The following is adapted from How to be a Budget Fashionista by Kathryn Finney © 2006,  Ballantine Books.

Carol Davidson is the Obi-Wan Kenobi of shopping—using her budget wisdom and style advice to help people improve their personal image via her image consulting business, StyleWorks of Union Square. This former director of corporate sales at Zagat (the restaurant guide people) and the former manager of Personal Shopping Services at the world’s largest department store, Macy’s in Herald Square, is also an instructor at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology’s image consulting program. Carol sat down between appointments with shopping clients to give us the scoop on how to find bargains at your local department store.

What’s a Personal Shopper?

Personal Shoppers are employees of the store and are there to help you find (and, of course, buy) clothes. Many of the major department stores like Macys, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Marshall Field’s and Nordstrom have a personal shopping service available at no cost to customers. These services are often located in a special section of the store and have goodies like complimentary beverages, courtesy phone, and bigger, more appointed fitting rooms with no garment maximums. Although there is no minimum purchase required to use the service, be aware that some personal shoppers get paid by commission.

What’s the Best Time to shop at a Department Store?

Monday mornings are great because few people shop at the beginning of the week. Another good time is a half hour before closing.

When do mark downs usually take place?

First, let’s clarify the difference between a markdown and a sale. A markdown implies that the item will stay at that price; a sale indicates that the store can bring the price up to full retail. The time frame for mark downs varies from store to store, but usually it’s about eight week after the item arrives on the floor. Some department stores such as Macy’s have a higher volume so items are marked down more quickly.

As the former manager of personal shopping at a major department store, you must have developed some great shopping tips. What are some of your secret “insider” shopping tips?

…Also, if you visit cities like New York and Los Angeles, you can avoid paying sales tax by having the clothes shipped back home….In addition, in many stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, when you purchase an item at full price, you can request free alterations. Furthermore, the store’s personal shoppers have look books of all the lines that they carry and can help you find other pieces from the line of your favorite designer, regardless of whether they are carried in their stores.