GQ: Can Men's Fashion Magazines Be Macho?

Say the phrase “fashion magazine,” and most people conjure up the images of glamorous spreads in Vogue, Glamour, and Elle. Fashion is largely a female-dominated interest, despite the fact that both men and women participate in all aspects of fashion, from the designing of clothes, to the publishing of magazines.

I started pondering the idea of gender and fashion magazines a few weeks ago when looking through some magazines with a male friend. We both picked up a bulky copy of GQ (Gentleman’s Quarterly), and were stunned at the size of the magazine.

Turns out, this copy was one of the many issues celebrating GQ’s 50th Anniversary. As the “authority on men,” GQ’s mission is to “provide definitive coverage of men’s lifestyle and culture.” The magazine covers a broad range of topics, including fashion, travel, entertainment, sports, food, technology, and relationships. Sounds like a fairly intelligent magazine, right? On paper, it seems like GQ offers more than just photographs of sexy men in fashionable dress shirts and stylish loafers. And unlike “lad mags,” (think Maxim and FHM), GQ isn’t using nude photos of attractive females to make a buck.

Despite this, my friend said he probably wouldn’t read GQ. My friend is a fairly progressive thinking guy, but I think he may be reluctant to pick it up because the magazine is written for the well-groomed middle class man. While woman’s magazines are arguably similar, it’s more likely that a larger percentage of women wouldn’t be uncomfortable picking up a copy of Vogue or Nylon. Women are encouraged to follow fashion trends, while fashion and grooming for the typical “straight” man is often a touchy subject. I decided that I would to take this opportunity to take a peek at what some men have been reading for the last 50 years.

I took a look at the November 2007 issue. The cover featured actor Ryan Gosling and the coverlines boasted “How to Improve Your Home Without Becoming a Design Snob,” “Your Career To-Do List,” “Spend Less to Look Your Best,” and “London ‘007.” Below the logo are the words, “Look Sharp, Live Smart.” Cover model Gosling looked very pulled together in his three-piece Ralph Lauren Purple Label Suit. From this cover alone, most would assume that GQ targets the well-to-do professional man. The media kit proves some of this correct, with 33 as the average reader age, and 53 percent of readers working in a professional field. Without knowing these stats, a newsstand buyer could probably guess that this is the case.

As I flipped through the magazine, I noticed how similar GQ is to other fashion/lifestyle publications. There are eight regular departments, which include a letter from the editor, “The Reaction,” which features letters from readers, “50 Years at GQ,” an award- winning column from previous issues that is printed in honor of the magazine’s 50th anniversary, “The Manual,” a 54-page lifestyle guide that included a section on the best art destinations, “The Verge,” an entertainment guide, and an open letter at the end of the issue. The features in this month’s issue included an article on office “lingo,” a piece on inexpensive home design, and an article on refugees in Iraq. And let’s not forget fashion. The fashion section featured a piece on “The Best Watches Under $500,” “The New Rio,” a photo story featuring stylish basics that could be worn on a tropical vacation, and the “Ten Ways to Wear a Tweed Jacket.” The articles and features are well written, and in some cases, requires that the reader has some knowledge of current events. Because several of the articles focus on professional business life, menswear trends, and fancy vacations, the content might seem a bit elitist to the average male reader. The emphasis on expensive fashion could also alienate prospective readers. Most men may not feel like they could measure up to the standards that are presented to them in GQ.


Interestingly, Charlie Porter commented on the boundaries between masculinity and fashion in his piece for the Autumn/Winter GQ Style issue, “ We’re not saying that this macho mood means that fashion will suddenly break down that barrier between what we’d like men to wear and what is put on each morning by the mass male population, because of tedious masculine hang-ups, the relationship between men and menswear is still cloak and dagger.” Porter’s piece discussed the new “macho” trends in men’s fashion. Unfortunately, he is aware that style and “manliness” do not often go together. Maybe GQ perpetuates gender stereotypes in the same way as women’s magazines. It’s probably safe to say that both women and men are being presented expectations and images that will continue to discourage, amaze, and enlighten the population of today’s magazine readers.

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