Paula Bridges dips into the September edition of Shop Til You Drop – the first for
new editor Justine Cullen – and gets the sense this may just be the 'prettiest spring ever'...After convincing a male friend of mine that
Shop Til You Drop is not just a giant catalogue, but
the giant catalogue and worth paying actual money for, I hoped that this month’s magazine would live up to my expectations. And it did. I even wrote a shopping list.
Along with
Shop’s usual fashion and beauty fare are some subtle changes (fonts, tidy intro pages, more white space, less text-heavy features) and additions (’30 Best Buys for September’, ‘My Foolproof Outfit”), giving the overall book a new-season, spring-cleaned-wardrobe effect (a mag that practices what it preaches).
The cover... Jessica Alba graces the cover of this issue and we’re promised a glimpse of her post-baby style inside (though we can assume the cover shot is from the pre-baby collection). As GWAS touched on before, Jess’s lipstick is perfectly matched with the masthead, and the mix of blue, lilac, hot pink, black and white keeps things fresh and relaxed for spring. We’re further enticed with promises of ‘Your Prettiest Spring Ever’, ‘Beauty Steals’ and ‘Essential Denim’. Sold.
The ed. says... “There’s something a little weird about become the editor of the magazine where you already work…”. Cullen was previously Beauty and Style Director and insists that because of this, she knows us, and what we want from
Shop, very well. Further on, we get the requisite mention of the ACP 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty event to be held throughout September (accompanied by the standard 17-page promotional spread and Eva Mendes editorial inside – surprise!)
The story line-up...
• Find out how to wear the pieces of the season, including the floral dress, maxi dress, shorts, the jumpsuit, ruffles and jodhpurs. Worn by real women (aged 21-46) with fabulous figures, readers can take inspiration from the pieces shown and find something (in their price range) that suits them.
• ‘To Dye For’ is this month’s road-test piece that shows how to wear tie-died clothes. Emma Markezic is quick to point out that the tie-died clothes of this era are much more subtle and less ‘should-have-been-burnt-with-the-bras psychedelic.’
• I love all of the fashion shoots this month (all FIVE of them… six if you include the denim workshops shots), my favourite being ‘Heaven Sent’, which features romantic dresses in various shades of white and ivory. ‘Full Bloom’ balances florals, ruffles and soft blouses with more structured pieces and statement shoes; ‘High Voltage’, shot on the Amalfi Coast (take me there!), encourages readers to wear block-colour statement dresses; ‘On The Flip Side’ shows off the season’s flirty-flippy skirt shape (wear yours with a Sandra Dee ponytail!); and ‘Fringe Dweller’ is “Penny Lane meets Kate Moss”, with short
sequined skirts, fierce heels, fringed vests, short shorts, oversized tees, cuffs, skinny jeans and rock-chick hair.
• ‘30 Fashion Questions’ is a great value feature (inspired, as it is, by the ACP event). It’ll answer all the questions you didn’t know you had 'til now, like: “What can’t I live without for spring?” (“a flippy, dippy, swishy skirt”), “Can I really wear my one-piece from beach to bar?” (“yes, but tread carefully… you want to look chic not cheap”), “Bangles – how many can I wear at once?” (“fortune favours those who stack”) and “Which celeb should I be obsessing over?” (“Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively”). You know, all the important stuff. [GWAS note: this may just be the best
Shop feature I’ve read to date – simple, bitsy, effective, clever, cheeky and in-the-know, it shows
Shop knows how to have fun with fashion. Nice writing, girls!].
• ‘Summer Denim’ takes readers out of their dark-denim-for-winter slump and focuses on pale shades of denim as a neutral base. Dresses, shorts, skirts and jackets (I
can’t remember the last time I saw a denim jacket) are all essentials for this coming season. Mostly casual, these denim pieces are strictly for daytime or playtime; slip into one of those bold, colourful, sophisticated dresses if heading out after dark.
The superficial...• Featured in the magazine (‘Smarty Pants’, pp. 99 & 100) are some high-waisted, wide-leg jeans which seem very similar to those made (in)famous by Katie Holmes last week. Not sure anyone will be running out to grab them after the response she got.
• Interestingly, Tobacco scents are featured amongst other must-haves in Shop Beauty. Not sure I will ever be able to get past the dank pub carpet smell, but apparently it is subtle and sexy... I’m not convinced.
• I really enjoyed ’10 Beauty Acts That Drive Men Crazy’. The clever copy makes the truth easy to hear (though we knew most of it anyway and just refused to admit it) about the stickiness of fake tan and the threat our over-straightened hair poses to a man’s eye.
• ‘Soft Sell’ highlights the fact that consumers would now prefer having gentle, natural products to put on their skin, as opposed to chemically enhanced creams, lotions and potions. Out with alpha hydroxy acids and in with rosemary extract and vitamin C!
• ‘Stealing Beauty’ talks about how much easier it is nowadays to grab our clothes, underwear and, most importantly, make-up from chain stores, rather than boutique outlets or department stores. With the introduction of brand name designers in big retailers like Target, nearly everything is available across the country on a large scale and usually at very affordable prices. Convenience is winning us over, it seems.
The score:Overall excitement factor: 8 out of 10
Feel-good factor: 8 out of 10
Eye-candy rating: 5 out of 6
Total: 21 (out of 26)
The Stats:Issue: September 2008
Cover Price: $7.20
Book size: 259 pages
Ad/promo pages: 70+ (Remember, the giant catalogue?)
FOB ads: Kahlua, Loreal, Revlon, Covergirl, Clinque....
Back Cover: Wittner
Editor: Justine Cullen
Website:
www.shoptilyoudrop.com.auYours truly,
Girl With a Satchel
Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan poses for the debut edition of Nylon Korea (shot by editor Marvin Scott Jarrett and styled by Anda and Masha). I'd like to call this look 'boganista'...
But most importantly, New York Magazine has put together a handy little reference guide to the 'Stylings of the World's Top Vogue's Editors' (Anna Wintour, Alexandra Shulman, Franca Sozzani and Carine Roitfeld) in reference to T Magazine's 'United Colors of Vogue' feature (an "international Vogue typology"). My unashamedly superficial vote goes to Carine, hands down (check those pegs!). Not that it's a competition.
Yours truly,
