Rational Insanity
By Bryan Mari Argos

'Ukay-ukay' again

I have always been a fan of the “ukay-ukay”.   Despite the sneezes that I get when rummaging through the piles of clothes, and despite the, sometimes, annoying bargaining ending up with me, not getting the price I want for the item I have chosen, I still find the “ukay-ukay” a welcome past time.   The main reason why I like to get my clothes from the “ukay-ukay” is the satisfaction that I get when people tell me that I have a good fashion sense only to startle them when I say that what I was wearing I got for only ten pesos.

In the many times I have visited out local used clothes vendors, my favorite finds are a crinkle shirt in lemon yellow, an Indian fabric spectrum long sleeved shirt, a chameleon corduroy-cum-velvet shirt, and a nice bettlejuice shirt in purple and orange.   The question now is, do I really go out and wear these things?   Of course I do, because If I didn't I would have nothing to wear.

Most of the items in my wardrobe have their humble beginnings at the “ukay-ukay”.   I never considered buying brand new branded clothes a practicality (my mom used to buy those for me, now even she goes to the “ukay-ukay” to find clothes, for whom? For me and my little-not-so-little sister, heheheheheehe).   It's not that I can't afford those things; of course I could, but why spend thousands on a single pair of jeans when I could get the same for a few hundred pesos?   Some say it's the quality that comes with the brand name that matters.   I beg to disagree – this is just a lame alibi for people who are so addicted to brand names.   Why do we wear clothes in the first place?   To look good of course, and it doesn't matter what we may be wearing, the important thing is, “angayan ka bala?”

There are people who flaunt the brands of their clothes.   Darling, it does not really score points if you are wearing Girbaud, Guess, RL, or something when you don't look good in it.   It's the wearer that makes the wardrobe and not the wardrobe that makes the wearer.   People won't even believe me when I say that what I am wearing at a certain time costs from five to twenty pesos ONLY!   Yes, I have to put the word “only” at the end, and in bold letters, because this is one of those times when I can truly say that my precious “ukay-ukay” finds are definitely cheap.   So, if I wear cheap clothes, does that make me cheap?   Hmmmm, definitely not because cheap people are technically those people who lack social grace, and modesty aside, I am overflowing with social grace, thanks to my traditionally conventional family.

Just imagine how much we can save on clothing if we all learned to be wise with our purchases.   It is partly true though that one can't really get the specific items that one wants from the “ukay-ukay” because one has to make do with what is already there, but then again, part of the excitement of the “ukay-ukay” comes from the fact that we have to search through mounds of clothes to find something to our liking, and when we do find it, the feeling is great!

There are great fabrics and exciting colors in the “ukay-ukay” especially when these come from the Asian countries like Korea and Japan .   I usually find things that are very cultural, like tradition Chinese clothes or peasant Indian garb, and all I have to do is slap on a scarf or a loose tie, then I'm all ready to go.

I may be no male-Tessa Prieto Valdez when it comes to fashion, but in a way I can say that I am no fashion victim – I have never dreamed of wanting to look like some person I saw on the catwalk in fashion TV the other day or some “artista” everybody is going ga-ga over.   When Jay-R became popular the partial skull cap did too, when Sandara became popular, the fisherman's cap did too, oh, God!   Then there is the obnoxious proliferation of body-fitted piped shirts (the ones that have pipings of a different color in the collars and the sleeves, grrrrr), go to the mall, and you will see what I mean.

When I dress up, I am all me.   The secret to avoiding being a fashion victim is, one, wear what is good for your skin tone, and two, mix and match, sometimes even the strangest combinations can look good on you, as long as you know how to move with the clothes.   So, the best way to satisfy your fashionista cravings and find the best mix and match pieces is to dive into the mountains of clothes at the “ukay-ukay” nearest you.   Just make sure you don't have allergic rhinitis like I do, or else you will end up making your purchases into tissue paper!

Be rational; be insane…once in while! TTFN!

Hello to my dearest readers, Chan, Vic, Vincent, and Rex, Alex, Arvin, Corz, Jim, Kiara, Malikh, Mr. Pampolina, Audrae, Franz, Hendrick, Janice, Jay, Jim, Jonathan, Mark, Marz, Mel, Pres, Nhonoy, Niel, Piper, Rheavil, Joey, Alma, Rodolfo, Ecker, Ryan.   Hello also to a new addition to our RI Barkada, to Ian of Bacolod but who is in Iloilo right now, I love you all! Byers! Salamat gid sa mga walang-hintong text and reactions nyo! Now you won't have any reason to miss Rational Insanity because TNT is online, check us out at www.thenewstoday.info, text me at (0920)9254269, or email me at prague@eudoramail.com.