‘Ukay-ukay’ and the democratization of fashion

From the underground to the mainstream

‘Ukay-ukay’ comes from the Filipino word ‘halukay’ which means ‘to dig.’ Ukay-ukay shopping is like treasure hunting, but instead of looking for a treasure, you are literally digging from the piles of clothes which are mostly vintage and of high value. The ukay shopping phenomena all started in Baguio. Ukay stores sprouted like mushrooms which later became one of the must-visit places in Baguio.

Urban legend goes that ukay-ukay in the Philippines started in the 80s. Because the Philippines is a country prone to natural calamities, the humanitarian organization Salvation Army began to ship second-hand garments and other goods from the United States and other countries to help victims. As the donated goods piled up in warehouses and garages of local government units, charity groups and churches, someone thought of buying them at a very low cost with the idea of selling them afterwards.

In year 2000, after a span of two years, reports account that the ukay-ukay business already generates a gross income of PhP1.2 million daily (US$279,000).

(Contributed photo / bulatlat.com)

Wagwag items, which usually originate from Hong Kong and the United States, enter the Philippines in a manner different from that of traditional imports. These goods are actually transported to different stores in Baguio City as well as places in Metro Manila via balikbayan boxes. Contrary to authorities’ notion that these commodities are donations from foreign countries, wagwag items are actually purchased from Hong Kong-based Salvation Army’s rummage sale sites. Those from the United States came from neighborhood home garage sales (de Castro 2001). Once in the Philippines, these are then sold at prices lower than those of “traditionally” imported goods. Since these are used garments, they are sold at less than half their prices (Cabreza 2001).

Some ukay terms

Segunda mano – means second hand in Spanish.

Wagwagan – means ‘to shake. This is what ukay-ukay is called in Baguio and in other provinces up north.

Rilip – what ukay-ukay is in Iloilo

New Arrival – No, the clothes are certainly not new, but they are “newly arrived” at the store. Fresh out of those giant boxes stifled by yards and yards of light caramel packing tape.

Tapat na – No discounts, what’s on the price sticker (or tag, or sign over the clothes racks) is the final price.

Uks / UK – other terms for ukay-ukay

Those in the ukay-ukay industry also have their in-house classifications for clothes, the same as the high-end fashion stores.

Class A – Clothes are almost brand new, barely used with signature labels. They’re the sort that former owners probably got tied off quickly, or they didn’t fit, or were of the wrong color. In whichever case, these clothes are practically brand new in look and feel. The more enterprising ukay-ukay stores print actual price tags and put them on their class A clothes to further justify the higher than usual prices. There are even ukay-ukay stores that, believe it or not, have their Class A clothes commercially-laundered and pressed.

These are usually available when clothes are newly delivered or whenever you see the ‘new arrival’ sign at the front of the store. Then there are the more established, well-known brands (these clothes look too fashionable to wear on the MRT) the occasional Burberry, YSL, Gucci, Balenciaga, Armani Exchange, Miu Miu, Givenchy, Versace and Prada, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess,Dior, Hermes, Anna Sui.

Minimum at P200 (US$5). Raise-your-eyebrows maximum price P450 (US$11) for blouses and shirts. Pants can run up at as much as P700 (US$16).

CLASS B – These clothes look presentable, but still bear some signs of having been previously worn and laundered. Most ukay-ukay stores sell Class b clothes. Labels usually relegated to Class B are clothes that are more or less familiar to Filipinos such as G200, Esprit, Levi’s, Giordano, Zara, sportswear labels like Nike, Adidas. These don’t have tags, but they’re group together in racks, and the collective price is hand written/computer-printed/Pentel-penned on cartolina squares mounted on top of the racks.

Good Deal: Minimum P50 (US$1.15) , maximum P150 (US$3.50).

CLASS C – Now these are the real second hand clothes. Shirts have frayed collars, jeans tattered hems, dresses unraveling seams. The wear and tear is more obvious with clothes classified as class C, but if you’re a whiz at the sewing machine or if you use expensive laundry detergent (some ukay-ukay attendants recommend Ariel), these clothes can be restored. New owners can pass them off as their own old clothes they just rediscovered in their closets buried under bed sheets.

Good Deal: Minimum P20 (US$.05), maximum P50 (US$1.15).

CLASS D – These are about three uses away from being as rags, but there are still some people who buy them as pambahay. Many of these clothes are damaged, obviously used and abused. Some, in the meantime, are merely dirty. Prices range from P10 (US$0.23)-P40 (US$0.93). (writer’s note – personally, I wouldn’t dismiss all Class D clothes as I once got a copper silk Jessica blouse for P10 and after having it washed, it looked great. I wore it to work in the House of Representatives.)