Charm City Steals: My Closet In Bloom

A few weeks ago I did a little spring shopping and I scored from amazing steals! Color is the name of the game this season and my purchases certainly reflect this trend.

Ann Taylor at Towson Town Center is doing tons of stuff in color this season and it's a great place to pick up some brightly hued staples, especially now that loads of stuff are on sale. I am literally astounded by the steal below I found there. Originally priced at $128, this 100% cashmere, short-sleeved sweater is an amazing shade of neon yellow, a color heretofore unknown in my closet. Perfectly in tune with the trends this season, I got this amazing piece for $18!!!! Unbelievable for cashmere.

Also at Ann Taylor, I picked up this blight blue, cotton, 3/4 length sleeve top with snaps down the side of one sleeve. In keeping with the color theme, I thought this would be a simple staple piece to add to my collection. This was only $21.

This orange, short-leave, cashmere sweater is another fantastic wardrobe staple for another fantastic price, $39. This sweater worked perfectly for a morning in the office and an afternoon Oriole's game at Opening Day. I'd say the O's weren't the only winners that day.

Before I left Ann I spotted this peppercorn-colored, tweed jacket and quickly scooped up the skirt to match (shown below in grey). Originally $300 for the whole ensemble, I paid $88 ($49 for the jacket, $39 for the skirt) for a well-crafted skirt suit. It may be out of season now, but the timelessness of this outfit means I can wear it probably as long as I can fit into it. (I kept this in mind and bought it with a little room to grow.)

Next, I popped into H&M to check out their deals and I was not disappointed. Previously, I've shied away from shopping at H&M because I'd prefer to get good deals on quality pieces as opposed to the expendable-after-one-season looks that they usually carry. However, I have to admit I've become addicted to J's Everyday Fashion blog, and she often features some great H&M finds, so I figured I give it a go and I wasn't disappointed.

Although nothing was on sale, the prices were still pretty cheap for these black blazer in thick, textured cotton and white trim (very Chanel)...