I Am Bourgeois

Most of my Baguio vacation was spent scouring the local ukays (thrift stores) with my mom. Ever since my mom and aunts introduced me to the wonderful world of Baguio’s ukay haunts when I was 12, I’d always considered Baguio as my sort of Ukay Mecca. Of course, this was back when ukay-ukays in Manila were practically unheard of. Although Baguio’s ukays are more plentiful than Manila’s, with several rickety floors of cramped stores to explore, I was actually a little disappointed by what I found – or didn’t find. I had hoped to bring back tons of quirky dresses and tunic tops, but most of the stores were dominated by padded jackets, sweaters, and short tops. The dresses I did find were either too expensive (some were priced as high as P380), too boring, or didn’t fit well. My guess is that dresses aren’t very popular in Baguio; because of the cold mountain climate, people would probably rather buy jackets or long-sleeved tops.

Another thing that I didn’t anticipate were the fairly high prices. The prices of Baguio’s ukay pieces are not that much different from the prices in Manila; a dress costs roughly P200, while tops are around P150. Store owners also have this tendency to sort out the prettier items and sell them at ridiculous prices, not to mention that they’re familiar with high street brands and charge a premium for them. Ugh. I didn’t have time to go to the real Baguio ukay - the hilltop market, where you literally have to dig through piles and piles of clothes – so I had to contend with the high-ish prices in the city proper’s thrift stores.

Nonetheless, I did find a few basic pieces I’d been lemming for, plus a few unplanned purchases! And I stayed well within my budget too. Hooray for haggling skillz!

The first item on my list was a black cropped blazer – the perfect compromise between looking professional and staying fashionable. It took me a while to find, but I eventually spotted a blazer from Club Monaco hanging on a high rack. It fit me like a glove and only cost P130. I guess the store owners weren’t very familiar with this brand!

Jeans are supposed to be a wardrobe staple, but I hardly ever wear them because I find them too uncomfortable. Denim restricts movement and traps heat, a feature that served me well in Baguio but doesn’t do me much good in Manila. Not these jeans though! Not only do they fit me perfectly and come in the perfect shade of acid-washed gray; the fabric is ultra-soft and ultra-comfortable! Seriously, it has to be illegal for jeans to feel as soft as a summer dress. I could live in its pajama-like comfort for the rest of my life.

Did I mention that they are a perfect fit? I grabbed three different pairs of gray jeans from the rack and was slowly losing heart when the first two pairs wouldn’t even go past my thighs. The moment I slid the final pair on I knew these jeans were for me. Not only was the fabric incredibly soft (as I’ve mentioned over and over again); they hugged my legs the way a pair of tailor-made skinny jeans would. As I pulled the pants over my waist without too much difficulty, I prayed that the button would close – and it did! Needless to say, I felt very happy about my ukay-fu after this.

I meant to buy rain boots too (aka cheap thrifted boots I wouldn’t mind getting dirtied by puddles) but I was so intent on finding pretty dresses that I neglected to check out the boots. I did, however, spot two adorable flats and tried them on out of curiosity. I just had to get them when I found that they were very comfortable; it would have been a crime to do otherwise!

Bags were not in my shopping list, but I spotted this color-blocked bag while I was waiting for my mom to finish trying shoes on. I couldn’t resist the gorgeous colors and besides, the warm hues are a perfect match for the bohemian pieces in my wardrobe. This was a little pricey at P350 but so worth it.

The rest of my ukay haul is still in the wash but they’re not really worth blogging about. I’m actually thinking of hitting the Cubao ukays this weekend to make up for the serious lack of dresses in Baguio. I still have a thousand pesos left from my budget!