Shopping, without dropping, via online stores

It’s not that I’m in a Scrooge moment, it’s just that December came too soon. It’s the middle of the month and I haven’t even started my Christmas list. I could blame this new job at YStyle for, ahem, piling work on my plate so that the “ber” months just seemed to pass me by. When it came to thinking about what’s been taking up my time — from renovating my backyard, to dieting, gym and bikram yoga obsession, not to mention the actual, day-to-day work commitments — it dawned on me that I did actually have time; it just wasn’t being spent on indulging that holiday spirit.

Once friends began checking for everyone’s dinner schedules, I got a glimpse of why the holidays are supposed to be fun. Which takes me back to the dreaded Christmas list. Although I have to admit that the thought of Power Plant staying open till 11 p.m. this December somehow upped my heart rate, I’ve never performed well at last-minute mall hunts — too many people, super traffic, no parking. And I just end up either overspending or making bad buys.

I’ve been deliberating about online shopping lately. It seems that finally, it works, in Manila! Two e-boutiques, Great Ideas and Catalogue 63, offer a wide range of well-edited, affordable gift ideas. I will be anticipating my deliveries like Christmas morning. Barring sizing issues (which you can resolve once you get to know the brands) I think this is the smartest way to shop now for the modern woman on-the-go.

Fashion finds on catalogue63.com

Catalogue 63 is an online fashion retailer featuring women’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories. I also spotted a plus size section, which I think is a recent addition. “We add things to the site every Wednesday and we just launched our holiday gift guide,” says Pat Pastelero, who founded the site last June together with long time friends Kathleen King and Martina Gomez.

I actually came across this site accidentally while browsing online a few months ago, and it made a strong impression due to its good selection and smart presentation of clothes and bags, such as showing the way a bag looks, when held on a mannequin and the use of real girl (but not annoying) models for the clothes.

Catalogue 63 offers handpicked, affordable designers that the girls truly believe in. These include popular local brands such as shoe brand Renegade Folk, bags from Two Oranges and swimwear from Naked Sun. They also carry great dresses, tops and bottoms, from Mavis Manotoc’s Tala Manila, as well as Vanilla Label maxi dresses, sexy femme Two Chic by TC Sibal resort-inspired wear, and their in-house brand And apparel. For Christmas gifts, their Sunday night tote bags (now on sale at P300!) and embellished woven clutches (P1,795) would make cool presents. I also spotted Daley pocket cut-off T-shirts (P650), and more, which I am planning to revisit, all for myself, after the holidays.

Home and away at greatideas.com.ph

For gift shopping I have to mention Great Ideas, the lovingly curated boutique launched in August by Cay Araneta. After honing her experience in product sourcing, including lifestyle pages for Preview and other Summit magazines, Cay has created a showcase for her meticulous taste. I love her buffet labels (P875, set of four) and think everyone should have these on hand not just for holiday entertaining, but year-round. They are like mini white boards but they’re made of bone china. “You use it to label the food. It dresses up a table in a personalized, unique manner,” says Cay. “Plus it’s super good for vegans, because they can immediately identify what they can eat.”

For Christmas, she suggests the foldable travel bag which comes in zebra, leopard, or giraffe print (P1,200 for small to P1,700 for big size, one week lead time), which I agree makes a fab gift for sisters or girl friends. With personalization for yoga bags, leather accessories and monogrammed note cards, you can turn everyday objects into something unique. “It saves you time from looking for your own suppliers and gives you a richer end product,” says Cay. For next year, you can already get started on scouring items for a New Year party or baby shower, by viewing the product selections online, then making an appointment to see them at their Makati office.