eye on style: alex from the tell-tale blog

Like many of you, I read lots of style and design blogs. Alex from The Tell-Tale Blog always makes me sit up and notice because she has such a unique voice, plus without fail, reading through her posts, I always find one that cracks me up. (I'll never forget her Emo posts!) Not surprisingly, Alex has great style, and I'm happy she's here today as part of my Eye on Style series. Enjoy!



Alexandra Paun

location: Montreal, Canada

occupation: PhD student in Human Genetics

wearing: silk dress from Erros (Romania), vintage handbag, Steve Madden sandals

favorite designers: I categorize the designers I admire in 2 groups: the high-end designers that I just admire from afar and the “reachable” designers that I can actually afford. From the first category, definitely Yves Saint-Laurent: the clean yet daring cuts, with a touch of masculinity are elegant, sophisticated without screaming for attention; they have the "je ne sais quoi" that comes with every piece of clothing, I just love them.

From the 2nd category: oh, there’s so many...I love Diane Von Furstenberg’s dresses (thank you eBay for bringing those closer to my pocket), Marc Jacobs for a mix of styles that appeal to the romantic in me but also the playful and sophisticated. Chloe for the uniqueness of their shoes. But I guess right this instant if I had $10,000 to spend on clothes I would buy EVERY SINGLE item in the J Crew store. I am in a phase in my life when I absolutely adore everything from J Crew. Those pastel colors, clothes that make me think of spring and far-away places and shoes that look like candy are pure endorphins for me.

What style means to Alex: Oh boy! That’s a big one! I guess style is that something that makes you special. Whether it’s the way you wear your hair in that sweet, chic chignon, or the bright coral of your nail polish, or the vintage brooch you wear on your jacket. It's true that style comes from the inside, it reflects your inner state in that particular moment, but it's also something you learn from others, from books and magazines, from blogs and everything that surrounds you. Style is the result of our attempts as women to be unique and more beautiful.

bye for now

I'm flying out bright and early tomorrow morning for a much needed 3-day weekend up in Sausalito. I'll be staying at Cavallo Point, the beautiful new luxury eco resort and sister property of the famed Post Ranch Inn. Other than taking a class at their Culinary Arts School and logging in some time at Cavallo's spa, I plan to do as little as possible, and hope you'll be doing something equally relaxing.

Please stop by tomorrow because I have a wonderful Eye on Style guest that I know you'll enjoy.

xo Mary Jo

why i love fashion

Because it's about so much more than clothes.




And because you can't take it too seriously.

why i love summer

via Brown Button

...because it's carefree


via Desire to Inspire

and the living is easy...



it's fierce


Peter Beard via Carla Loves Photography

and silly


via Le Love

and people just want to have a good time


This is a party my friend Rita invited me to yesterday--happy birthday Aaron!

and in the end, it's always so fleeting...


via Creature Comforts

eye on style: christina from down and out chic

Today's Eye on Style guest is Christina, whose blog, Down and Out Chic, always delights me with her eye for bright and wonderful things. Enjoy!



location: Georgia

occupation: Grants Administration (former Social Worker, my education is in Art so I'd like to eventually end up doing something design/art related.) Who knows...the possibilities are endless.

wearing: dress by Tulle; T Strap heels by Old Navy (ummm, Old Navy? Yes, super comfy and have lasted quite some time.); Sunglasses from local small boutique; Bag- vintage
Yellow Bangle- I can't remember.

favorite designers: I may not be the best person to answer this question. I don't wear designer clothing and I have a really difficult time picking "favorites" of any kind, but here goes: 3.1 Phillip Lim for easy, live in comfortable design. Vera Wang for the effortless flow of the the pieces, the details and the layers. Marc Jacob's for the cheeky edge. If the clothes could were animate, I feel like they'd wink at me. Oh and I'd love to hug Betsy Johnson because she has panache.

I wear a lot of vintage clothing, handmade pieces from Etsy, and shop at places like Ruche, Forever 21, American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, JCrew, and Anthropologie (if there's a sale). For me, the key is mixing quality basics with more affordable, trendy pieces. I draw my inspiration from the visual arts and street fashion mostly.

what style means to Christina: For me, style is expression. Clothing does not make a person, it's the other way around. Truly stylish people know themselves and aren't trying too hard to make a good impression. There must be some intent behind style as I don't think style goes hand in hand with carelessness, but confidence and love for one's self allows for a deeper and less shallow expression. Just because someone can put an outfit together doesn't mean they're a stylish individual just like being able to render a form doesn't make you an artist. Style is a blend of aesthetics and attitude and I'd even go so far as to compare it to wisdom. Just like the wisest individuals understand their innate stupidity, the most stylish people understand they can't take themselves too seriously because the second you think you're THERE, you've lost it.

4 you

Monday marked the four year anniversary of Trust Your Style. In the back of my mind I knew it was coming up, but this year doesn't strike me as the time for a big fan-fare, so I'll simply say, thank you for stopping by and reading. I never dreamed that I'd be so lucky to meet so many lovely and amazing friends!

{photo via absolutely ladylike}.

6 {uninteresting} things i love

Lovely Sarah Klassen from Haute Design tagged me last week to list six uninteresting things that I love, so at the risk of boring you, I will share:

#1. Shoes.



Shoes are delicious and I firmly believe they're good for you too!


