I first encountered NaRaYa when I was still in college. Robinson's Midtown was newly constructed then and featured a lot of new shops, one of which was NaRaYa. I loved the display of fabric bags in the shop window, but I never ever ventured in. Why? Because I thought that there was no way I can afford all those pretty bags! The boutique looked expensive too.

Well, I'll let you in on a little secret: NaRaYa bags are actually very affordable! They have purses and pouches that sell for only P99 and up while the big bags range from P500 to P1000+ (bags that cost this much are as big as a suitcase). For the cheap price, you don't get cheap quality. I said in my post last Saturday that I was surprised by the quality of the NaRaYa bag I got; the stitches were fine and straight and the fabric used was top notch. I also loved the water-repellant lining!

Ms. Cecille, the owner of NaRaya Philippines, invited me to visit the store in SM North EDSA after reading what I wrote. She was super nice and accomodating, telling me all about NaRaYa and giving me a mini-tour around the store. I was amazed by what she told me about the bags!

For instance, did you know that NaRaYa bags are made by hand in Thailand? That explains the quality and attention to detail in each piece. They don't have factories here or in anywhere else but Thailand. Every aspect of the store is also replicated from the Thai flagship store, even down to the displays!

Aside from quality control, one other thing that NaRaYa prides itself in is the cleanliness of their stores. You won't see any dust gathering in corners here!

I got this uber cute bag from the Vanity Fair event yesterday in SM North EDSA (more on that in the coming days)! The brand of the bag is named Naraya, and I believe that it can be found in Robinsons Midtown and SM North EDSA.

I'm not that much into cloth tote bags - or bags in general, for that matter - but what drew me to this one in particular was the lovely floral print, big blue bow (!), and the sturdy make. The stitches are tight and fine, plus the bag has a soft wire frame. It's big and roomy enough, but not so much that you look like you're bringing luggage when you're out.

It's impossible not to like this! It's P799

White high-waisted shorts are trending again, but I hate how they add at least two pounds to the hips and legs! I don't recommend them for hip-heavy women like myself.