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I feel like I explored a few new ways of styling things, clothes (went full on tropical island girl or coconut girl over the summer and the rest of the year) and revisited old styling of clothes this year or...I don't know. I just stuck to being me and my moody dressing self all throughout 2024.
I got into Leisure Supply (on Shopee PH) like this cropped tank top in the second photo and the bag in the first one.
I still definitely bought some random new stuff from my go-to, Zalora PH, but usually went for those that are on sale like this tie back hibiscus print tank dress from H&M on Zalora PH. I don't think it's still available since this was acquired some time ago. Maybe early into the year last year.
My latest Zalora Ph discovery is Sunjoy Underwear and it's made in the Philippines. Sunjoy Underwear Shopee Ph is also available for those who prefer this one, of course. It's a men's clothing store, more like a men's underwear store but I don't discriminate re: clothes and wear whatever so I don't mind men's clothing at times (thrifted or brand new). I stumbled upon this brand when I was looking for henleys. They called theirs camisachino or camisa chino which is what we call men's tops or so here and I got 2 of them in gray in different sizes (XL for a large, oversized loose fit, and M for a size closer to my women's large, almost women's XL frame) last December 2025 and they arrived on time~ I'm excited to put these two to good use. Yes. I had around Php 350-400 (about 8 USD converted) in cashback on the site so I was able to get one with that and just paid Php 350 for the other one to receive it when the courier handed the package to me at the gate.
I'd like to shop at Zalora more but I'm just there for the bigger things like maybe new running shoes I don't often get (I can kind of get by for a year or two...or three without a new one anyways) and some others. Also, Shopee Ph, that orange shopping app I always am found using almost daily to play games for coins etc has much better deals over Zalora Ph so yeah...you get where I'm going with this one (my preferred app between the two lately).
More Leisure Supply (on Shopee Ph) and I'm looking to get into them even more with their linen and satin lounge pants I'm looking to get the soonest I can. I'm currently debating between that and:
Costura Esencial (on Shopee Ph)'s Costura Isla lounge Pants (pinstripes) lightweight w/ pockets
which is cheaper that I also like but yeah... Going back to Leisure Supply (on Shopee Ph) however, I feel like my wardrobe mostly comprise of pieces from them that daaanng! they should sponsor me at this point /jk yeah, well, I guess that's just how it is now. Haha. But seriously, I have 0 regrets buying stuff from this local, Philippines made brand because they're local, homegrown, they employ our own people, and they're (I hope) pretty sustainable which is up my alley. Tl;dr: at least with a brand like this and most others I support here in the Philippines, I know exactly where my money goes: onto their workers' wages, local resources they use etc.
Leisure Supply (on Shopee Ph)'s pieces are also quite Philippines' weather, climate-appropriate so they're pretty good to have in one's closet here. They tick all the boxes for me, they're basic, they're for lounging and can also be taken out to casual outings, and some of their stuff, you can also take with you to colder places when you're travelling to those any time soon. Some are also airport wear-ready which, as an occasional jetsetter lately, I really appreciate. They're definitely mid-priced for a local brand but they're not as expensive as, say, Uniqlo that's not on sale, at least.
I also got into a local, homegrown, Cagayan de Oro City-based brand, Tsaya CDO (here on instagram). They customize shirts and stuff for you, too. I just ordered 3 tshirts some time ago for a friend (1 tshirt) in Quezon City and me (2 tshirts) and I got them fine, just right before I left for Metro Manila the second time October last year for a concert. Big Time Rush's (BTR's).
Their t-shirts are soft and comfortable though they lack that looseness, flowy-ness I like in most of mine. They do have cute designs for shirts and bags you can gift away to people at affordable Kagay-anon born and raised, local price points so definitely check their stall out at the malls or at Chingkeetea Velez St. or Tomas Saco St./Macasandig whenever they have pop-ups! They're not anymore on Chouette's Collection, a boutique along Hayes St. in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City. If you want custom made stuff, you can also message their instagram account to arrange those with them. They do about 1-2 weeks' processing and delivery locally if you're fine with waiting. They don't rush their production, really.
Since my last trip to the U.S. of A, mostly in California (both SoCal and NorCal) to visit family back around really late 2022 to really early 2023, (I spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's eve and day there), I've also gone back to thrifting have been continuing to thrift between the rest of 2023 and last year, 2024.
