BCBGMAXAZRIA Striped Top, Original pricetag $78, T.J. Maxx price, $34.99

The folks at T.J. Maxx recently sent me a $25 gift card to assist me with spring shopping at my friendly neighborhood T.J. Maxx store. My mission: To find the season's latest trends at this off-price retailer. Could it be done? The answer is yes, but you're going to have to do some serious digging and careful, thoughtful editing (to borrow a phrase from Tim Gunn). Ultimately I found all the fashion must-haves you might need to update your wardrobe for spring, mostly under $50, including…

I absolutely love Lululemon yogawear but it is so expensive. Do you know any places that sell that line at a discount? Or any comparable yoga wear that is less expensive? —Michelle

Vancouver-based Lululemon Athletica is a popular yoga-inspired athletic apparel company that's been growing by leaps and bounds. I recently read the company is opening 25 new showrooms in June following a near tripling of net profits. There's clearly a huge demand for their trendy activewear but Michelle is not alone in her complaint: It's really expensive.

It's been a week since the Garden Collection launched to much fanfare at H&M stores but I'm just getting around to posting my off the rack photos now. I went to 2 stores in New York City on the day it launched and tried on a bunch of stuff but ultimately left empty handed. Shocking, I know. It's not that the collection wasn't great, because it was. It was really amazing and had lots of strong pieces. But I stubbornly wanted the abstract floral dress with the big pockets, and I couldn't find my size, so I didn't buy anything. Logical? Not really, but sometimes I get weird when I shop. Anyways, my mall store has a lot of pieces still in stock so I might go back and get something. If you haven't already, let me know what you liked, didn't like, bought, wanted to buy but couldn't find, in the comments!

When it comes to certain wardrobe essentials, sometimes you just have to be willing to whip out the credit card, and charge, charge charge! Here, my 10 must-have spring fashion picks that are worth the splurge.

1. BOTTEGA VENETA CROCODILE TOTE, $24,000

In a bright apple green, this showstopping bag will add a pop of much-needed color to any look.