I lived for the monthly delivery of Vogue and Harpers. I miss them so much. Even the smell of the paper.
In the 80s I kept fat scrapbooks of my favorite stories and images which I still have to this day. (And still would wear some of it.) Then I started saving entire issues. I also have the entire collection of Net a Porter magazine (I know… more recent but they were GOOD!) neatly displayed on my bookshelves. I’m a proud hoarder. 😊
Ahhh you’re so lucky. Living in an apartment in New York there is never enough storage otherwise I would be a proud hoarder too! And yes Porter was good. Whatever happened to them? Thanks for your comment and for reading!
When I was a kid I poured over magazines. My mother subscribed to one or two fashion magazines, but more into those with news such as The New Yorker and a couple others. Imagine. I lived in a small town with less than 5,000 and had zero experience or even imagination about places like New York or what stylish clothes were about EXCEPT reading magazines. At the end of the year I was allowed to keep what my mother didn't want. I cut out all the beautiful models, the places, and many times some of favorite blurbs and scrap booked them. Dreams came alive. My mother once told me that as long as I had a book or a magazine I would never be lonely, they were are friends. She was right.
Today I get something different from the internet. Today, I get more variety and behind-the-scenes from writers like you, Leandra Cohen, and Becky Malinsky; you take me places I would have never experienced or imagined, even in my wildest dreams. So, thank you for your work
Thank you so much Patti! Like you, as a child magazines made me dream and see possibilities. I think that's so important for children and interesting how those experiences as children really stuck with both of us. The demise of magazines is directly related to the internet, but you raise a great point, there is so much to love about the internet. I can't imagine living without it!
You perfectly described my feelings towards magazines and what they have meant to me in my journey. It’s insane how much this has resonated with me!
I am writing a piece about magazines too, I would 100% mention this article of yours because it can fit perfectly in the narrative I’m building 🤍 thank you for blessing us with your writing
Thanks Giulia, I knew you would get it! Unfortunately I just don't get the same inspiration I use to from magazines. They use to transport me and fill me with inspiration. Now they are suffering trying to compete with the digital world. They're not in the business of selling dreams, now it's aspirational which is different and more transactional. I miss the art of it. Thanks as always for your comments, I love hearing from you! And I'd be honored to be mentioned in your post!
I agree vogue is not the old inspiring vogue anymore but there are some amazing independent alternatives out there! I love the gentlewoman for example, or the newest beyond the noise
I definitely miss magazines. I graduated from having weekly comics as a child to teenage magazines. In the UK in the 1960s these were magazines like Jackie, Petticoat, Honey and then the heady heights of Cosmopolitan which I discovered while staying in a B and B in 1970. My friend and I read through thd whole stash. I'm not sure the magazine was even on sale in the UK then as these were US editions. I always took advantage of a subscription and really looked forward to my magazine popping through the letter box each month. In 2006 British Vogue produced a 90th anniversary copy at Christmas which my sister bought me. Looking through it the designs still look fresh and wearable. The edition is close to 400 pages long and amazingly only cost £3.60.
I know, the golden age of magazines! They were so formative for me, I can't imagine growing up without them. I also loved British Vogue, the point of view was totally different from American Vogue as was French and Italian Vogue. Thanks for reading and commenting!
This was such a good reminder of the joy of magazines. I still buy interiors magazines but not fashion anymore. I remember how exciting it was discovering the new collections through them.
I miss the joy too! I still look at magazines but it's not the same experience. I use to actually lose myself in them and savor each issue. The talent is probably still there but magazines just don't have the budgets to support extravagant location shoots and grow the talent. That's why I always try to include inspiration in my content, we still need to feed ourselves, even if it's mining the past. Thanks for reading!
My all-time favorite editorial spread was in Vogue in the early 80s, of the work of Japanese designers. It blew me away - it was so unlike anything I’d ever seen.
It's amazing how a really great editorial just sticks with you. I remember when the Japanese designers hit the scene in the eighties, it was earth shattering, completely changing the concept of style. Thanks so much for you comment!
