MANILA, Philippines?The problem with shopping in Greenhills is that you?re never really quite sure if you?re buying the real deal or a pretty good fake. The salesgirls will insist that the items you?re looking at are all ?guaranteed Stateside.?

Cosmopark, a medium-sized boutique tucked into a corner of Shoppesville, carries items that are, without a doubt, the real thing. You?ll find bottles of perfume and lotion from Bath and Body Works and Victoria?s Secret alongside clothes from dozens of US brands. The store opened last December to a crowd of teenagers and yuppies, mostly fashion-savvy women.

However, the store doesn?t limit itself to products that scream globally known brand names on tacky crew neck shirts and caps. Jeans from Seven for All Mankind and dresses from Rampage are also available, although you have to look hard to find clothes that are just your size.

Plus-size girls should definitely check the store out, as trendy name brands can be had for a song.

A wide selection of belts, hats, swimwear, designer jeans, dresses, tops and bags are also available. While some designs have duplicates, most of the pieces in the store are one-of-a-kind, lessening your chances of bumping into someone wearing the same outfit.

If the store has a fault, it?s that most of the items are out of season?not a surprise, given the sizable discounts. However, this won?t be much of a problem here since trends don?t change as quickly as they do abroad, and people here don?t care if, say, a Calvin Klein 07 swimsuit is a season old.

Email the author at biancaconsunji@yahoo.com