Dec. 17--This is so not the time to blow $250 on clothes, but I couldn't help myself. I caved on a recent visit to the Preferred Outlets at Tulare. It was justified, I swear, when I think about the deals.

A lot of people wonder if outlets are a better value. Why buy miles from home when you can get most of the same brands -- Tommy Hilfiger, Banana Republic -- at Valley Plaza?

For shopaholics, it's the thrill of the chase. Gas prices aren't so bad these days. But in this recession, stores everywhere, not just outlets, are handing down wild deals.

Outlets, by definition, sell at 20 percent to 70 percent off retail. They offer men's and women's apparel, toys, shoes, housewares, children's clothing, jewelry, restaurants and entertainment.

Another advantage: Instead of finding two or three racks of Ralph Lauren at Macy's, you can shop an entire store's worth of the label.

Outlets have always offered deep discounts, no matter the economic climate, said Tulare outlets manager Patty Rocha.

"Last year, I had stores at 50 percent off the entire store before that became a national trend in regular retail," she said.

I wandered up Highway 99 the weekend before Thanksgiving, figuring I'd come home empty-handed.

The outlets in Tulare are not as overwhelming as the complexes in Gilroy, but they're bigger than the popular outlets in Pismo Beach.

Formerly known as Horizon Outlet Center, the shopping destination opened in 1995 with six stores: Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Kitchen Collection, G.H. Bass & Co., L'eggs Hanes Bali Playtex, Van Heusen and Factory Brand Shoes. Preferred Outlets at Tulare has 54 stores with a planned fourth expansion phase that will bring another 25 stores.

They receive 300 to 400 tour buses and 5 million visitors a year. Highway access and a central location made Tulare an ideal spot for an outlet, Rocha said.

You can really make a day of it. The Prosperity Avenue and Highway 99 area has sprouted in the last few years, with cafes, chain restaurants, hotels and big-box shopping centers, including a SuperTarget with a gourmet grocery section and a Starbucks.

More than 2 million square feet of retail space has been constructed in the surrounding area since the outlets were built, Rocha said. She credits the outlets for fueling growth.

THE SPREE

I did the most damage, $208.85 worth, at the warehouse-sized Gap Outlet.

I immediately spotted the cheery rainbow Crazy Stripe V-neck sweater, burned into my memory a few Christmases ago.