8 rules for outlet shopping

Learn from the pilgrimages of Lucky magazine editor at large Elise Loehnen, who frequently shops at Neiman Marcus Last Call and Saks Fifth Avenue's Off Fifth stores. (She goes to the ones outside New York City.)

— Get there when the outlets open, when all the merchandise is back on the shelves and racks. And allow time for heavy traffic on holiday weekends.

— Set limits beforehand. "It's happened to me before where I've gotten out of control and suddenly spent $1,000," Loehnen said. "Now, I try not to spend over $100 or $150 on a single item." Loehnen suggests leaving your credit cards in the car; just that walk outside to get them can rein you back from delusional spending. She also suggests using cash.

— Off Fifth versus Last Call: "Last Call is great for high-end shoes, really beautiful formal dresses and brands such as Balenciaga that you could never afford at the full-line store. The Saks outlet is good for more mainstream brands. And there's a lot of denim at Saks." (FYI, evening wear is a final sale at Last Call.)

— Wear a skirt, tank top and comfortable slip-on shoes. If the dressing room lines are overwhelming, Loehnen has no compunction about pulling up a pair of pants under her skirt on the sales floor, or a shirt over her tank, etc.

— Think outside the season. "The last thing anyone wants to buy is fall merchandise when we're finally getting some decent weather. But winter coats and boots, if they're in the stores, are going to be the most remarkable, price-wise."

— Get on the e-mail list so you know about sales in advance. "The best time to go is when they're doing clearance on already reduced merchandise. You can end up getting a pair of Manolos for $80."

— We'll add two tips: Put items on hold and run down to similar outlet stores to comparison shop, especially with denim. Both the Saks and Neiman Marcus outlets have a ton of premium denim; the price may help you decide.

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