A recent trip to one of H&M's Manhattan locations got me super pumped for fall. There's a strong throwback vibe to the 1960's with bow tie blouses, camel, wide trousers, retro prints and feminine shapes as well as a funky mod sheaths, bowler hats and pleated midi-skirts. The faux fur was in full force as were early fall accessories like structured handbags, scarves and lace-up booties. I was loving the combinations of orange and pink, a big color trend for fall 2011, the continuation of stripes, blazers and wedge heels (those taupe wedge pumps are so Middleton-sisters). Take a close look at my photos, there's so much to take in! What are you most excited for?

Earlier this week I dropped by Target hoping to find new shoes for fall, but instead, the shoe aisle was practically barren, with just a handful of summer clearance styles left. According to Twitter, some of you have found these styles for as low as $6.24 but at my store, clearance shoes were marked down to $12.48 at best. Frankly I was disappointed but at the same time, I wasn't smitten with anything in particular so I left empty-handed. Please tell me you fared better? Which summer clearance styles did you scoop up?

Last week I popped into the Fifth Avenue Forever 21 store to assess the late summer/early fall offerings. While concise trends were hard to pinpoint, it's clear there's something for everyone, from preppy collegiate to California surfer, glam-rock, boho, gypset and everything in between. If the kaleidoscopic colors and quirky styling on the mannequins leaves you confused or overwhelmed, my advice: Hone in on individual pieces. Maybe you're dying to try a feminine bow-tie blouse or a cool, sleeveless trench. Check and check. Maybe you just need some colorful twill pants or a punch of leopard print. Done and done! Forever 21 is never boring and with a little patience, you can always find a piece or two to update your wardrobe on the cheap. Here, some highlights that caught my eye - see anything that's worth a trip to your nearest store?

August is an exciting time in fashion as summer's bright hues haven't yet left the shelves, while tempting pre-fall offerings begin to make their appearance. This was the case at Zara's Fifth Avenue store in New York City, which I popped into this past week in order to bring you guys a glimpse of what's hot right now. I noticed a ton of python prints on everything from a blazer to shoes (take your pick of platform pumps, ankle boots or knee-high boots - amazing!).

There was also a healthy amount of leopard print, stripes, cobalt blues, emerald greens, mustard yellows and fuchsia interspersed amidst the neutrals like white, camel and black. I noticed mannequins were styled to mix luxe and casual pieces, like a denim jacket over a sequin dress or a striped tee with a ladylike tweed blazer. It would be impossible to pick a favorite piece, let's jut say I wish Zara was my closet. More pics after the jump, what's grabbing your attention?

P.S. Don't live near a Zara? Don't worry! The fast-fashion chain is launching online shopping September 7.