So you are new to Bacolod and you need to buy some new clothes. What do you do?
That all depends. For Westerners, it's a bit more difficult than for other Asians. Our bodies are built differently. We can't go to the shops around the Central Market and have the clothes fit neatly.
I'm a relatively tall man for the Philippines, yet I'm quite short for Western standards (5'7). I'm about average weight with broad shoulders. This makes things difficult when trying to buy shirts and even pants to some extent.
For Asians, you guys can take advantage of the many shops along the Central Market (not inside, but along the outside and across the street. One such place is called Bubbles. My wife loves the place. You can pick up jeans, pants, t-shirts, blouses, and even business clothes.
For those of you who don't want to venture around the Central Market for whatever reason, you can check out the shops in Plaza Mart (the sign on the outside says Metro Plaza Food Court on the East side and the West side entrance is the same entrance as D'Bakeshop. It's downtown across the street from Lopues Araneta.
In Plaza Mart, you'll find basically everything, including shoes and jewelry. Some of the clothing shops are actually Ukay Ukay (used), so be sure to check over the clothes before you consider buying them. Other shops have clothing that is made from cheap material, so it falls apart quickly. Be sure to check out the clothes. Check to see if the threads are far apart, if the seams are sealed correctly, and if there are stains on any of the clothes.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it's worth it. Many of the clothes there are 1/2 the price they would be elsewhere in Bacolod.
For Westerners and tall Asians, you are stuck with shopping at SM, Robinsons, Gaisano City, Gaisano Main, and the Lopueses. Clothes in these areas are generally more expensive than elsewhere. Actually, I have found many clothes in SM more expensive than what I would pay back in the United States. They put gigantic markups on virtually all their goods.
I recommend shopping at Gaisano Main or Gaisano City. Both have Western clothes and both have prices much lower than SM or Robinsons. Gaisano almost always has sales. However, I have noticed on occasion that they raise their prices right before the sale in order to say "75% off", when in reality, it's only around 5%. Lopues also has decent prices, however, they don't have much of a wide selection, especially for men.
Nonetheless, for whatever reason, Gaisano's clothes can sometimes be stained, so be sure to look over the clothing before you check out. As always, try the clothes on. The cheaper the clothes, the more likely the clothes are meant for the average Filipino, regardless of the size on the label. The cheap clothes would generally get wider and not longer as the size went up. So if you're a tall man/woman, you might have to check out the Western brands.
This may sound difficult at first, but you'll get a hang of it.
