Nuggets of newness

The latest issue of Harper's Bazaar is a thick slab of a magazine. I got a shoulder ache carrying it home. Amongst several 'advertising promotions' is a candid interview with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winselt by The Holiday director Nancy Meyers, several fashion features analysing trends from the spring 2007 catwalk shows (neofuturism, metallics, short hemlines, the slouch bag, ...) and a hilarious read on red-carpet fashion by actress Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle) who laments that today's stars are all too together fashion-wise and not adventurous enough (like Cher and Diane Keaton were back in the day) thanks to the reign of the stylist. Wilson's writing style is bound to make you chuckle.

I was tickled pink to find a little nugget of newness on one of the 'Insider' pages – a tip-off about retro fashion magazine site paperpursuits.com. This site has major time suckage potential – I could spend hours perusing the vintage magazines on sale, eyeing off the covers and getting giddy over the layouts on display. Which to buy, which to buy? As prices start at around US$30, I'm going to choose very carefully. The titles on offer include Cosmopolitan (check out the bad 80s hair of the 1980-1989 covergirls – too funny!), Glamour & Charm (1950 - 1999), Vogue (1930 - present), Harper's Bazaar (1930 - present), In Style (2000 - present), W (1990 - present) and Mademoiselle (1940 - 1999).

I'm particularly loving the Mademoiselle June 1945 'Mothers and Babies' issue (US$50), covering mother/daughter fashions, bare arms for summer, jobs and futures, 'sun – friend or enemy?', and Harper's Bazaar January 1959 (US$60), covering resort clothes, travel wardrobes, bathing suits and the pleasures of Hawaii. Hilarious reading for a modern girl but great historical insights. Times may have changed but the format's essentially still the same.

To NOT buy one would be a crime for a true glossy magazine lover.

Yours truly,
Girl with a Satchel