ONE of my most formative memories as a child is going to school one day with new shoes, straight from Greenhills. My parents never taught me about the importance of brands–how whether your shoes were Nike or Adidas actually mattered. 

Imagine my confusion when in the middle of the day, as I was laughing with my friends, I suddenly heard someone say: “You know those are fake, right?”

They were looking at my shoes. All I could feel at that moment was a mix of confusion and embarrassment; no, I didn’t know that they were fake. Even more, I didn’t know that that mattered. 

As the years passed, I started to grow more conscious of the clothes that I wore. I avoided fake clothing. I felt nervous wearing anything from department stores, even if I thought the clothes looked cute. Moreover, I developed this irrational fear that someone, at any time, could mock me if what I was wearing wasn’t up to the latest trends.

So imagine my surprise when in my 2nd year of high school, my friends started asking me to come thrift with them. And then suddenly, everyone was thrifting. And now, it has become an integral part of the fashion scene not just in the Philippines, but in the rest of the world too. 

One question then comes to mind: how are people dealing with this change–with the normalization of the ukay-ukay?

Happy about the change

Grade 12 student at the Nazarene Catholic School Bryan Bautista has been thrifting since he was 9 years old, when he would come with his aunt to Quiapo to look amongst the clothes displayed there. 

“I feel really happy about it,” Bautista said, referring to the sudden shift in how people look at thrifting culture. 

“Gone were the days that people judged you if your clothes were thrifted. I’m pretty happy to see that thrifting has become a mainstay in the eyes of the people,” he added. 

Mharyll Aza Gellera, a 3rd year film student from Benilde, said that she has been going to ukay-ukays since high school, when it had been her bonding activity with her parents.

“Mas nahilig naman ako dahil nae-engganyo na ako sa pananamit. At ngayon ay mas lalo na akong naging tambay sa ukayan dahil dito ako nakuha ng mga gamit at damit pag may binibihisan ako sa mga pelikula,” Gellera said. 

Thrifting is now an integral part of her job as a wardrobe stylist.

“Sa trabaho ko bilang PD at wardrobe stylist, halos lahat ng damit para sa shoot ay 90% galing ukayan dahil mas mura at makakapag laro sa pagbibihis,” she said.

More people should be into buying pre-loved clothes, according to the owners of the Instagram shop Couzy2k.

“It’s a good thing,” they said. 

It is something that should be “destigmatized” as it actually helps people be better members of society, they said. 

“It’s a decent thing. It’s good for the environment. It saves us money. It fuels people’s creativity. It’s a win for everyone!” they said.

A source of livelihood

Since the growth of the ukay-ukay scene in the Philippines, many have found opportunities in turning this into an avenue for business. Thrift shops on websites like Instagram, Shopee, and Carousell, grow in number by the day. 

Lean Torres, the head of Season Pass PH, said he has always loved to thrift because of his love for the designs and the quality of vintage tees. At present, items from Torres’ shop come from thrift stores and people decluttering their wardrobes. 

“The mission of our store is to find new homes for preloved pieces, may it be thrifted or not,” he said.  

His journey selling thrifted items started in late 2018 to early 2019, and it has been an adventure for him.  

“We started finding more thrifted stuff, since it was more a thrill of the hunt thing for us, finding graphics and designs that we never thought existed: merchandise from our favorite shows,  movies, music, and toys. And anything nostalgic printed on a shirt that kinda expresses who you are,” he said  

With regard to how he picks his items for Season Pass, he said: “We sell what we love, and luckily enough, it resonates with our demographic.”

For 2nd-year college student Echo Balburias, it was her love for fashion and editorials that inspired her to start thrifting. Eventually, she decided to open up her own IG thrift shop: Depop by Klaudia. 

“I started selling my curated pieces last March of 2021. I was looking for extra income, and to be financially independent,” Balburias said.

Many have been supportive of ventures like hers, especially fashionistas, she said.  

“Mas nagiging handy and affordable yung mga pieces, and pwede ka pa mag-start ng business. So para sa’kin, masaya ako for everyone na nai-influence sa pagu-ukay,” she said.

All in all, online thrift shops have become a great avenue for people who want to thrift but don’t feel like going out to the shops to continue to find unique items in a much more convenient manner. 

Thoughts about the future

Many feel that the future of thrifting in the Philippines is bright and filled with promise. 

“It will grow more and more,” said Torres. “People will have more options for their wardrobe than ever before. Anything used or secondhand will be our first option when it comes to fashion.”

Gellera shared the same sentiments. 

“Mas lalaki pa ang mundo ng ukayan sa Pilipinas, lalo na ngayo’y madaming nage-explore sa kani-kanilang fashion taste. Kaya ko nga nakahiligan ang pananamit dahil sa mga murang ukayan na pinupuntahan ko simula noon,” she said. 

She couldn’t even remember when she bought clothes from a regular, or non-ukay, shop, she added.  

There are those, however, who worry about its current state and its possible deterioration in the years to come. 

Miggy Matreo, a 3rd-year student at Benilde, said that the main point of thrifting used to be for the recycling of clothes for the sake of sustainability. 

“Nowadays, I feel like people are exploiting it too much, and the spirit of thrifting is changing,” he said. 

Even IG shops have felt the brunt of the sudden price hikes in ukay-ukays. 

When Couzy2k started, its owners were able to buy items for as low as P20, but this was not the case now. 

One of the reasons for this is the growing popularity of second-hand shops, which increased demand, leading to higher prices. 

But overall, it can be found that many are happy with the change, and only hope for more aspects of Filipino culture similar to thrifting to be normalized, as well. 

“It feels nice na in this day and age, people are not as firm with everything,” said Grade 12 DLSU student Arianne Lim. “People can try out new things, and they won’t be hated on compared to before. I’m glad na at least some people, nakaka-adjust with things like this.”

Thrifting tips for newbies

1. Wag lang bili nang bili.

“Go through all the stores in the area before buying anything. Make sure you get the best prices you can get, especially when buying multiple pieces.” – Miggy Matreo

2. Look for something new from your current aesthetic.

“Always look for something new from your current aesthetic, because ukay shops have a lot to offer. When you thrift, there’s a chance for you to try something new instead of just buying clothes at malls, where you have a ton of people who have the same print or style.” – Echo Balburias

3. Be patient. 

“What’s for you will find you. Just manifest, and wag tamarin ikutin lahat.” – Couzy2k

4. Learn how to crochet/stitch for a more personal touch.

“For me, when I see a nice clothing piece for a reasonable price but it kinda lacks something, I just crochet or stitch pieces to it, so it’s a pretty special and very fun way to save money.” – Arianne Lim

5. Have fun.

“Buy what you can afford and want. It’s your style. Just enjoy the fun of thrifting.” – Bryan Bautista