I miss those issues, especially September’s - the large editions filled with inspiration - from art, fashion to the wonderful editors and supers providing style inspiration. Thank you for writing such a beautiful piece.
I miss it too! I think it's part of the reason why fashion moves in such a frantic, trend driven way now. Magazines distilled what was going on. The talent between the photographers, editors and models had time to grow and thrive resulting in editorials that inspired and sold a dream. The dream of it is what I miss the most. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Living in pre-dictatorial Venezuela, there was no fashion magazine missed here, american Vogue, italian, or french... Harper's Bazar, L'Officiel de París, Italian Moda In, there was a huge galore to choose, even spanish, german fashion magazines. I grabbed any of that fat luxurious issues and also hoarded them. In another chapter, there were the other simpler sisters, the beauty and lifestyle publications, with some fashion incluided, as Glamour, Marie Claire or Elle. Those I also bought and kept in towers.
As You, I had to depart from them, keeping a folder of well curated torn pages. I was a magazine freak. I'm still at heart one. I miss them so much and it saddens me that they're something lost with no return.
Ooh I loved this so so much! I miss the magic of magazines as a child/teenager - I remember a friends elder sister gifting me a massive pile of Vogues and Elles from the early 2000’s. I was so excited to look through those glamorous glossy pages. I still like to collect magazine and think of it as cataloguing for my future daughter 🤍
However, as beautiful and fantasy-making as they were, especially Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, I kinda always appreciated the ads more! As for my other faves from my teen years, Mademoiselle, Glamour and, a bit later, Allure, were always more down to earth for me, with looks I could aspire to duplicate, if not actually buy.
As much as I miss those magazines -- and I did write fashion articles for a while -- I much prefer the Internet now, with its many diverse options, styling hacks, inspiration.
60+ years old here and Oh yes……!!!
I lived for the monthly delivery of Vogue and Harpers. I miss them so much. Even the smell of the paper.
In the 80s I kept fat scrapbooks of my favorite stories and images which I still have to this day. (And still would wear some of it.) Then I started saving entire issues. I also have the entire collection of Net a Porter magazine (I know… more recent but they were GOOD!) neatly displayed on my bookshelves. I’m a proud hoarder. 😊
Ahhh you’re so lucky. Living in an apartment in New York there is never enough storage otherwise I would be a proud hoarder too! And yes Porter was good. Whatever happened to them? Thanks for your comment and for reading!
When I was a kid I poured over magazines. My mother subscribed to one or two fashion magazines, but more into those with news such as The New Yorker and a couple others. Imagine. I lived in a small town with less than 5,000 and had zero experience or even imagination about places like New York or what stylish clothes were about EXCEPT reading magazines. At the end of the year I was allowed to keep what my mother didn't want. I cut out all the beautiful models, the places, and many times some of favorite blurbs and scrap booked them. Dreams came alive. My mother once told me that as long as I had a book or a magazine I would never be lonely, they were are friends. She was right.
Today I get something different from the internet. Today, I get more variety and behind-the-scenes from writers like you, Leandra Cohen, and Becky Malinsky; you take me places I would have never experienced or imagined, even in my wildest dreams. So, thank you for your work
Thank you so much Patti! Like you, as a child magazines made me dream and see possibilities. I think that's so important for children and interesting how those experiences as children really stuck with both of us. The demise of magazines is directly related to the internet, but you raise a great point, there is so much to love about the internet. I can't imagine living without it!
Now, I can't either. If and when I relocate to a foreign country I guess I'll have that opportunity to experience life without it for a while!
There's WIFI everywhere so you won't have to!!!
You perfectly described my feelings towards magazines and what they have meant to me in my journey. It’s insane how much this has resonated with me!
I am writing a piece about magazines too, I would 100% mention this article of yours because it can fit perfectly in the narrative I’m building 🤍 thank you for blessing us with your writing
Thanks Giulia, I knew you would get it! Unfortunately I just don't get the same inspiration I use to from magazines. They use to transport me and fill me with inspiration. Now they are suffering trying to compete with the digital world. They're not in the business of selling dreams, now it's aspirational which is different and more transactional. I miss the art of it. Thanks as always for your comments, I love hearing from you! And I'd be honored to be mentioned in your post!
