Parent's Choice

LIST: Shops Where We Can Buy RTW Wedding Attires

by Kevyn Gohu
November 29, 2024

With so many weddings suddenly in full swing, there’s a need for ready-to-wear wedding attire for the kids and possibly our partners.

Somehow, the Ber months are when most weddings occur. After all, that’s when the Philippines starts busting out the Christmas decor which makes it cheaper on events styling. Unfortunately, that’s not the same for attires. Unless we’re part of the entourage, we’re on our own when finding our wedding attire. It doesn’t make sense for us to have a custom gown or suit which is why we scramble around for ready-to-wear wedding attires. Besides, the little kids will most likely be spilling food on themselves or running around, dads may find that their coats, pants, or both no longer fit, and we don’t have the bride’s requested color in our wardrobe.

So where can we get ready-to-wear wedding attires? Here are some places!

For dads and sons

Dads and sons are kind of lucky in the sense that most wedding dress codes require them to wear a suit in classic colors. But of course, there will always be that one wedding that kind of asks them to wear a different or more uncommon style for weddings.

1. Suit It Up Manila

While known for crafting bespoke suits, Suit It Up Manila has recently released its Signature Series, composed of ready-to-wear suits. In breathable fabrics, they come in powder blue, black, brown, beige, and grey — the typical preferred colors for a wedding. The best part is — their stores are pretty easy to find. They currently have two branches: one in the L&R building along Arnaiz Avenue in Makati, and another one in SM Mega Mall on the 5th floor of the Fashion Hall.

2. Onesimus

Although they don’t sell complete sets, the fun part of Onesimus is being able to mix and match. Their various ready-to-wear pieces make it easy to find the exact color palette to wear at a wedding. The best part is, that they also have barongs which are also ready to wear in case the theme is Filipiniana. They also have multiple branches.

3. Arrow

Known more for their American suits, Arrow does both casual and formal wear. While they do have blazers, they also have inners in both plain or patterned for any kind of event. Garden weddings (which are a common civil wedding theme) and church weddings — Arrow has been long known for providing inners for businesswear so their blazers should match up too!

4. Mark’s and Spencer’s

While known more for their corporate wear, Marks and Spencer has a few pieces that can work for weddings. Sometimes, it’s okay to go with the classic black since most occasions require the men to wear black suits. But don’t worry, they have other colors too!

For moms and daughters

As moms and daughters, nothing is more frustrating than finding out that the gown we planned to wear to the wedding a) doesn’t fit the wedding’s required palette, b) doesn’t fit anymore, c) has an obvious sign of damage or d) is too extravagant (or in Tagalog, bongga) to the point it may become a show-stealer. So for moms and daughters, here are some places we can get ready-to-wear wedding attires:

1. Apartment 8

Making itself a household name for ready-to-wear long dresses and gowns that are wedding-worthy, Apartment 8 offers gowns in all sorts of cuts that meet the dress code. They come in various materials including neoprene which is pretty easy to manage and doesn’t always need ironing. Some of their branches also offer steaming services so that the dress is clean before the wedding.

They also offer pantsuits for those who are not confident with their footing.

Apartment 8‘s main branch may be at 33B Scout Borromeo St., Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City 1103 but, it has multiple branches around.

2. Tantease

Perfect for moms and young adults, Tantease offers both contemporary and classic designs. They also come in muted and classic colors which is what many prefer to be in a wedding. With most of them even floor length, some of its wearers even manage to sneak wearing rubber shoes or sandals underneath after the wedding ceremony.

Tantease is currently at R2 New Wing, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City.

3. Karimadon

Karimadon has always been making comfy wedding attire and what we like about the shop is that it also offers quite an array of accessories to match with it. They range from brooches, belts, etc. which can elevate the gown we’re planning to buy or whatever other look we have in our wardrobe. They also do wedding gowns and shorter dresses for semi-formal weddings.

4. Rustan’s

Honestly, the Rustan’s department store is home to many designers so finding a gown that’s wedding attendance-worthy there isn’t a problem. The best part is, they also offer alterations should the gown of choice not be a perfect fit. It’s also hitting two birds with one stone if the bride has a bridal registry in Rustan’s.

Why families usually advise having weddings in the Ber months

Besides people bringing out all their holiday decor, they also want to take advantage of the long weekends and the cooler weather. Some families want the whole barangay to attend which means making sure that even relatives from the province or out of the country have time to plan their flights and fly in. Since the Philippines has more work holidays than some countries, families usually advise the upcoming newlyweds to plan their wedding in a quarter when everyone has shared holidays. Plus, there might be some promos — if they’re lucky.

Normally, guests don’t really have to follow the palette. But as relatives to the newly weds, we sometimes do in case there are some last-minute changes to the program (because that actually happens a lot!).