January is the month for clearance sales but amidst the deals are new arrivals to tempt us (or just give us a taste of what's to come for spring). At H&M, most clearance items were marked down an additional 30%. For new arrivals, silhouettes were mostly boxy and oversized on top, and fluid or relaxed on the bottom. I can get with that. I was loving all the fun new prints that reminded me of past Prada, Gucci and Etro collections: Think whimsical bugs, global prints and scarf prints. I picked up some new clothes for my little guy (I think most of his wardrobe is H&M!) and made sure to bring a small bag of garments to donate to H&M garment recycling program - you get a 15% off coupon good towards one item and the cashier was kind enough to let me use it towards this purchase, and gave me another coupon to go!

Take a peek at these items and decide whether you'll spend now on some new winter clearance items - or save up for spring!

While shopping at Sears today I spotted another Rag & Bone "Talia" sweater lookalike, this time by Bongo. Find it in the juniors section, available in either black or white on clearance now for $21.99. So interesting to see this trend get copied everywhere, trickle-down style.

Splurge: Rag & Bone "Talia" Deep V-Neck Sweater, $495 at Neimanmarcus.com
Steal: Bongo Varsity Stripe Sweater, $21.99 at Sears.com

Whether you're packing your bags for a weekend getaway or just need an oversized bag to lug your life around in, Kate Spade Saturday's graphic black and white striped weekender delivers. It's priced at $180, but I spotted an equally fun and chic bag for just $40 elsewhere.

See if you can spot the real from the steal by clicking either image below!







Also love this polk dot weekender ($35) and this leopard one ($35) - meow!

It's been called the "It" bag of 2015 and we're still in January. But getting your hands on a coveted Mansur Gavriel bucket bag can be tricky, with new arrivals selling out just as quickly as they appear. You can find the classic black with blue lining at Barney's for $625 (which seems downright reasonable compared to the cost of other "It" bags...cough, Givenchy, cough). Try the trend for less with a stylish bucket bag from Forever 21 instead - this one in navy looks especially polished!

Splurge: Mansur Gavriel Saffiano large bucket bag, $625 at Barneys.com
Steal: Faux Leather Bucket Bag, $27.90 in black, cream or navy at Forever21.com

Tip: Pin this image to see it enlarged!

The biggest gold star clearance event is going on now at Kohl's where you can save up to 70% (and even 80% on final clearance items), so I thought I'd share a few snaps of some items I spotted on my last trip worth checking out. From Juicy Couture, there's a cheeky sequin lips pullover (which seems to be a micro trend as mentioned in this post); from LC Lauren Conrad, a bevy of stripes and polka-dots to choose from. We'll never tire of either print.