My Fantasy Magazine

What It Is
Vogue is a large (anywhere from 300 to 600 pages)magazine filled with high fashion and the latest trends. It caters to upper-middle class to upper class women, who can afford things like $500 purses, but also has a lot to offer people like me, who have trouble with $50 purses.

History
Vogue started as a society paper in 1892 and has been the leading voice in women's lifestyle and fashion for over a century. It was the first magazine to use extravagant, artsy type photographs. It has featured many of the world's leading photographers. The word "vogue" has become synonymous with high fashion and style.

My Experience
I have been subscribed to Vogue for several years. Before that, I would buy it off the stand occasionally. The truth is, I am a magazine addict. I buy all kinds whenever I can. But Vogue has become my staple and my favorite.

I enjoy Vogue because of its high fashion styles, and the variety of articles it has in it. It has everything from articles of political interest, to stories on prominent women of the world, to features on important health issues. For example, in the March, 2006, issue of Vogue there were articles on fighting cancer, bird flu, plastic surgery, as well as features on Natalie Portman and the wedding of Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese. All of the articles are in-depth and well-written.

The problem is that in order to get to the wonderful articles, the reader has to wade through massive amounts of advertising. I can see why some people find this ridiculous, considering that Vogue is one of the higher priced magazines out there ($4.50 on the stand). It almost seems like the reader is paying to be advertised to.

But for me, even the advertisements are worth looking at. Vogue has a reputation for containing only the highest quality advertisements from designers like Dolce and Gabbana, or even for more moderately priced products like Almay or Olay.

The advertisements provide me with my on-going fantasy in which I can buy the beautiful purses, striking outfits, and of course, the drool-worthy shoes.

My Overall Opinion
Yes, Vogue is high priced, and yes, it has a horde of advertisements in it. But it also has a lot of hardy content that is really worth looking at. Even the ads have some intrinsic value due to the quality of their layout and photography. I highly recommend that anyone with a yen for fashion should buy this magazine.