Planning a family holiday with lots of day trips? Here are three packable items that allow you to be prepared, without the bulk.

Hershel’s new Packables range allows you to travel with a variety of bag options. Featuring a duffle, daypack, or tote that all fit into a small pouch, you can whip them out before a day of sightseeing, or at the airport when you’ve stocked up on wine from the duty free. From $9.99 at Herschel.

If you prefer packing your own meals on holiday, Lunchskins are the perfect companion. The reusable snack bags mean you can travel light, but with the equivalent of 20 tupperwares. They can hold fruit, sandwiches, or treats, and are easy to rinse out in a hotel room. From $8.49 at Rasberry Kids.

The nostalgic Claude Klassic K-Way is a reminder of when we were kids and proudly wore our parka tucked into a little bag around our waist. Featuring a variety of prints and a size range from 12 months to teens, this is an absolute must-have when you are out and about anywhere that might greet you with a downpour (Vancouver, ahem!) $54 at K-Way. http://k-way.ca

—Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

The spectacle of summer, (with a killer Jay-Z produced soundtrack to match), The Great Gatsby is Baz Luhrman’s technicolor take on the classic American novel. Herewith, our favourite Roaring Twenties-inspired pieces.

Summer weddings will be awash in head pieces, we predict. Make sure to pair with loose pin curled hair and a convertible roadster. $281 on Etsy.

The Twenties also marked the rise of the painted face: smokey eyes, rosy cheeks and bold brows and upper lips were all the rage. MAC's Veluxe Brow Liner ($23), the sophisticated Dame blush ($25) and palette of bright shadows like Contrast (purplish blue) and Humid (dark green with shimmer) will have you looking very Daisy Buchanan.

For a touch of jazz, the sparkly Ireland clutch ($35) and T-strap Elva heels ($90) from Aldo fit for a night out on the town.

Drop waists aren't for everyone and tassels don’t work at the office, but these 18K rose gold, diamond and white agate earrings feel classic, but never go out of style. $2,250 at Birks.

He may not have Leo’s matinee idol face, but even the dude-iest of boys would look dapper in this Pink Strip Linen Jacket ($698) from Brooks Brothers’ The Great Gatsby Collection.

For brooding by a big picture window overlooking your estate, slip into this silk, bias-cut gown Long Luxe Gown ($310) from Vancouver's own Christine Lingerie. At Holt Renfrew in the fall.

Prohibition is history, but long live forbidden cocktails! We’ll be serving up Southsides (gin, lime, mint and simple syrup) in this sophisticated Lady Diamond Pitcher ($49). For total authenticity, consult this Vintage Cocktails book ($50). Both at The Cross Décor and Design.

Room service, fresh sheets and a lobby bar - what's not to love about hotels?

And while we use them for travel and the occasional watering hole, hotels are about much more than thread count. Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life, the expansive new exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, explores the value and impact of hotels in culture, tourism, architecture and art.

The show is a mix of mediums and full of fascinating pop-culture stories (Katherine Hepburn being tossed out of the Claridge's lobby for wearing pants) and curious historical facts (like Pan-Am Airlines founding InterContinental Hotels to expand influence in South America). The hotel as a creative hub is explored in depth, with photos and works of writers, poets, musicians and filmmakers who've made spots like the Chelsea in New York City and the Chateau Marmont in LA infamous to this day. 

Also inside the exhibit is a stellar Ace Hotel pop-up shop. Part exhibit, part boutique, many of the custom items with Grand Hotel/Ace branding are for sale, including post cards (People Come and Go / Nothing Ever Happens, a line from the exhibit's inspiration, 1932 film Grand Hotel, $1.50), Tees and leather hold-alls.

Time to check in.

Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life on now at the Vancouver Art Gallery, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

See more photos from the exhibit on our Editors' Diary.

(Photo by Rachel Topham for Vancouver Art Gallery)

Move over BB, we’re into CC now.

We admit that to anyone but beauty enthusiasts, this sentence must sound like gibberish, but long-time readers will know that we love a product that multitasks. Short for ‘Complexion Corrector,’ the Almay CC Cream is packed with complexion improving ingredients, while conveniently providing coverage with one product. Unlike its predecessor BB, CC can be thought of as more of a skincare product, rather than a makeup one. Almay’s brand new Smart Shade CC Cream does the trick without having to spend a fortune on multiple products.

Wear alone for a light summer cover up nad you've got this season's minimal trend covered. —Anya Georgijevic

$16.95 at London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Come summertime, heavy undergarments belong buried deep in our underwear drawers. A breezier alternative hails all the way from Denmark.

BASE (Basic Aesthetic for Sustainable Easywear) Range lingerie is made with lightweight organic bamboo fabric. Basic is the keyword here—no frills, no unnecessary embellishment—just simple silhouettes that fit. We love the highwaisted panty ($28) for its vintage granny-like style, and the triangle bra ($48) is sure to not overwhelm under all those skimpy summer tank tops.

Basic does it. —Anya Georgijevic

Available at One of a Few, 354 Water St., Vancouver, 604-605-0685, www.oneofafew.com