Vogue (1-year)

As Vogue documents the hottest looks from the world's best designers, the entire fashion industry holds its breath in anticipationthen scrambles to interpret what Vogue dictates: the magazine is that influential. If you're looking for good, practical advice on cosmetics or picking the right style swimsuit for your body type, you're better off with Glamour or Marie Claire. What you'll find in Vogue is not really "practical" but rather high falutin', haute couture kind of stuff. Compared to other popular women's magazines, what distinguishes Vogue from the rest is how it successfully situates the fashion/beauty business as a vital, viable and artistic component of culture and society. So you're not just getting fashion layouts to look at, but also great articles on writers, architects, actors, art exhibits, and so on. Most everything pictured in Vogue is of course, out of the average person's price range, and the overall magazine's tone makes no apologies for this snobbery. But I still think it's a beautiful magazine to look at for its artistic vision, and for well-written articles on culture.

Oh, I love Vogue and its flashy, flaunting of fashion, its articles lauding vacuous socialites, "it-girl" actresses and the occasional over-40 writer/power moguls, and pages of outerspace-priced clothing on willowy martian-looking mannekins (who we all know now on a first name basis). Really, I love it! Okay, well, it is a bit in love with itself and its authority on fashion, but really ladies, fashion won't save the world, no matter how many charity balls you cover. It's hard to get as worked up over a (last season) pair of ostrich shoes or clutch purse, and enter a mosh pit at some Barney's outlet sale at your "insider's" behest. It really could whip some impressionable young people into a froth of rampant materialism! Makes one wonder if those bound-in perfume samples are starting to smell like "advertorial!"

Vogue does have its merits, including great photography, the occasional thought-provoking article by a guest writer, and bits on designers lurking on the fringes of affordability. Still, it's a fun bit of eye-candy and fantasy/vicarious luxury living each month. Yes, I do have a subscription, but I read it with a boulder of salt lodged firmly in my cheek.

Buy Vogue (1-year) Now

This month's issue of Vogue (July 2008, with Nicole Kidman on the cover) clarified for me the significant drop in quality at American Vogue over the years. The magazine has reduced in size, now smaller than US letter paper. The spine measures less than 1/4 inch. The printing and paper quality are low. The content of the July issue, in particular was watery. Vogue used to contain expansive descriptions of trends and details, but if the last few issues are an indicator, they must have fired a lot of writers. What exists now is not much more than product placement ads. The photo pages are few in number as well. I know that there is much more to fashion now that what was in Vogue lately. What's going on? Maybe there needs to be a change in editorial leadership. In the meanwhile, sadly I probably won't renew.

Read Best Reviews of Vogue (1-year) Here

Vogue is full of ads. I pick this magazine up and I don't start getting to the articles until I am a fourth through the thing. I find the articles quite boring and not informative at all. One good thing about Vogue is the photos are pretty artistic and you get an idea of how fashion is art, but that is about all I get out of it. So, if you like advertisments this mag is for you.

Want Vogue (1-year) Discount?

So I usually get magazines through the mail (old-fashioned way) and overall I had gotten great results. I believed that if I got a magazine subscription through internet it would be easier and faster. Was I wrong! First of all it took almost 2 months to get the first magazine, and when I did I got a 2 month old magazine, and up to now I have yet to receive the august issue which came out to stores almost three weeks ago. I definitely DO NOT recommend getting magazine subscriptions through anywhere else besides the ancient, yet effective way of mail.

Save 58% Off