In the game of smart shopping, timing is everything. Sometimes, being behind the times can help you get ahead.

In the annals of style etiquette, wearing white after Labor Day is considered to be a major fashion faux pas. But shopping for white after Labor Day - well, that's another story entirely. Shopping out of season - i.e. buying items that you may not be able to wear until months after you've made the purchase - is one of the most savvy shopping moves a bargain hunter can make. Not only does it allow you to get a great deal, but it also frees up funds so that you can take advantage of rock-bottom prices by buying in bulk.

For some of us it's hard enough to shop when the need is immediate. So how do you get psyched up to shop for something you won't need until later? Why shop for a winter wool suit when spring fever is at fever pitch? The answer is simple: the savings. Shopping out of season not only allows you to get a great deal, but it also frees up funds so that you can take advantage of rock-bottom prices by buying in bulk. If you make a habit of holding off to buy items until the end of the season, the savings can be substantial: up to 70 to 80 percent off the original price in many instances. Retailers are often forced to resort to such measures in order to clear out their inventories and make room for the newer, trendier goods that have to take center stage at the beginning of a new season.

Shopping out of season isn't as simple as showing up at a retailer's door at the end of a season. To make the most of your shopping dollars, it requires a special set of skills:

• Thinking Ahead: No one has a crystal ball, but you can use your gut instincts to guide you to the right purchase. A classic style, something you can wear year-in and year-out, is a much smarter buy than investing in a trend that may already be on its way out, never mind surviving until the next season.



• Patience: Retailers tend to push their best bargains to the hidden recesses of the selling floor. Unfortunately, these areas can also be the most neglected, with overloaded racks to sift through and piles of merchandise to dig under before you find the style and size you're looking for. But once you find that one perfect gem marked down dirt-cheap, the time you invest will all be worth it.



• Tenacity: Getting a good deal sometimes takes some detective work. You may have to scope out the same store for weeks before the item you desire is marked down to clearance prices. If the shop in question is one you ordinarily frequent, try developing a relationship with one of the salespersons at the store. Not only can this person give you advanced notice of clearance sales, but you can also use them as a point person for negotiating a better price, especially on the last day of a sale when retailers are desperate to get rid of the merchandise.

Sales on out-of-season merchandise happen year-round. Following is a calendar of the smartest expenditures to make by month:

A Few Unseasonable Shopping Tips:

Remember, any style that is not "this year's" color or trend, such as a classic pullover sweater or a pair of tailored trousers, is always a safe bet.

Shopping out of season is the smart shopper's secret weapon. Try to resist the impulse to buy something simply because it's on sale. The wisest buys, on sale or otherwise, are smartly styled and fill a void in your wardrobe. That's the kind of thinking that makes sense no matter what the season. Happy shopping!

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Vanessa Bush has covered the beauty and fashion scene for a host of magazines including Glamour and Honey, and she is currently an editor at Essence. She is the co-author, with supermodel Tyra Banks, of Tyra's Beauty Inside & Out. Vanessa and her family make their home in New Jersey.

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