So, what IS fab about hand-me-downs? (Janina’s awkward and potentially disastrous attempt to write about fashion)

If you’re like me then you probably only have one pair of pants that you actually invested on, and the rest are give-aways from various ninangs, titas and other benefactors. Also, if you’re like me, you’d probably cringe at the thought of spending PHP800 for a piece of clothing from some branded, although not necessarily atrociously expensive, shop.

Confession: I hate shopping for clothes.

Two reasons.

One, because I have no fashion sense, and thus, regardless of the number of zeroes attached to whatever else number of money I spend on clothes, and no matter how much time I spend looking for what I think is the perfect dress, I would still probably end up with weird pieces, like long lacy black skirts, or a statement shirt with comic book characters printed on it.

Two, because I would rather spend money on books, cutesy notebooks, colored pen, acrylic paints, or invest on really great workshops that will significantly increase what’s up in my head and fatten my resume. There are hundreds of other cool stuff I can get with the money I would otherwise spend on just one piece of overly expensive dress, which I can get in Divisoria or Baclaran for half the price.


Above: A dress I got at the mall for eight hundred bucks, and four books I got in a convention for the same price

So, how do I survive if I am a clothes shop-a-phobic?

Well, thanks to my various ninangs, titas and other benefactors, I have yet to show up at work butt-naked.

Brand-whores and mall-obsessed self-proclaimed fashionistas might shudder at the thought of hand-me-downs. Which is why they are missing out on a lot of great opportunities.

Summon the fashion goddess that is your benefactor and be guided accordingly as to what looks great and what looks repulsive.

I am extremely lucky to have benefactors who know what looks good, and would also tell me what looks good on me. It totally solves the problem of my non-existing fashion sense and saves me from committing social suicide by showing up in my frumpy shirt and ye-olde-school baggy pants. Since I am the non-experimenting kind when it comes to clothes, I would often get stuck to colors, styles and cuts that would not change unless some courageous and sensible person tells me that I look like a duck.

Problem: Because of the rules of social propriety, nobody does that to my face.(Although I’m pretty sure the topic comes up a lot when people are lacking topics to make fun of).

Basically, getting hand-me-downs often comes with that all-important lesson on what does not make me look stupid.

If the benefactor is not present, and would prefer just sending a bunch of stuff to my house for me to try on, then summoning the fashion goddess is a tad bit harder. I’m sure the clothes they sent me look good on them – once – but that does not guarantee that I won’t look like a peacock once I have them on. At least I am sure that the clothes are good quality.

Of course, that depends upon your philanthropist. Is it of good fortune or misfortune? In cases like this, I would have to rely on what little I know about looking good and pray I’m still respectable in the morning.


Get super sexy branded stuff… For free. Seriously.

Above: A handbag and a wallet given to me by a friend of my mom's

Louis Vuitton shoulder bags, Lacoste shirts, and Ferragamo shoes. Good condition, sometimes barely ever used. The price? A kiss on your favorite ninang’s cheek and a visit during Christmas. Maybe a little phone call or text every now and then. No kidding.

Have more money to spend on your more pressing needs and addictions (to prevent unsightly withdrawal symptoms and psychological imbalances)… or simply to fatten that bank account.
I happily spent PHP800.00 during Visprint’s WIT event for four books, without hesitation, with my friend Gary having to metaphorically drag me away from the book stands to keep me from spending my lunch money, whereas it took me three hours just to look for a dress, any dress, to wear to our retreat back in college.

I am a very poor chick, like most twenties lady nowadays. Despite having a job (and some writing sidelines, which are rare), I’d have to admit that making ends meet is one heck of a challenge. The excess money that I have is enough to buy a new blouse every now and then, or a good book with about 500 pages in it which would last me for about three days, if I am having a lazy spell or simply incredibly tired that I can barely pick my feet up. Guess which one I’d rather buy?

Having people give me old stuff from their closet saves me the money and the effort of buying new clothes. This also saves me from having to wear what little I got for myself to tatters. With the help of my fashion benefactors, I was able to transcend my dark monetary abyss and spend on stuff that I think matter more. Like this thing below:


Our partially completed house. Construction began last 2010 and it is already livable.

So to everyone who has bestowed their much-loved, extremely great stuff to yours truly, I am really grateful. Keep ‘em coming, please and thank you!