#2. Men's watches



For someone who has never worn a watch since the day I fell off a horse 4 years ago and my Panerai stopped in it's tracks (I also cracked my hip and have never worn white jeans, polo boots or a polo shirt since that day) this is probably a funny choice. But I've always loved men's watches and have collected them since I was a teenager.


#3 Lighting



There would not be enough room in the house if I actually owned every lamp I loved. The good news is that I read recently that a well lit room should have at least 4-5 sources of light, so there's still room for the Castiglioni Arco lamp, the pear Nelson pendant, and George Kovacs table lamp that I'm pining for.


#4 Lip Balm



There's one in every drawer in the house, including the kitchen. It's a bit freakish, but my excuse is that I'm a beauty editor, so maybe it's really just uninteresting. Anyway, I love lip balm and am partial to Pangea's fat Eco Lavender with Cardamon stick.


#5 & #6 My Bags & Drawings



They're everywhere and I'm constantly shuffling them from one place to another in hopes of making the place look uncluttered.


That's it for me. I'm tagging:

Sanity Fair

{this is glamorous}

La Couturier

help free journalists amanda lindhout & nigel brennan

This is not a political blog but today I'm going to make an exception and ask you to
sign the petition "Help Free Journalists Amanda Lindhout & Nigel Brennan" to help reach the goal of 10,000 signatures. I care deeply about this cause, and I hope you will support it too.

On August 23, 2008, Canadian journalist, Amanda Lindhout, 27, and Australian pohotojournalist, Nigel Brennan, 37, were seized by armed militiamen at gunpoint just outside the Somali capitol of Mogadishu. They were en route to a Somali refugee camp to continue reporting on worsening conditions in the region. Three Somalis, photojournalist and fixer Abdifatah Mohamed Elmi, and two drivers, kidnapped with them, were released in mid January of 2009.

Both Amanda Lindhout, and Nigel Brennan, are being held prisoners in dire conditions, and are in need of medication, fresh water and food. Their health is rapidly deteriorating. Their lives are in jeopardy and the petition asks respectively, that their situation be given the highest priority.

Please Click here to sign. You can do so anonymously. In the meantime, please send your thoughts and prayers to Amanda and Nigel.

eye on style: julia cumings

Julia of The Red Otter Shop is one of my favorite bloggers, and I'm hooked on her "quiet posts", which are simple reminders to savor everyday beauty. It's not really surprising that Julia is a maker of the most gorgeous hand-crafted journals which you can view at her etsy store.

Julia Cumings

location: Madison, Wisconsin

occupation: Student

wearing: I am wearing my "usual," jeans from American Eagle, white tank and black cardigan from Target and Steve Madden black patent leather flats. It's as simple as it comes. Bangles from Etsy!

favorite designers: Jigsaw, because of their elegant lines, eclectic spirit and the fact that every time I think of them I remember my time in England

what style means to Julia: Style is more than the clothing you wear or the accessories you tote. Style is the way you hold your body, the energy you give off. To me, style is the assembling of lines and textures, swathed in color and confidence.

love from sunny california!

Wishing you a happy weekend! Oranges and a blue sky. Isn't this why everyone headed west? Pasha is living proof of the good life, or I should say, living to taunt the doberman pinscher who lives on the other side of this fence.

Also, I've been meaning to announce: Rachel, who is moving to NYC and needs to furnish her new place in style, is the winner of the tys Flor tile give-away!

flat out

Want hair like Catherine Zeta-Jones? Keep reading!

Every once in awhile I stop and remind myself that as a beauty editor, I should probably take more time with my hair and makeup--but the truth is, I'm very low maintenance (a nice euphemism for lazy). I'm also finicky about product and find most hair stuff to be entirely gunky/yucky/sticky. Then there's the whole issue of hair that has just enough wave to never lay flat. Flat out it's just not in my cards to have stick straight hair.



But then a bottle of Retro Chic Glazz Leave In Treatment arrived in the mail. Hmm, it smelled good. I'm usually game to try every product I'm sent at least once--except a weird mouth vice made of rubber bands that was supposed to keep you from getting smile wrinkles, but I digress. Hey, this stuff actually works! While I'm not patient enough to follow stylist David Babaii's tips on how he gets Catherine Zeta-Jones' locks to lie perfectly flat, a little bit of Retro Chic Glazz and a quick once over with the flat iron will usually tame my hair into suitable submission for the day.

David's tips are below should you have the time and willpower to follow his fabulous directions:



After gently towel-drying her hair to remove excess water, I warmed a small amount of Hair Polish in the palms of my hands before applying it through the hair. I've found warming this product actually boosts its ability to seal the cuticle, while repairing and strengthening each strand. Not to mention the shine!

Next, I dried her hair using my David Babaii for WildAid Blow Dryer with the nozzle attachment and a large round brush to smooth hair straight. Try to avoid any metal coated brushes. These brushes only generate unnecessary heat and will cause hair to be baked not dried. I sectioned her hair first: top, sides and back. To begin, I started by drying the nape area first and then proceeded until her entire head was dry.

Finally, to achieve her sleek straight look I went through her hair with my David Babaii for WildAid Styling Iron with Tourmaline and Ceramic technology. I did this by once again dividing her hair into three parts again: top, sides and back. Starting at the nape area and taking small sections at a time, I combed the hair before running the flat iron through. For the mega watt shine, I applied an additional amount of Hair Polish after the entire head was straightened. This created her mirror finish.