The world of fashion magazines is a strange and sometimes frightening one – particularly if you’re a budgeting fashion addict forced to stare down the nose of $700 stilettos and $2,500 rings.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of options when it comes to fashion publications to choose from, but which are worth your time and which aren’t?
We all start out as the “flippers”. The people standing near the check stand at the grocery store, or near the racks at Barnes & Noble flip, flip, flipping through endless pages of garb, garments and glory. We seem to think that if we catch enough decent style tips, mixed with the correct number of “reasonably priced” pieces, then the magazine is worth it. Is that true? Does the price of suggested purchases in magazines dictate whether we spend our cash on it?
Personally, while I’d love to just take inspiration from the pages and pages of expert styling and advice, I can’t take a publication that nearly exclusively displays $500+ items seriously. There is a very small percentage of the population that would realistically be able to say “Ooh, Tiffany made that? Pierre, phone it in, won’t you?” and, unfortunately, I’m just short of that bracket.
Additionally, outside of my price tag scrutiny, I’m constantly annoyed by some of the styling of modern fashion magazines. Either they’re completely homeless-chic (*coughNyloncough*), dripping with ripped this and American Apparel that… or so extremely avant garde that all you could really take from it as far as inspiration is your next Halloween costume. I’m definitely not interested in a What Not To Wear-esque practice of following a mathematic formula to create a boring-as-hell outfit (I’m sorry Clinton & Stacey, but you’re better than that), but 16 different floral patterns with lurex wedges and a beret made from chainmail just isn’t my cup of tea.
I’ve definitely clocked in my fair share of hours “flippin'”, and now I’m definitely a truster. These are the magazines that I see, grab, and devour. I’m officially a “truster” of…
- Lucky
Lucky always does me right. They nearly always give some love to the broke-ass girl in need of a handbag, and have awesome interviews with celebrities regarding their personal style. - InStyle
While I definitely love this magazine, I can’t say that I grab it and bag it without at least a little forethought. I often check out the cover stories (“150 Hot Heels under $100!”) and if they’re good (which they typically are), then it’s mine, all mine. - Elle
Perhaps I’m a touch biased… But this is the best-named magazine I’ve ever read. As far as the realm of valid commentary goes, however, Elle seems to regularly impress me with their wide range of age-appropriate style advice, and the prices aren’t extremely irrational, either!
What are your go-to magazines? Are you a flipper, or a truster?
xoxo.
View Comments (6)
Shop Etc was as GREAT magazine. I have yet to find a replacement for it. I loved how it displayed similar outfits and beauty products in high, medium, and lost cost options. I cannot express suitably how much I loved, loved, loved it. I still mourn it. :-(
Lucky and InStyle ... everything else well-nigh useless to the middle-income likes of me.
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I'm a new reader of your blog and am really enjoying it! Especially as a girl on budget. I'm definitely a flipper, but I do have a soft spot for InStyle - been reading it for years, and love that they always have some affordable options inside. Keep up the great work!
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Welcome to B&B! =) InStyle is definitely a good one. I need to pick it up!
Well..I read the ones you suggested, but I must say that I agree that often the magazines are unrealistic. Even though Harper's Bazaar falls into that category, I love how they show things from the runway and then apply them to real life. I love their SHORT! interviews with designers and celebrities. I think that American Vogue is extremely boring! I hate the covers and the articles are dull and uninspiring. I love British Vogue, but it's really expensive. I wish more people would read blogs and realize that they are changing everything. It's good to read the mags but the blogs are where you can find some true inspiration :) <3
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hi, im new on your blog :)
I find that I hardly ever take advice or inspiration from magazines, so I read Australian Vogue because it has the most interesting/expensive gear. I just get it so I can stare at all the things that I can't have because it's like art to me. I find the magazines like Shop Till you Drop (I think its similar to your Shop etc above) boring because everything looks cheap and depressing, but yeah it's affordable. I guess I do aspire to own clothes that are out of my budget by hopefully finding them on ebay. Besides, I think Vogue has the best taste in clothing and good articles that aren't oriented towards flip flop wearing teens.