let’s ukay, baby

Ukay-Ukay is Visayan for “sift through” or “dig up.” Up north the term is wag-wag, “to dust off.” You find the best bargains by digging them out of a pile and dusting them off. But the imagery is vintage 80’s or earlier. The business has come a long way since then.

In the trade’s early years, ukay-ukay referred to garments shipped to the Philippines as donations from some charitable group to help refugees and calamity victims. Soon enough, overseas workers learned to collect used clothing, preferably with designer labels, before it got to the Goodwill stores, and send it to the Philippines in balikbayan boxes. Entrepreneurial friends and relatives would buy in bulk, then sell by the piece to the public.

Traders also persuaded non-government organizations to act as allies. The NGOs would obtain government permission to receive hefty quantities as donations, supposedly for distribution to needy communities, and therefore shielded from heavy tariffs on imported products. This is how the ukay-ukay vendor can sell through flea markets and tiangge at rock-bottom prices.

– “Ukay-ukay” by a man named Dr. Jaime S. Ong

i do still recall a time when you could get a fabulous item for P10-P20 (roughly 25-50 cents), but that’s quite rare nowadays. but anyway, instead of rambling on and on about it, i’d rather focus on my favorite local spots. (but for anyone who’s interested, here are some articles about the topic. they vary from ukay-ukay history, to tips, to personal opinions, and everything in between. there’s also a video to give you a better look at the awesomeness that is the baguio ukay-ukay.)

so here they are… my favorite thrifting spots in the metro. most of them are places i have most access to, so it’s very likely that there are other, more awesometastic spots out there i haven’t really discovered. (click on the pictures for the larger version, and i’ve also linked some of the items to past photos where you’ll see them being used.)

blue floral dress, brown belt, and two other dresses i haven’t worn yet. also, the two pairs of shoes pictured in my header came from one cubao thrift shop.(:

vintage floral dress, marc jacobs stripey dress, purple belt, and another vintage floral dress. man, i got a lot of those, eh?

strappy shoes and black wedges.

dress/coat, polka dot blouse, plaid shirt and yellow cardi, vintage floral dress.

ethnic dress, gingham uniform/dress, plaid wiggle dress.

brown high-waist skirt, purple jacket/capelet, plaid skirt.