Saturday, March 13, 2010

30 Days to 10 years younger--10 minute tips. Tip 12: But keep the old

Some things are perfect. Eternal. And you never want them to change. Like diamonds. Ballerina flats. And my favorite fashion magazines.

To ward off the eternal creeping dread of middle-aged frumpiness, I need refreshment and inspiration. These magazines inspire me:


  1. Town & Country's website is useless, but the magazine itself is gorgeous. The layout is flawless. The photography makes me want to lick the page. And they edit down the fashion journalism blather to terms the average woman can understand. For example, when they tell us about the trends for spring, they devote a page each to: black and white; florals; feminine flourishes. Simple and clear. And it doesn't matter that I can't afford what they show me. I'm looking for inspiration.
  2. Harper's Bazaar isn't quite what it used to be under Liz Tilberis. (And the editorial pages can be that fashion magazine-specific brand of crazy--out of focus sepia-toned photographs of an homage to Bonnie & Clyde are lovely, but I'd like to see the clothes, please.) Still, I'd say it's America's best all-around fashion monthly. The website is good, too. (P.S. Do yourself a favor, and don't copy Kate's eye makeup.)
  3. More is the one magazine where you know you won't see 14 year olds dressed and made up to look 35. That alone is worth the price of admission. Like most magazines, they expect you to be rich, but at least they don't expect you to be young. The website is good, but if I see Sandra Bullock at the Oscar's one more time, I'm going to shut down my laptop.
  4. I pick up People's StyleWatch all the time. It's too celebrity-focused, but it's a fast read, and it makes the trends crystal clear. Unlike Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and Town & Country, it also focuses primarily on the things you'll actually find in stores. The website bears too much resemblance to the regular People web site. I give it a meh.
  5. Allure is the one magazine devoted to cosmetics and skin care. I read it to keep up with new products. And the annual cosmetics "Best-Of-Beauty" awards are a must-read. The website is informative but extremely cluttered. Someone needs to give it a makeover. Hee!
Conspicuous in their absence:

  1. Lucky, which I secretly call Sucky, except not out loud, because that would be vulgar, and God knows I don't need my daughter becoming a pottymouth like some people we know.
  2. Vogue because ... I don't know ... is it the print size? The annoyingly long columns? The inflated sense of self-importance on the part of people like Andre Leon Talley? You tell me.
  3. You'd think I'd be all over InStyle, but honestly, I get better fashion reporting from the other glossies. InStyle magazine is what would happen if People magazine married Town and Country and they had a baby.
Which magazines inspire you? Am I missing something crucial? Because those Amazon magazine subscription prices are really pretty amazing ...

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