I thrift online on:
- Instagram - curated stuff are overpriced there so I make sure to choose my thrifts wisely and/or buy stuff whenever my favorite instagram shops are running sales. This is one pro-tip I can share when thrifting there.
- Shopee Ph
and also offline but mostly in Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City until I decided to take a break because some suspicious character of a woman who's likely snatching stuff off of thrifters at my favorite shop there came in pretending to shop one day late last year (around November) and had customers and store owner, store attendants on edge.
I know we should not judge people especially the homeless but here in the Philippines, we have a different breed of this people called the Badjaos, you can just look them up if you understand some of the language in forums like Reddit because they can be quite sinister and not at all like the homeless in the U.S. or anywhere else abroad who don't really harm people that much at all. I'm not saying they're dangerous or they harm others but they can be pretty rude and haughty. They earn a lot from the donations of people here who get duped by them (like about Php 5K or a 100 USD converted daily in coins) they just use later to satisfy themselves, not even buy necessities or save up for something big like a house or something so yep, those types of homeless in a nutshell.
Anyway, I haven't been back to that favorite thrift store of mine in a while but I'll go again, maybe, when I have very little to carry around and I'm just really there to thrift and maybe get some refreshments, food here and there, that's all.
We-- I'll have to satisfy us-- myself with online thrifted stuff for now or maybe those I thrift when I travel. I plan to thrift in Iloilo next since I'm flying there again on the 23rd and staying there until the 28th. The Dinagyang Festival is on the 25th of that week but I'm honestly NOT THAT interesting in it because I know all or almost all of Iloilo will be crowded by then and you know me who's been blogging here and on LiveJournal (and now, even on substack, occasionally) and crowded places, cities: I detest them. Well, specific places that are super crowded, especially.
The best friend here in Cagayan de Oro City and I tried going to the mall in uptown (SM Uptown) on city fiesta holiday once some years ago and we got home later than expected due to traffic and the crowd...there was an event with Filipino celebrities (national celebs) at the mall there and we swore since to never again, NEVER AGAIN...I'm sticking to non-crowded places now and I might just high tail it to a beach in Iloilo on the 25th or so to avoid people. LOL. I'll try to see if I can book an Isla de Gigantes day tour or so from the Klook app and site for that day or on the 24th or 26th. This isn't my first solo beach trip, I've been to a few some years past and the latest was an overnight trip to Initao (Initao, Misamis Oriental) which is just an hour from here with a friend and later, on my own.
Tl;dr, I like crowded areas like maybe some cafes but the sparsely crowded type, I detest the uber crowded city/town squares with events going on that isn't maybe a rave or something else music-related (at least with artists whose music I like anyway).
In line with the thrifting topic, my favorite saying now is "thrifted and well-loved Uniqlo is better than brand new Uniqlo" that promotes overconsumption among people here. The military/army green utility skirt here is one such well-loved thrifted Uniqlo piece that has seen the light of day and some of the night out because it's super easy to wear and comfortable to run around in and you can't drag me to the Uniqlo store to buy this thing new because I balk at Uniqlo prices not on sale in the first place. I don't know how people buy stuff new anymore these days because I don't and I spend more on food, drinks, and skin and health care stuff instead now. Also, travel and experience.
I admit I almost did buy 2 tank tops of the same style that were on sale at Php 290, USD 5 when converted -ish a piece from a Uniqlo branch/store in Festive Walk, Iloilo but I'm glad I didn't go for it because when I got home and browsed my saved stuff on instagram (mostly thrifted vintage, second hand stuff) I found I prefer those and they're fraction of the price of these two brand new tank tops that are on sale. Heh. I'm also currently getting an overrun tank top from a shop on Shopee Ph that's v-neck in style at less than Php 150, USD 3 converted, in my size in white which is a color/shade I like and can never get enough of so... I can't complain that I passed up on those 2 tank tops from Uniqlo at all~
The thing is that, Uniqlo is still fast fashion and it, alongside GU are flooding the thrift, vintage, second hand market lately and frankly, I'm getting sick of seeing them everywhere there rn especially since most of them are super basic and aren't into the style I like which is currently leaning towards...fairy core and some indie sleaze. Note that or/and keep in mind that I don't really adhere to or subscribe to only a specific -core and to this day, I still don't have a specific style and keep defaulting to basic but, you get my drift...where I'm going with this one... I just currently have a thing against Japanese, extremely oversized basic-core. If you're into laidback Japanese minimalist anything, you'll know this styling or -core, whatever it is. I just prefer clothes that fit lately and mixing proportions, that's all.
