Tips tips tips

Before anything else, I’d like to say thank you to those who read my blog and e-mail/comment/ask questions about my finds. I feel really happy (and flattered) whenever I find a comment update or an e-mail regarding ukay-ukay. Thank you guys!

Anyway, a reader named Pochi e-mailed me a few questions last Sunday about finding the right item in ukay shops and cosplay. Her e-mail is quite long, so I’ll just put up my answers here.

On ukay shops:

I don’t really choose the shops that I go to. I think I said that some time ago.  Back in college, I go to shops that are near my school. Right now, I go to Monumento or Cubao for ukay-ukay. The farthest ukay adventure I went  to was my Anonas trip. (What Baguio? I didn’t intend to go to Baguio to shop for ukay.)

There are also some online shops that sell ukay clothes. Ukay Manila sells a lot of great items. Liz and Lauren, two of the most fashionable people I know, runs the shop. They go to different shops around Metro Manila to get the best items for their buyers. They’re a bit pricey though, but think of it as having a stylist - you’re sure to get the best items without the hassle of going to far places for ukay.

On choosing ‘cool’ pieces:

What’s amazing about ukay-ukay is that you’ll never know what you’ll find. It takes a lot of patience to find cool items though. Add luck to that. So keep on rummaging through racks and racks of clothes and you’ll eventually find one.

Gut feel also works a lot. I usually find odd looking items in shops. I hold on to those for a while, think about the ways I could wear it, and eventually head to their fitting room and see how it looks like on me (remember: when in doubt, head to the fitting room). If I feel like it’s a promising piece, I take it home. Also, trying items on while you’re still in the shop helps you avoid taking home clothes that are too big/too small. If you’re afraid of getting allergic reactions (some ukay shops don’t really wash their items), wear the item over your clothes. Also, bring alcohol to rub off dirt/germs.

One last thing, look at fashion magazines/blogs for ideas.

On shoe shopping:

The first time I wanted to buy shoes from ukay was when Liz found a great pair of boots for 100 pesos. I realized that I can still get good shoes without having to pay hundreds (or thousands) for one. There are lots of shops that are exclusive for shoes and bags.

I usually buy boots based on their usability. If I can use them for school/work/day-outs, then it’s a good one. Though I’ve bought some boots that I haven’t used yet (teehee…). I use the same principle when I look at flats/sandals. 

Ukay shoes are usually well-taken care of. For one, they’re expensive (compared to clothes) - shop owners can’t afford to just throw-out shoes because they’re not bought. I do the usual shoe-cleaning method (wipe clean!) for the boots I find. If you’re still unsure about this idea (or if you really like the shoe but the inside’s too dirty), put in a cork (those shoe pads used to make a shoe a little smaller) to cover the bottom of the shoe. A tip: if the insides look like they’re impossible to clean with this simple method, it means that shoe is too old. Don’t buy it. 

Also, check the soles of the shoe. They should look unused or is still in good condition. Also, check if its still well attached to the rest of the shoe (whough you can easily have them repaired).

On suspenders, corsets…:

I don’t have suspenders yet, but I’m planning to get one for dress-up purposes. There was a time a few months ago when suspenders are sold on the streets for 70 pesos. I’m not really sure about how I’ll use it, but I really want one for outfit experiments.

Corsets are really useful! I use my corset for loose dresses and tops for an instant hourglass figure. Don’t worry about the weather, you won’t really mind it once you get used to a corset.

On cosplay - make-up, wigs, posing:

Back in college, Liz taught me how to apply make-up on myself. You can check her make-up blog, Project Vanity for tips. Right now, I do my own make-up for cosplay events (but my friend M sometimes do my make-up).

Cosplayers always use eyeliners to get bigger eyes. I apply a solid black line on my upper lids using a liquid eyeliner, then a faint line using a pencil liner on the bottom. I choose the color of my eyeshadow based on the character I’m cosplaying (red and black for Lili from Tekken 5, pink for Taiwan from Hetalia…). For my lips, i usually use a tinted lipgloss.

The only wig that I have is my Lynelle blonde wig. I’ve been using it a lot. Really. I actually cosplayed Princess Emeraude from Magic Knight Rayearth because of that wig. A friend bought it for me from Divisoria (Tutuban) about a year ago. It’s expensive, so think about it thrice before buying a wig. SM have wigs too, some of my friends bought their wigs there. Ebay is another source of wigs.

I haven’t tried styling my wig. But there are some people on Multiply who offers wig styling (price varies depending on the style you want). Some cosplayers have their wigs cut at salons. Just remember to ask the styist first (if they know how to cut/style wigs).

My poses are based on who the character is. Look up images of the character you want to cosplay and try to imitate their poses.

Phew! Long post is long. If there’s something in this post that seems weird/wrong, feel free to tell me. Also, feel free to ask more questions.