Cath and I used to gobble up magazines in our teens and early twenties (good fiber and whatnot), but about 3 years ago I noticed a definite decline in my reading of Vogue, InStyle, Elle, et. al. Instead of adding to my stacks-that-became-night-stands of magazines, more likely I’d be glued to a computer screen reading blogs. I thought, why pay for this stuff when there are all these great bloggerinos out there who share their wisdom and know-how for free?
Well, I’ve had a magazine rebirth* — a magazine renaissance, if you will! But this time around I’m not as interested in the hefty, glossy Condé Nast-ers. Instead I’m hoarding their less famous, independent cousins. And it’s not just fashion I want (or get), but magazines about food and travel and booze. I don’t plan to amass stacks of these guys, I just want to curate a neat little library of inky-perfumed goodness that I can delve into whenever I want to learn something new and tantalize my eyeballs.
I still love me my blog reading, but it’s nice to have something that slows you down a bit. On the internets when I read, I tend to be fairly fickle and distracted; clicking around different tabs constantly and scrolling down pages at a mad rate. Sitting down with a magazine and a cup of tea slows my brain down in a way intertube reading can’t.
How about you guys? Do you still read mags or has that gone by the wayside for you too? If you are reading mags, which ones still manage to pull you away from your computer? Or are you all faincy-pants and do all your reading on a mobile device? What does the future hold for us content-gobblers?
* I blame a massive part of my magazine rebirth on two things. 1) I’ve just started working as a designer for an agency that produces lovely magazines: see Hot Rum Cow (also in the pics above). 2) There is a great shop in Edinburgh called Analogue Books that carries a satisfying selection of these tomes — in Atlanta I never knew where to shop for really good independent magazines. If you guys have places in your cities that carry the indies, leave that in the comments as well!
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Dear Cath,
Remember our Seventeen magazine days? Or wait! Further back: American Girl, Girl’s Life — hah! Do you remember those? I forgot that we were magazine addicts before we turned 10. I still remember some of my favorite articles: that girl who illustrated that book about a clumsy ballerina (American Girl mag) and a blurp about Kirsten Dunst (at 11) doing Interview With a Vampire, and I remember thinking “kissing Brad Pitt? Eh.” 10-year old me was not impressed easily.
Do you have time to read anything other than case studies and work memos? If not, I’m going to make sure I hang on to all these guys so you can read them when you next come to visit!
MISS YOU GAHHHH!!!!
xoxoxox,
Lar
I loved Girl’s Life.
I still love gobbling up magazines. It helps me to relax and enjoy my day 🙂
Hah! I’m so chuffed that you read Girl’s Life too, Kaolee. And I agree about the relaxation bit — mag magic.
oh yes i do! and i am jelly that you get Frankie in print! i especially love getting japanese magazines!
♥ laura
the blog of worldly delights
the shop of worldly delights
Ooo yes Japanese mags. I don’t have a source for those here, Laura. I was giddy with excitement when I went to Japantown in San Fran two years ago — bought as many mags as I could fit in my carry-on.
I used to subscribe to a bunch of magazines, but I had to let them go when money got tight. Now I only get one, but sometimes it piles up for months at a time before I get around to reading all the issues. Books and blogs take up my reading time these days!
Lar, I love these photos of you. Somehow they’re so Lar! Maybe magazines just seem like such a natural part of our lives.
Of course I remember American Girl and Girl’s Life – you know those are still around? Sometime I take a peak at them when I’m at Barnes and Nobles.
It’s so funny because I was just thinking about Analogue Books (that’s the one in Grass Market, right?) and wishing there was an equivalent in Atlanta. Remember Joe Muggs?
After reading this post, I realize I need like one whole solid day of magazine reading and tea drinking – preferably with you! We’re already into February and 2013 has worn me out. Only some good sister time will cure me!
xoxo, Cath
Nice write-up, Lauren. I felt a wave of nostalgia about sharing random magazines with my little sister when we were kids. We’d play “You get what appears on the right hand page, I get the left hand page.”
My glamorous grown-up sister bought Vogue. I thought the fashions there were way out and asked, “Who would ever wear THAT?” She replied, “You will, in about four years,” explaining how fashion trickled down from couture to K-Mart. (Funny that since then I have read or heard the same explanation in The Devil wears Prada and in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence.)
In college it was Ms., Esquire, and SPY. And The New Yorker, of course, which was way too dense to be a weekly!
I don’t ever read mags anymore except when I’m getting something done to my hair. I need to look into some of these indies you recommend. You’ve made me miss the experience.
Lar, Yes, I still love to hold my magazines and literally flip the pages. I have so many gadget and never getting a digital copy has crossed my mind being that there’s NOTHING like ink+paper. Looks like some great ones you have. AND, indie anything is alright we me. Hope your weekend has been fab!
I still love love magazines with a passion. But, instead of Cosmo or Vogue, I read Martha Stewart Living and Vogue Knitting. I just broke up with Bust, but was a faithful reader for years! Congrats on the new gig!
I occasionally buy the UK Glamour and occasionally get passed other mags from girls at work. I have a subscription to the Donald Duck (I know, I know! I’m way past the target audience, but I love it, and have loved it ever since I was a little girl). I read my books on a mobile device, but for some reason I haven’t took to reading my mags that way. And given that you can’t use your ereader at the beginning and end of a plane ride, I usually buy a couple of mags at the airport just for that purpose.