Forever 21

The original (from the US) Forever 21 is opening July 2 at SM Megamall. It is the fastest-growing retailer that operates more than 450 stores under the Forever 21, XXI Forever, Love 21, and Heritage 1981 banners in the US, Canada, and a dozen Asian countries, as well as an e-commerce site.



The chain, which helped to pioneer fast fashion, offers affordable and trendy apparel and accessories for women, men, teens and kids. It also carries women’s shoes, bags and lingerie. CEO Don Chang and his wife founded Fashion 21 in 1984.

The collection for this season is perfect for our climate. From Forever 21 basics (T-shirts, leggings, tank tops and shorts), party dresses in lace, pouffy ballerina skirts, studded dresses and tops, casual cool hole-y tees, leggings and the season’s latest trends: tribal, military, preppy and luxe boho. It’s a virtual style buffet.

A chosen few were given the chance to get first dibs on everything, so the evening was all about shopping! The place was packed. You can spend an hour in that place and not see everything. The Forever 21 flagship store in Megamall A is like a stand-alone department store: there's underwear, accessories, basic cotton pieces, shoes, and all kinds of dresses to fit every age group and budget. There is also a line for men, so F21 really has got it all for you (not surprising since the company that brought it to the country is SM).

The good news is that the MNL prices are almost the same as the US ones. You can get a nice dress there for P600 pesos. Dresses that are a little more elaborate range from P1,000 to P2,000. Skirts are priced from P500 to to P1,000. Shoes start at P500 (sneakers and sandals) while the high heels are P1,500 to P1,800. Basics like cotton tees are very cheap, starting from P125.

There is something for everyone and not just the 21-year-olds. It’s definitely a store for the kids and the kids-at-heart!