“If I wake up in dreamland, I shop for my fairy tales,” Shaira said. “When I wake up as myself—well, I just shop for myself.”
Shaira insists that there are different kinds of thrift-shoppers, and the vintage queen seems to have a split personality in this regard—one is shopping to style her next shoot, the other hoping to covet good finds to wear as she stays behind the camera.
What kind of thrifter are you?
- The brand conscious
Finding branded clothes on the ukay racks is this person’s greatest shopping spree achievement. It may not even matter if the piece is in their size or matches their personal style. As long as the tag bears the markings of retail and luxury, it’s considered sold.
- The kind thrifter
The one that shops with other people in mind. They may either have a natural knack for styling or were naturally born with a good heart. They know which flatters which body types and keeps in mind what their friends’ taste in fashion is. It’s no challenge for them to spot cheap finds that would easily fit in their friends’ wardrobe. Most importantly, these shoppers have mental notes of the sizes of each person on their ukay list.
- The print seeker
This one’s on the hunt for the retro and whimsical prints that you won’t find anyone else sporting these days. It’s a thrill for them to cop unique vintage statement pieces, pairing them with contemporary style trends.
- The basic wardrobe cheapster
We confess, we fall in this category too often. Ukay-ukays are the best place to find go-to pieces, and prices range from P150 to P5.
- The one with the holiday haul
These are not regular thrifters—you’d usually see them at the ukay when it’s nearing Halloween or it’s the season of office Christmas parties. These occasional shoppers are often seen thrifting for a reason: They have to buy clothes that you may never see them wear again. The ukay also works as an instant time machine for when they need clothes for throwback-themed parties.
- The cosplayer
Like Shaira said, ukay-ukay is a Pandora’s box. For cosplayers, entering a thrift shop can be similar to gracing a movie set’s wardrobe room, but a messy one at that.
- The just passing through
Or, napadaan lang, and oftentimes, we fall in this category. A lot of thrift shops are strategically located in busy areas around the metro, and commuters/thrifters usually come in when they do not want to brave the horrendous traffic.