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.

Links:
http://www.condenastemediakit.com/gq/index

http://menstyle.com/gq

GQ: Can Men's Fashion and Lifestyle 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.

Fresh Air for Elle

The fashion magazine Elle has long been losing its edge. The magazine has been stuck in third place behind Vogue and In Style for years, but Elle refuses to remain stagnant and predictable any longer. With the magazine’s redesign in September, Elle has proved to its readers that it still has the content for a cover-to-cover read. For the last three months Elle has recreated itself in a subtle, but exciting way.
The initial redesign buzz was caused by the editor's choice to put Lindsey Lohan on the cover. Readers responded hesitantly at the choice to put a relapsing drug addict on the cover of the respectable publication. Despite the executive decision readers were impressed by the magazines bold move to increase the health and fashion features and investigative reporting sections and cut down on the needless yip-yap. The magazine focused mostly on expanding the editorial content to attract readers. Elle has widened the fashion news section and provided readers with insider information. This attracts the intelligent fashion reader, who is not only interested in the clothing, but also the industry.
The redesign also addressed layout and content for the pages. The design team worked to slightly clean up the clutter of the spreads by modernizing and simplifying. In addition, a fresh team of writers and photographers are now delivering the content.
The long-time creative director Gilles Bensimon, 63, is now stepping down from his position and allowing Joe Zee to take his place. Another fresh breath for Elle is the new editorial director, Amy Gross, who was hired from Mirabella to help Elle. These small changes have resulted in a huge applause from its readers.
The new leaders of Elle have helped to redirect and refocus the magazine to keep it on track, modern and much better than before.

The Fashion Magazine and its Place in Society

Woman’s magazines have taken on a life of their own. No longer are magazines something to read in quiet, for they are now proudly centrally placed for all to see. The fashion magazine adorns the home of young woman, and the topics included are eagerly discussed amongst friends. Magazines are becoming the leisure domain for today’s young as a means of exploring new ideas and attitudes. However, is a fashion magazine worthy of this lofty position in today’s society and its classification as a valuable tool in disseminating knowledge? This essay will outline the arguments regarding the validity in society, of fashion and female magazines such as Marie Claire, Vogue and Woman’s Weekly.

Positive aspects of magazines

Magazines are a woman’s best friend, with no interruptions; a reader can choose topics to suit individual interests and provide answers to life’s demanding questions. Such an attitude reflects women’s thoughts towards this form of mass media, thus promoting one of the most popular means of leisure activities. In today’s society, woman would much prefer to indulge in their favorite magazine and read up on the latest gossip, the best way to diet and the hot shopping spots than read a newspaper or a novel. It can be argued that fashion magazines have become one of the fastest growing forms of mass media.

It can be seen that fashion magazines have become integral in today’s dissemination of information. This is demonstrated by the growth of magazine publications. The various magazine types such as cultural, fitness, gardening, leisure health, fashion and life style can be observed in the numerous rows displayed in news agency however there are more than two rows devoted to woman’s fashion magazines. The diversity of one genre thus has the potential to create an imbalanced view on reality.

The potential to create imbalance is reflected in woman who feel their favorite magazine has the ability to reach them in emotional, social and business areas of life, thus creating the belief magazines are helping them to have a better view on life. This belief that magazines can reach inwards and be apart of a person’s decision making may have more sinister effects. Thus it needs to be explored how much power the mass media extends into society and if this power creates negativity.

Negative impacts of magazines

Magazines as acknowledged are a popular form of communication and by being popular, the issue to be considered revolves around the question does this form of dissemination negatively impacts upon its readers. It can be argued that many women by accepting their weekly magazine is serving them with all the answers to life’s problems, they are in fact ignoring various aspects of life thus creating an in balance in decision making.

It must be stated that fashion magazines do present images to the reader such subjects that they associate with: such as international clothing, latest make up methods, issues that absorb their social and sexual life. However, what must be analyzed is the incongruity in the images and words sent out in magazines such as Cleo, Vogue and New Woman.

The negative imbalance inflicted upon magazine readers has arises from three generic configurations. Firstly, the substantial array of advertising which can take up to 60% of each edition has the potential to negatively affect the reader’s view of the real world. Secondly, the fashion magazine industry has created the belief that the images is the life all woman should have, and if you do not have this life style then you are not a suitable member of the female gender. Finally, the propensity of ultra thin models throughout all magazines publications has created a large percent of younger woman readers to develop negative feelings towards their own body size.

In conclusion, the fashion magazine has a role in today’s society. Further more it would seem strange to consider the removal of this form of communication thus it is unlikely to occur. However what is needed is a re think to create balance in future publications to ensure tomorrow’s readers have a more realistic perception of the society in which they live thus removing the negative impacts which are currently in place. Further more the fashion magazine of tomorrow must avoid continuing with a “fairy Tale” world and become a representation of reality.