It's official. With so little left of print publications, the few major remaining (Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle in the United States) have been teetering on the absurd for ages. They've now toppled.
Of the three Elle, with Nina Garcia at the helm, seemed the most reasonable. It celebrated the fun that is the fantasy of fashion along with some stuff you could really wear. The March issue, at 216 pages and healthier than usual, is both silly and sad.
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I have a sheet...
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What even is this anyway?
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Gone are the days when a magazine had the hubris to tell you what to wear. Once upon a time Glamour even published a "What to Wear With What" chart twice a year that I
looked forward to. A blessing! Yes, it can be a relief not to be restricted as to "what's in/what's out" today. On the other hand... Some love rules and feel comforted by them. Others like rules in order to flaunt them.
So no rules today (other than those of decency and your own preferences). But what about inspiration? Where are we getting that from? There are a few good authorities—Jess Cartner-Morley, Alyson Walsh and Trinny Woodall—but none of them are based in the States. Vanessa Friedman is a terrific reporter for the NY Times, but she's largely not an advisor. Celebrities? How many red carpet events do
you attend?
I will troll the stores to see if I can get excited. There are less of them, and I have better things to do. Once upon a time my path from work to home took me onto Fifth or Madison Avenues; lunch break meant I could run down to 34th Street or up to 59th. I don't live there anymore. Even in those halcyon days, I loved fashion magazines. I can only imagine their many thousands of readers outside metropolitan areas loved them too.
Depending where you were on your life's journey, the fashion magazines spoke to you like a wise young aunt, a hip big sister or a smart, chic girlfriend. You might not always take her advice, but you loved hearing what she had to say. Today's magazines may be amusing themselves. but they are delighting—and enlightening—no one else.
