When I was 13 I asked my mother if I could subscribe to Vogue and she said no, feeling it was too old for me. I could have Seventeen if I wanted it. No, I wanted Vogue-it was the pinnacle and Seventeen was for...young girls. We fought about for months until she finally gave in and let me subscribe and I have been reading it faithfully ever since.
Vogue and Bazaar, 2 of the city's premiere fashion magazines are my bibles. Well mostly Vogue. I find Bazaar to be just slightly less than Vogue with silly articles and silly sections telling me at what age I should wear what-none of which make much sense as there is not enough meaty information to make the section valuable. A photo of a celebrity at the age being described does not give me the objective information I am looking for to make a decision. I want the high end, top of the line information they give me because then I can take the knowledge I gain from perusing with me to stores and buy based on the trickle down theory.
Vogue is high-end-why does it have to apologize for that? For those who choose to not want to read the top of the line magazines there are plenty of choices, why can't I have the magazine I love? Why can't it be true to it's history? I believe that it if it keeps to it's niche it will last longer and be a better magazine anyway. Being all things to all people will water it down and make it uninteresting to anyone.
I want Vogue and Bazaar to show me the aspirational runway looks so at the end of the season I can buy a piece or two of Saint-Laurent, Lanvin, Donna Karan, or Ralph Lauren etc. The joy of buying, owning and wearing those pieces, even mixing them with H & M or Banana Republic pieces is indescribable to me (although to be honest-on the days that I can mix my Fendi jacket, Chanel top, Lanvin skirt, Saint Laurent shoes, bag, and jewelry-now those are the days that truly make my heart soar!! Nothing can get me down on those days). Back down to earth, the fact that I have worked hard over my career and have been able to attain these pieces for myself is a symbol and a reward for my hard work. They also represent the years I have put into working and honing myself to be the best I can be-carrying a Chanel bag that I bought myself means much more to me than almost anything and is a joy of a reward that I can only articulate in giddy ways (which you probably don't to hear anyway).
During this economy, it seems that being frugal is virtuous. I think it's boring. I love shopping and faux societal pressure isn't going to keep me from it. Vogue and Bazaarhowever, feel they have to offer suggestions on how to look like or be a fashionista while spending less money. I'm all for spending less money per piece because then I can buy more pieces!! But the suggestions they make are really ridiculous and quite useless. My fashion friend and I agree that it's lazy on the part of the editors-they can and should do better for their readers. When there is a 2 page spread showing great fall pieces under $500 I get all excited-then I see a pair of hosiery or a bracelet for $450. Listen, if you can't afford to spend more than $500 per piece of clothing that's fine. Don't. There are many ways to dress beautifully while spending a reasonable amount of money-in fact, I RARELY spend more than $500 per piece and prefer to spend considerably less. Even on my Lanvin, YSL etc. Seriously, it can be done. The point is, if I have budgeted $500 then a $498 bracelet is NOT going to be where I put that money. That is a useless valueless piece for me. Come back to me when you have found me a gorgeous, modern, high style, well made jacket or suit for $498 and we'll talk!! Then the spread will be valuable.
And what about this new section that's called, "Shop your Closet!" Ok, that's an interesting idea, and I have been shopping my attic for years. However, please don't suggest famous "IT" runway pieces from 9 months ago or even 2 years ago. Again, this is just lazy. Does Bazaar really think that the people who can buy $1500 shoes would stop wearing them after 4 months, put them away for 5 months and then be inspired to take them out again as if they Haven't seen them in a lifetime????? I have Saint-Laurent cage shoes and my husband keeps asking me when I am putting them away because of the cold. Never is my answer, I love them and worked hard to get them, I am wearing them with tights all winter long-it's hot in my office. However, the day will come when they are no longer fashionable-that is when I will put them away and that goes for all my pieces. Years in the future, I will take pieces out that are fashionable a second time. I have a lovely cream Dior blouse, the very first piece of important designer clothing I ever bought, while in college and working at Bonwit Teller. It wraps around your neck and ties into a bow so I take it out and put it away as the importance of "bow blouses" ebbs and flows. I have pieces that are 20 years old that I LOVED in the 80's and am taking them out in the next few weeks again. Old friends that will give me much joy.
The other of my pet peeves re today's Vogue are the pages of the "IT" girls who are just the chicest of the little fashionistas and all at 19?!?! Puh-lease! Aren't they always Marc Jacobs sister-in-law? Or Ralph Lauren's son's best friend or something??? Of course these 19 year olds are beautifully dressed in expensive clothes! Again, pul-lease!!!! Come back to me with photos of a real 19 year old who fits the fashionista criteria and take pictures of her closet and then we'll talk about a spread like that. I'd be happy to offer my closet (though I am far from 19) so many of my friends ask to see my closet...why not the editors of Vogue???
These are my Prada shoes and they could fit into the under $500 spread and even better than that they are really comfortable (although in the interest of full disclosure, they didn't start out comfortable. I stretched them a bit and now they are dreamy!)
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