Is it true that opposites attract? They do this spring.

As a young girl, my favourite colours were pink and purple. I was always putting them together, despite the slight colour clash, because it was too difficult to choose just one when both were so…me! Light pink was my quiet, introverted self, who was oft found reading in a sunlit corner somewhere. Purple was my creative and independent self, who went away with my best friend each summer for a month, and wrote short stories and plays.

This spring, like the fall, pretty well anything goes. This is the season to be daring with your style choices. Try mating – erm…pairing – colours, for instance. White and black is classic, and very popular this season. Why not branch out though, and try pairing pink and tangerine – or emerald with royal blue?

Ricki's Contrast - Pink & Tangerine

Ricki's Contrast - Royal Blue & Emerald Green

Ricki’s is a great place to find options for this trend. Wandering the store, I came across this blue/green pairing and was too happy to include it in this blog post.

I am a fairly indecisive person and tend to change “either or’s” to “both…,and’s,” contrasting colours in my spring/summer wardrobe gives me the opportunity for “both…and,” leaving me more content than ever. Showcase different aspects of your own personality with your deliberate style choices this spring, tell people they cannot put you in a box by wearing contrast colours.

You can be subtle about it, if contrast scares you – try working with accessories that contrast your clothes. Cleo has some great patterned scarves that could act as the dark to your light blazer or visa versa.

Or, better yet, Ricki’s has a great selection of striped tops – which incorporate the contrast trend in a subtler manner than bold blocks of colour. Tell your story with great styles from Kingsway Mall.

Well, it’s finally happened. Winter has hit Edmonton at last and I know that I am not the only person who is eager to escape it for a while longer. January and February are prime times to book that off-season vacation to the tropical destination that you have been dreaming about and great deals are everywhere.

Off-season is not only a great time to travel, it is a great time to shop. Retailers are between seasons so much of the summer stock—bathing suits included—is marked down even as the early spring stock is starting to come in so one can get a jump on all of this season’s styles while still getting a great deal.

I know it’s tempting to run off to that beach and pack nothing but a bikini and a pair of flip flops, but consider where you are going and what will you be doing. What activities are available at and around your destination? What is the dress code of the places that you will be visiting? This is an especially important question for gentlemen to know the answer to as many a-la-carte restaurants on resorts will not admit gentleman customers unless they are wearing trousers.

Choose items that are light and versatile and limit your selections to what you intend to use. Many garments can be worn for more than one purpose. Sarongs and pashminas do double-duty as beach cover-ups and evening wraps and colourful tote bags double as excellent beach bags. Select a colour scheme that allows you to mix and match every item that you bring and liven up your look with colourful accessories.

Colorful tote bags from PINK

One of the most vital things that I have learned in my travels is to stock up on sunscreen before I jet off to tropical locations. While it is not exactly easy to find this time of year, it is much more affordable here than it is coming from a resort gift store. Sample-size toiletries are a traveller’s best friend. Just one little bottle of each sample is enough to get most travellers through the average week-long trip and like your jewellery can also be packed in a shoe to save space. If you plan to travel with a lot of electronics—camera, e-reader, cell phone—pack a small power strip so that you are able to charge them all at one time without having to plug each into a different outlet. If you are travelling to a foreign country, invest in a set of travel adapters so you have the right voltage.

With all that effort of trying to figure out what to bring on your trip, the final challenge is what to pack it in. The days of boring black are done, heralding an era of bright colours and patterns that make every bag your own. Another great way to differentiate your luggage from everyone else’s is to tie colourful tags or ribbons to the handles of your suitcase.

Graphic prints on luggage makes it unique from everyone else's

Winter is here to stay but whatever destination you plan to escape to, Kingsway Mall has everything you’ll need.