Here's one of my secret joys: custom-made clothes by our neighborhood "mananahi" (this means seamstress, in case there are visitors from beyond the Philippines). Apart from the smug feeling that comes with knowing what you're wearing is unique rather than mass-produced, I sooo enjoy the thrill of hunting for the best fabrics at local fabric stores!
For designs, I pore over back issues of magazines (click here to read my post on that) particularly my favorites, InStyle and Lucky, to look for style I love -- then I tweak them a bit to make them all my own!
As for my beloved mananahi, she's been sewing for my family for maybe two decades! We just text her on her cell phone, she comes to pick up the fabric and the picture of the design I want, and and off she goes! No need to measure me because she already has my measurements. She keeps a sewing machine in her house, and that's where she sews. About a week later, she texts me, "Joyce, tapos na ang damit mo," and she comes to our house to drop it off.
The best part: my mananahi charges only P80-200 per piece for labor, depending on the style I want her to make! Once, I bought this really pretty printed jersey fabric at a mallwide sale for only P50 per yard at 65 width x 1.5 yards = P75... and my mananahi charged me only P100 to turn it into a wrapdress... result: a one-of-a-kind (or so I hope) wrapdress that costs only P175, but if you wear it with flair, people just may think it's DVF (or so I hope... hahaha)!
FABRIC STORES TO CHECK OUT:
Fabric Warehouse
Bloomingdales
Cotton Touch
And if you don't mind getting your shoes a little bit dirty, there's also Ylaya Street in Manila for fabrics at rock-botton prices!
HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN MANANAHI (if you don't have one yet): Ask around! Ask your mom, your titas, your friends. Someone's bound to know someone, and refer you to a good mananahi.
And when you find one, treat her well -- offer to pay for her transpo, make sure you give her merienda. This is the secret to building a long-lasting relationship with a mananahi who will create loads of Luxe for Less clothing for you throughout the years.
11 comments:
Hello,
I hope you won't mind sharing the contact information of your mananahi. Maybe (if I am really lucky) we belong to the same neighborhood! She seems very efficient!
Thanks!
same here sis,,sana you can give details of your mananhi..nice post sis!!Godbless!!
Hi Malou & CJ! She's not actualy from our neighborhood, she's actually from outside Manila... and it's really best to find our own "family mananahi" as each mananahi such as this one will have quirks and problems, you just have to accept them and get used to them.
For another alternative that's still super cheap, you may check out Toppers Haute Couture along Katipunan Ave. (don't let the "haute couture" tag fool you, the're actually a small, hole-in-the-wall shop). Our mananahi can only make tops and skirts, but I've had skirts, dresses, jeans, pants, and even 2 trench coats made by Toppers, and they're all super sulit!
hi luxeforless! nice blog! where exactly is toppers, would love to try it out! thanks!
Hi Kimmy! It's very near McDonald's Katipunan (the one across Ateneo). Just keep going till you see a rundown shop with a sign that says Toppers -- it'll be on your right =)
Hi Luxe for less,
Thanks for the tip. I live near Katipunan. Will check out Toppers. Thanks also Gwen for the directions. I think I've seen the shop.
I used to have a 'family mananahi'. But he moved to Manila and would only accept school uniform orders in bulk! :-(
Great tips!
Thanks,
I go to ALTERWEAR on Wilson Street. They do made to order clothes for cheap lang! Near cardinal santos hospital. You can call them at 7278265.
Hello! How much does Toppers usually charge for made to orders dresses? Also, how long does it take them to make them? Thanks!:)
hi...does Topper cater to male long formal long sleeves and suits?
Is Toppers Haute Couture still open?
Hi would like to ask if you know a Mananahi who can make costumes?
Post a Comment