2024 also got me into another more active lifestyle-leaning local brand: Stitch it by J and C (on Shopee Ph). I don't remember how I discovered them...maybe it was thanks to Instagram but I fell in irrevocably in love with their very versatile:
I ended up getting this one in different colors, shades of blue, one in sepia brown and one in what they mistook as me getting the lemon yellow shade when I meant to get the buttermilk yellow set. I've been careful about ordering from them since and ask to double check to see if they're sending me the correct color, shade now. I have yet to get the buttermilk and gray sets somehow. I'm not at all sure if I want to get the black set because I know I'll be using the skort half more so...hmn...
Thanks to their pretty alright price point, they're definitely my go-to for active stuff now in the locale with Miggy's Apparel (on Shopee Ph) for other for active lifestyle basics and some undies.
I travel most times lately due to new places acquire by the family that need taking care of so cozy, relaxed travel 'fits are also a thing for 2024 and more of it again for this year, 2025 starting with the trip to Iloilo again, the second since December 13's to 15's last year, 2024, with the dad. By cozy and relaxed, I mean an oversized t-shirt in light colors (white, mostly) and from Hanes and/or Fruit of the Loom (though I have white shirts from other brands, too, local and non-local) and shorts and/or linen pants, a skirt.
Now that I have my Sunjoy Underwear (on Zalora Ph) henley shirts, I'll add that one to the mix of t-shirts for cozy and relaxed airport wear. Hehe.
You can get the henleys here:
and sadly they're not on sale anymore. They were when I got two of them December last year, 2024. I got them at Php 350 or USD 7 converted a piece. They're Php 600 or USD 12 a piece now. This is still on sale here on the orange shopping app, site, however:
Sunjoy Organic Cotton Camisa de Chino Men Long Sleeves Sweatshirt Colored from Sunjoy Underwear on Shopee Ph
and it's also available in different sizes in different shades, colors, too! They have more choices here than they have on Zalora Ph, I'm not gonna lie now.
The white tshirt is back, yes, and it's a must-have for me that I get that's either this:
This is available in the lay flat collar version too:
3 pcs Hanes Round Neck T-Shirt (lay flat collar) 100% Cotton White from Cottonhouse NCR on Shopee PH
or this:
I might stock up on more, I dunno yet, or just their undies because those are very comfortably too, the ones for women, anyway.
I get stuff in packs of 3s and more because they're pretty well-priced for shirts and undies and they keep me from buying so much over the next few weeks, months or over a year or two or so. I rotate my plain white t-shirts, basic tops with graphic t-shirts anyway so they both last longer.
Speaking of linen pants, linen anything...what started me in on this one was a pair that was on sale at OXGN on Shopee Ph I got for even less that the Php 400-ish selling price there with coins and coupons used for the purchase. And then, I found these from Penshoppe (on Zalora Ph here) in store in SM City Marikina.
Story time: I spotted this super relaxed pair in a light color I normally like that's not at all super white and is just right at SM Mall of Asia (MoA) in Pasay City while I was there to look around for stuff for the new family's place in Metro Manila at Ikea Ph next door to this massive mall. MoA is the biggest SM mall around. It's even bigger than the one in Iloilo where the other new fam's place is in or around in and even more massive than the tiny SM Downtown Premier we have here in my area/'hood. I was looking into stuff, clothes, trends and such at fast fashion shops there and I didn't really find much that was within my then-budget for clothes and stuff until I found this at the sale rack at the Penshoppe store there. I only shop both Bench TM Ph and Penshoppe (our two age-old tween but also for older people local, homegrown clothing and apparel shops here in the Philippines) when stuff are on sale so I'm also not likely the type to spend for anything fast fashion (American Eagle Outfitters, Uniqlo, etc) full price. Heh.
