HAHA! Talk about being an addict! I so love this top because it fits just right and I just love wearing the color white coz you can do anything with it! Accessorize it and match it with a different bottom every time and you've got a whole new outfit! Aside from this major love affair with Bench's white top, I also like their Bench Body line, mostly their panties, because their bra needs a bit of work (especially the straps...it gets all tangled up after a trip to the laundromat).
SHOES...
VIA VENETTO
Their shoes are so comfy that it compensates with the quite expensive price tag that comes with it. But it's all worthit though coz they really manufacture quality shoes that will last you quite sometime (depends on the use...mine's still in good condition despite the mostly everyday use that it has endured for the past two years). HOwever, they don't have a lot of style that you can choose from...and would you believe that the shoes I bought two years ago is still on display until now? Which goes to show that they really don't invest much when it comes to styling their shoes. But comfort-wise, I give them an A+.Ü
LACOSTE
An expensive store indeed but their walking shoes is comfortable and not to mention, stylish as well. My only pair costs a little less than P4,000 (got it on sale at 20% off) and I just love wearing it coz it's sooo comfy and ideal for walking (great for out of town trips where you know you'd be on your feet most of the time). My mom just recently bought hers at 30% off, which just goes to show that our family really adores this alligator (Or is it crocodile? I always get mixed up!) brand when it comes to shoes.
Well, that's it guys! Those are the stores I love and often frequent. So if you bump into me in any one of these stores, give me a nudge. Maybe I can give you a suggestion or two on what would be a good buy in the said store. 'Til next month's blog!Ü (As bonus, you can check out some of the outfits I mentioned above in the picture-slideshow below Ü Enjoy!)