I agree vogue is not the old inspiring vogue anymore but there are some amazing independent alternatives out there! I love the gentlewoman for example, or the newest beyond the noise
I miss magazines too. The creative "art" that took place on every page now feels lack-luster and uninspiring.
Yes, It's not what it use to be sadly. Thanks for reading!
I definitely miss magazines. I graduated from having weekly comics as a child to teenage magazines. In the UK in the 1960s these were magazines like Jackie, Petticoat, Honey and then the heady heights of Cosmopolitan which I discovered while staying in a B and B in 1970. My friend and I read through thd whole stash. I'm not sure the magazine was even on sale in the UK then as these were US editions. I always took advantage of a subscription and really looked forward to my magazine popping through the letter box each month. In 2006 British Vogue produced a 90th anniversary copy at Christmas which my sister bought me. Looking through it the designs still look fresh and wearable. The edition is close to 400 pages long and amazingly only cost £3.60.
I know, the golden age of magazines! They were so formative for me, I can't imagine growing up without them. I also loved British Vogue, the point of view was totally different from American Vogue as was French and Italian Vogue. Thanks for reading and commenting!
This was such a good reminder of the joy of magazines. I still buy interiors magazines but not fashion anymore. I remember how exciting it was discovering the new collections through them.
I miss the joy too! I still look at magazines but it's not the same experience. I use to actually lose myself in them and savor each issue. The talent is probably still there but magazines just don't have the budgets to support extravagant location shoots and grow the talent. That's why I always try to include inspiration in my content, we still need to feed ourselves, even if it's mining the past. Thanks for reading!
My all-time favorite editorial spread was in Vogue in the early 80s, of the work of Japanese designers. It blew me away - it was so unlike anything I’d ever seen.
It's amazing how a really great editorial just sticks with you. I remember when the Japanese designers hit the scene in the eighties, it was earth shattering, completely changing the concept of style. Thanks so much for you comment!
I miss those issues, especially September’s - the large editions filled with inspiration - from art, fashion to the wonderful editors and supers providing style inspiration. Thank you for writing such a beautiful piece.
I miss it too! I think it's part of the reason why fashion moves in such a frantic, trend driven way now. Magazines distilled what was going on. The talent between the photographers, editors and models had time to grow and thrive resulting in editorials that inspired and sold a dream. The dream of it is what I miss the most. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
It must be in the air. I wrote about something very similar this month.
You’ve captured it perfectly. The dream is missing.
I look forward to your future posts!
Thank you, I'll be sure to check out your post!
Living in pre-dictatorial Venezuela, there was no fashion magazine missed here, american Vogue, italian, or french... Harper's Bazar, L'Officiel de París, Italian Moda In, there was a huge galore to choose, even spanish, german fashion magazines. I grabbed any of that fat luxurious issues and also hoarded them. In another chapter, there were the other simpler sisters, the beauty and lifestyle publications, with some fashion incluided, as Glamour, Marie Claire or Elle. Those I also bought and kept in towers.
As You, I had to depart from them, keeping a folder of well curated torn pages. I was a magazine freak. I'm still at heart one. I miss them so much and it saddens me that they're something lost with no return.
Thanks for putting that awe in writing for US.
Ooh I loved this so so much! I miss the magic of magazines as a child/teenager - I remember a friends elder sister gifting me a massive pile of Vogues and Elles from the early 2000’s. I was so excited to look through those glamorous glossy pages. I still like to collect magazine and think of it as cataloguing for my future daughter 🤍
73 and a fashion mag reader/collector since 1963.
How I miss the big September issues!
However, as beautiful and fantasy-making as they were, especially Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, I kinda always appreciated the ads more! As for my other faves from my teen years, Mademoiselle, Glamour and, a bit later, Allure, were always more down to earth for me, with looks I could aspire to duplicate, if not actually buy.
As much as I miss those magazines -- and I did write fashion articles for a while -- I much prefer the Internet now, with its many diverse options, styling hacks, inspiration.