Sadly, the first ones I tried from this store of Penshoppe (on Zalora Ph here)'s weren't right. I think their large was pretty small on me? So I decided to wait 'til I could check out other branches of the store in my new fam's place area/'hood in or near Quezon City (Katipunan, Quezon City to be precise). I found the perfect pair with the perfect fit in store in SM City Marikina when I was getting ready to go home, back here to Cagayan de Oro during my May 2024 trip there. I'm still pretty gleeful rn at how I copped this at Php 599 or USD almost 10 converted since Penshoppe stuff can skew expensive, around Php 1000+ or USD 20+ converted at full price (not discounted like how and when I got this one). Unaffordable for the average wage paid Filipino, yes, price point (even for me).
Speaking of discounts, the store is running a 30 to near 50% sale here rn if you're looking for something you've been stalking for a while now or just browsing around:
and if you want to use Shopee coins you've been quietly earning, saving up and their vouchers, if both shop and platform has any such as when they run sales monthly, you can also check on this store online here:
The photo above is me trying this pair of linen pants out in my size at the Penshoppe store's fitting room in SM City Marikina. And this is the one I got, of course.
Now, if you ask me whether I like Bench TM Ph or Penshoppe Ph better, and this is an old Filipino thing who was born and raised here their whole life thing, I would ideally answer Penshoppe Ph because I like their minimalistic designs lately but in reality, for me, it'd be whoever saves me more Phps/USDs during sales in store and online. Lol.
Quality-wise, I think Penshoppe Ph is better than Bench TM Ph but if you're into some sustainable stuff, Bench TM Ph also has a nice selection of those every now and then. Just watch out for the Made in China tags and opt for the Made in the Philippines ones. They have stuff made of bamboo cotton, organic cotton or so every now and then like my white v-neck shirt in a series of photos above with the pink silk skirt...? And that's a pretty good/high quality t-shirt that I still wear on and off until today so yeah...it hardly really matters between these two for me.
The only things Uniqlo, GU, and Muji stores are good for, for me are for 'fits photo taking on their mirrors in some of their racks. Heh. I've been doing this since the Taiwan trip and then again, during the December 2024 Iloilo trip.
My dad did buy one Uniqlo shirt that's more for an active lifestyle at Uniqlo Festive Walk Iloilo as it was on sale so...still...Php 590, USD 11 ish converted, for something new that's not Philippines-made is something I wouldn't really spend much for, for just 1 item at a store. I think this price is more suited for a bottom that's on sale or so.
I'm sticking to overruns and thirfted stuff on Shopee Ph and Instagram for my basics and especially the elevated basics I like lately since they're not as expensive as like, Uniqlo's stuff that are on the sales rack and their full priced stuff. Thank you.
I'm lately drawn to these three colors/shades: brown, yellow, and blue. I dunno. I've never been much of a pink girly and my favorite color is and has always been: blue...since I was a kid. Something about it is just relaxing while some pink can be...blinding...for me, anyways. Sorry not sorry to the pink girlies here, reading this. Let's just say...pink is a color I'd relegate to accessories but not really for clothes except for maybe some occasions like valentines', all hearts' day and such like it. My blue, brown, and yellow and also gray stuff are definitely catching up to my white and cream, neutral, earthy light stuff in my wardrobe lately. In terms of number of these I have in different styles etc anyway. For blue, I think my best color/shade would be the smoky, grayish blue...? I dunno. That shade of blue just gets me the most these days.
This year, you'll see me more in these colors, shades and in more tropical prints and easy going 'fits, for sure. Athleisure too since I lately can hardly contain myself from thrifting athletic or active-lifestyle stuff like (sweat) shorts and capri pants. Vintage, secondhand, thrifted Adidas (on Zalora Ph) and Champion have been hitting it out of the ball park for me lately and of course, Puma (on Zalora Ph) for their running caps/hats when they're on sale. Haha.
Will I be purchasing some new stuff from these two, three active lifestyle brands? Hmn... Time will tell and when I chance upon a sale that brings stuff I like from them at a more affordable, more accessible price point, I guess. *wink* I'm currently happy with my vintage, secondhand, thrifted athleisure, active wear stuff for now~
Anyways, 2025, here we come!
I have to go out today and prepare for the next trip...back to Iloilo for the Dinagyang Festival although I know I won't be going out much of the condo unit there anyway because of how crowded the city, like, almost all of it will be during the fiesta week. I already mentioned earlier above I despise, I detest going out to places on weeks and days like this because...I'm not at all that fond of being around a lot of people unless it's a cafe or something where they're or we're more spread out.
Until the next post which is very soon, btw! I have a lot on the drafts rn.
