Ukay Shop in a Mall

It is undeniably true that indeed, Ukay shopping has gone viral in the Philippine market. Gone are the days where you can only see and shop ukay items in the markets or in sidewalks. T'was before when we perceived ukay items as something to be given as relief goods and totally used clothings.  But nowadays, people in different walks of life have known the fact that ukay-ukay is something to be thought of as a fashionable yet practicable way of keeping up with today's economy and fashion. In fact, putting up an ukay shop has become one of the growing and lucrative businesses in the country. 

Before, you can imagine yourself soaked in sweat as you painfully digged into a pile of clothes, hoping to grasp a good find. But today, you can shop through the comfort of your homes with the aid of your internet connection. Ukay shops sprouted in Olx.ph, Facebook, Ayosdito.com and even in most blogs. For those shoppers who are meticulous and prefer to see the item, ukay shops are inside in an airconditioned mall or department store. Yes, they are already part of what we call boutiques. Recently, I had a good encounter with Iloilo's one of the best Ukay shops located in one of the city's department stores. Well, this is something to be blogged about when the items I bought from there arrives.

For now, let me talk about the newest and probably the first Ukay Shop I encounter in Zamboanga City that is located inside a mall. If you don't feel comfortable digging into a pile of clothes in a scattered carts in Magay Market or browse through a number of kiosk in Sta. Cruz Market, then maybe you can try checking out the hanged and arranged stuffs in Letty's Surplus Shop in Yubenco StarMall, Putik, Zamboanga CIty. For tourists, you can visit the shop by either taking a tricycle (with fare from P50-P70) or thru a jeepney (with a fixed fare of P9.00).

The shop, Letty's Surplus, offers a variety of ukay items- bags, shorts, pants, tops, kids apparel and jackets. The price ranges from P20-150 (tops), P100-350 (for non-branded/designer bags) and P100-250 for shorts/pants.

Vinegar: A Disinfectant and a Stain Remover

Have you ever tried digging into a pile of clothes and finally found what you've wanted? Unfortunately, upon checking on the garment, you noticed that the item is stained. Either it is a brown or yellowish stain, that sight alone is disappointing, right? But,  good news is here for you. You can remove any stain with an aid of a known and useful kitchen's "secret ingredient" - VINEGAR.

Yes, you are right. A vinegar is not only an ingredient for your favorite "paksiw" or "kinilaw" but also an effective ukay treasure disinfectant and stain remover.

** Try these simple tricks and it might do wonders on your ukay finds. :)

Fabric Care
Colors	* to brighten and disinfect, soak the clothes in 1 gallon warm water and 1 cup vinegar.
Yellowing	*add 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse water
Removing Stains
Coffee, tea, cola	* soak the clothes in 1/3 cup vinegar to 2 1/3 cup water
Gum	* soak gum stains in vinegar for 15 minutes. Rinse.
Ink	* spray with hair spray then dab with vinegar to remove the sticky spray
Juice	*soak 1/3 cup vinegar and 2/3 cup water
Blood	* soak the stain in vinegar for 30 minutes
Deodorant/Sweat stains	*(light stains) soak stained colored clothes in white vinegar for 30 minutes *(heavy stains) soak stained colored clothes in 1:1 vinegar to water and brush the stained area before washing

A Guide to Zamboanga City's Ukay Shops

Gone are the days when the real fashionistas shopped through high-end boutiques. Nowadays, a real fashionista knows no boundaries in terms of speaking out through fashion. Fashion industry evolves into something huge, fearless and bold. Lately, "ukay-ukay" has been in the list of some fashionistas. Online ukay stores sprouted in the social media while a number of Pinays flocked to grab unique, quality and reasonably priced items.

In every place, I believe there is always a space or area where you can "shop" for ukay treasures. In every city or town, ukay-ukay kiosks have been one of the symbols of trade and it never fails to attract a number of shoppers.

With my recent vacation in Iloilo City, one of the must-visit-destination is the mall where it houses two ukay shops, but unfortunately, with the hectic schedule, I failed to visit the place. So, I decided, maybe I should start the Ukayista Guide in my homeplace, Zamboanga City.

For tourists, Zamboanga City is known for the Barter Goods Trade where one can purchase items made (mostly) in Malaysia at the most reasonable price. But little was known that the city actually has almost a whole complex that caters about 30 ukay stalls. This one is the Sta. Cruz Commerrcial Center along Veterans Avenue.  You can find anything you want  from dresses, blouses/tops, skirts, pants, bags and shoes. In fact, if you want quality curtains, bedsheets, comforters and pillow cases, you can easily find it there.

The items in Sta. Cruz Center are well arranged. You can actually see clothes hanging and you don’t actually need to do the digging. Prices usually range from P80-150 for the blouses/shirts, P150-300 for the dresses , P100-2,500 for the shoes, P50-500 for the purses/bags and P200-350 for pants. But for signature and designer bags, prices can go as expensive as P5, 000.00. The best time to shop is during Saturdays and Sundays at 9:00 in the morning where new bales will be opened.

But if you want a real treasure hunting, then the best place for you is the Magay Market. This is actually the old market of the city and a portion of it was used to cater the Ukay-Ukay traders. The place is just about 300 meters away from the City Hall and almost within the heart of the city’s downtown area. Unlike in the Sta. Cruz Center, ukay items are just placed in wooden boxes or carts. So, Ukayistas need to do the actual digging of the pile of clothes and expect that the place is not as dainty/sanitized compared to the Sta. Cruz Center.  However, the prices are totally a steal! Prices usually range from P5-180 only. Seldom can you encounter an item that is worth for two hundred. If you are lucky, you can even find designer clothes for as low as P50.00.  With my recent treasure hunting escapade, I was able to grab an authentic Tommy Hilfiger knitted dress for only P50.00. Isn’t that a total steal? 

The best time to visit the place is during Saturdays and Sundays at 6:00 o’clock in the morning where the vendors will open new bales.  In fact, you can even help them pull the items (which are still sticking) from the bales.

a classic sight in Magay Market

Treasure hunting ....

So, c’mon! Let’s start the treasure hunting and let the passion continues.