Ukay: The Wonders of Previously Owned Things

Iris Palma in Ang Pinoy Stories

Feb 27, 2020 • 3 min Read

My sister struts confidently in a sixty-peso dress she bought from a church-based thrift store. The previously loved branded dress is specifically reserved for her by the church auntie. Wearing the dress, my sister looks every inch a fashionable professional, but at budget price. When she is asked where she bought the dress, she will respond: It’s from UK. That draws an ‘Oohhh’ or an Aahhh.’ Such is the wonder of ukay.

Ukay stores are heaven sent when budget limits one’s spending. There’s that pair of cotton pants I bought for 75 pesos that I can wear at home or outside of the house. A friend found a stunning branded black and white dress for 200 pesos. Another lady frequents the Baquio night market for millennial outfits. All it takes is patience to go through those volumes of clothes to find the gem that one is looking for.

Never mind where they come from. A good washing will remove the stains or smells or bacteria from the previous owner.

Aside from personal items such as clothes, shoes, and bags, one can find also find previously loved accessories and furniture, and give them space in a new home.

There’s a Japanese thrift in our town store that sells little ceramics, wardrobes, dolls, hats, and other items. A fabric summer hat I bought for 100 pesos is a constant companion in the evening and on hot mornings. It looks expensive on me and no one will know the price unless I tell them. I almost forgot—the store sells good Japanese bikes (a friend calls it Endless Love) at less than a quarter of the usual price.

If you live in Quezon City, find time to walk along Kamuning Road and you will find stores that sell refurbished, pre-owned, local and imported items such as beds and chandeliers. Popular with interior designers, Dapitan Arcade has a treasure trove of items that will suit the homes of old souls. Perhaps convert that restored gate into an exotic panel that separates the dining from the living room. It will be a conversation piece in your next party.

What is the benchmark of a good previously loved item? A millennial thinks shelling out two digits for a three-digit item is good enough. Another thinks an 80 to 90 percent slash from the original price is acceptable. The bottom line is that we are not supposed to spend a thousand pesos for only one previously loved item. Dresses in popular malls cost about a thousand pesos, but good finds in Taytay (Yes, dear! Do include Taytay in your treasure hunting) or a good ukay store will present you with about five or six dresses.

The ukay phenomenon fits a frugal lifestyle and promotes recycling. It does not equate to a pitiable existence—that is a defeatist perspective. To go ukay is to promote someone’s business and to improve the purchasing power of your peso. You may be wearing ukay but it cannot dampen your ‘yayamanin’ personality.

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