Fashion magazines were power houses in 90s and 2000s. I always bought at least 2-4 fashion magazines a month. It was so good to see my favorite celebrities and read their latest interviews and check what they are wearing, where they are eating, what makeup and skincare products they are using, checking editorials, latest style editions, whats IN right now. But still something was missing. When I was a (still I am do not worry D:) reader of Harper's Bazaar or Vogue or Elle, I felt poor. I felt like why am I buying this magazine when I can only afford high street brands and no name brands? I was a teenager and in my 20s back then. I got better in finances in 30s but still a struggle to afford designer items. So if you are not born rich or later become rich, you can't really afford those brands that fashion magazines put in their pages. They almost never put anything affordable. Most of the brands were also not available in my country and back then there was no online shopping.
Now there are alternative accounts that daily share latest styles from Zara, Mango, HM, Topshop, etc.- all high street and afforable and stylish global brands.
Most normal people follow these accounts on instagram and websites. High-end is nice but most people can not afford or won't buy high end, despite they are rich, because designer items are expensive.
Another reason people lost interest in fashion magazines is that half of the magazine consists of advertisements- an excuse. Most of my friends were complaining about it. So instead of more content it was more ads and more ads and ads. Its nice to check ads if you love fashion, but if you are a logic person you pay money for content and where is the content?
Third reason is people had access to everything online. Most celebs have instagram and people follow their lifes and what they use and what they do and there are hype magazine type websites and blogs with great and fresh content that people do not have to wait a month to read. Hype and news were quicker to reach and when the magazine had printed it after a month, it was old news so its out of fashion !
Fourth reason is online web shops of every brand gives all the images, styling ideas, price details online and you can just check the website of the brand that you are into or websites that sell alot of brands like Netaporter or Shopbop. So they show best styling options, price options and details. Those websites and blogs also show what is trending now. You can watch many youtube videos on trends, colors, skincare etc without buying a magazine and read about your own interest.
Printing and using only what is paid in the whole fashion magazine was the biggest lie to me. I felt cheated when I found out. So every dress or shoe or skincare product you see in a magazine is a paid post and magazine is suggesting you to use and and rave it like an amazing product because they got paid to do so. My whole perspective changed after learning this. And yes like an idiot I did not know all was paid post before. I know youtubers do these paid posts now and thats why I do not really follow any influencers anymore. I like micro blogs and real people's reviews.
Fashion magazines and runways were lack of diversity and most women felt outsider of fashion world because they are not tall enough and skinny enough. I even felt ugly when I was a teenager. I did not know about photoshop and I thought those models were flawless. But poreless? really?
Too much photoshop and unreal beauty standarts - women got fed up with them.
There are many other reasons I have not talked about. Like people with individual style may find it agressive that fashion magazine says this is the trend now and you have to wear it. Yes but maybe I do not look good in shorts or animal print is not my thing. Got it?
I know its a bit like discussing why Kim Kardashian has more followers than Oscar winning Hollywood actresses. We are in a different world now with digital media, than it was before (90s, 2000s era) but water will find its way.
I still buy fashion magazines, but I am more picky. I still like Spanish, Turkish and German editions of Vogue and H Bazaar and Elle UK and Instyle USA. But Vogue USA is not the same. Most stylings are meh and there are less editorials in a magazine. Less ads... Less pages... More expensive price tag (due to exhange rates and shipping costs also). So I kinda think that fashion magazines are not ruling fashion world, like they used to. However I am a devoted reader.
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