Whenever kids start heading back to school, you can bet that retailers are gearing up for major sale events — tempting us all to get into new fall clothes at bargain prices. While you may pick up a few great deals when you're at the mall buying the latest Uggs for your daughter, chances are that most of us will become what style expert Amy Goodman calls "sale suckers."

Yes, we're all usually "suckers" about saving money, but according to Goodman, who wrote "Wear This, Toss That" (Simon and Schuster, $27) you may want to pay more attention to what you really need instead of blowing the holiday budget months in advance. Here are some of Goodman's "sale suckers" to watch for when hitting the stores this month:

—Don't load up on skin-tight, stretch-only fabrics — not even if you are a rock-hard sensation. If you constantly pull your shirt in any direction, it doesn't fit. Consider buttons that are closer together with fewer gaps. Opt for combination fabrics with stretch to give you room to groove.

—Ditto for poorly fitting wrap shirts. Try them on. They may be impossible to get into because your head must pass through the narrowly sewn waist. Once on, cleavage may spill out or underwhelm the preconstructed neckline of the top. If you pull at the neck or feel that the gathered portion in the middle adds thickness, try a tie-on wrap shirt and note the difference.

—If a shirt sports ruffles (all the rage this season) on only one lapel, take a close look at yourself in the dressing room mirror. Chances are you'll look off balance and ready to fall over! Anyone who loves "Pirates of the Caribbean" has a distant fantasy of donning a billowy white blouse. Well, resist. A bit of extra fabric is allowed, but get too unstructured and you'll blow away with the next storm.

—Beware of "jewels" on clothes. All jewels are not the same, says Goodman. Ugly crystals that look pasty will never shine, no matter how you wear them.

—When buying pants, a red flag for a bad rise is when you feel it. If the pants press against you, they are too tight (and most likely too revealing). If you feel chafing between your thighs, your rise is riding too low.

—For petite women, the best high-waist pant (another big fall trend) is one with a slimmer cut. While the high waist is meant to give you a longer leg, a wide, generous cuff will make you look like a squashed sailor.

—Pleats — don't even think about it. Pleats that extend over the hips or super loose pleats that run the length of the leg can make hips and thighs look twice as big. Harem pants with pegged legs generally make the hips look doubly wide, like an inverted triangle.

—Yikes, stripes! If vertical stripes create length, horizontal stripes create width. If you have a midriff that bulges, a horizontal striped skirt will make an ample waist and hips appear even broader.

—Don't forget that a skirt's shape has the power to flatter — or shatter — your figure. Bell, full, trumpet and flare skirts can add roundness to your bottom half, while pencil, A-line and slim-fit minis offer a sleeker silhouette.

—Forget the discounted dress that poofs out on the rack. You may love how tiny your waist appears, but an overly full skirt makes you seriously bottom-heavy. Modernize: Go for a shorter skirt and say no to strapless.

—A bargain coat in a funky color might catch your attention at the store, but make sure you really love it outside the dressing room. Keep in mind that a coat needs to pair with most of your wardrobe — not just your enthusiastic attitude.

—Leather jackets come in many different styles...but maybe they shouldn't. Watch out for wide ribbing, fluffy, faux fur-trimmed collars, pilgrim collars, prodigious fold-over collars, super cropped styles, bulky shearling trim and bubble or tulip silhouettes.

—Usually trench coat fabrics like cotton or poplin are stiffer, so they offer structure to softer frames and make any silhouette ultra-polished and sophisticated. When designers create polyester or leatherette trenches, they disappoint because the crispness and angle disappear, replaced with a sloppy, formless shape.

—Oh, and about that jewelry you just love to buy while you're on vacation at the beach...inevitably, admits Goodman, the shells chip, the hemp frays and she rarely gets to wear it again. "Sure, buy local," she says, "but be mindful that your trinket may only live on in photographs."

Image: A classic trench coat is always a great investment when shopping the sale racks. Tracy Reese updates this fashion favorite for fall at Nordstrom's. Photo courtesy of www.nordstroms.com.

Sharon Mosley is a former fashion editor of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock and executive director of the Fashion Editors and Reporters Association.