Back in the day, before the emergence of social media influencers, magazines were a must have in every household in the country. The latest fashion trends were largely dictated by the top fashion magazines. Though we now live in the digital world and could easily use our phones to find out about the latest fashion trends, nothing could beat the feeling of flipping the silky soft pages of a magazine. We gathered a list of the top ten fashion magazines that has had a strong influence in the industry throughout the years.
1. Vogue – First published in 1892, it started as a weekly newspaper until it became a woman’s magazine in 1909. After Anna Wintour took over the reigns in 1988, the popularity of Vogue skyrocketed and became arguably the number one fashion magazine with over 11 million subscribers around the globe today.
2. Harper’s Bazaar – This fashion magazine started in 1862 was considered as the first American magazine that targeted the upper middle class. They deliver news about the latest trends, couture and fashion to their subscribers.
3. Cosmopolitan – Cosmo was founded in 1886 and started out as a family magazine. The magazine took a major leap when Helen Gurley was handed the keys in 1965. She took on topics like fashion, sex and relationships – all considered taboo back then.
4. Elle – First published in 1945, this French Magazine solely focused on women’s fashion and things that excites women the most. It is published in over 44 countries and continues to have a strong following throughout the world.
5. W – Founded in 1972, this American magazine covers a lot of topics such as fashion, culture, lifestyle, and celebrity news. W often tackles content that are thought-provoking to engage their subscribers. Since most magazines tend to steer away from NSFW content, W continues to thrive as they almost have no competition when it comes to controversial columns and news.
6. GQ – Undoubtedly the number one men’s magazine in the world, GQ (Gentlemen’s Quarterly) founded in 1931 in New York City. It focuses on fashion and style for men but the magazine also touches topics like movies, fitness, travel, sports and technology.
7. Vanity Fair – The magazine started out it 1913 but it wasn’t until Conde Nast took over the reigns in 1983 when it blew up and became an important part in fashion magazine history. Vanity Fair is a must have for fashion industry experts, bloggers and celebrities around the globe.
8. Glamour – From 1939 until 2019, Glamour was one of the leading fashion print magazines in the world. Another product of Conde Nast Publications, the women’s magazine has since transitioned into online publication. Although they don’t make printed copies anymore, there is a huge following for Glamour.
9. Esquire – The first issue of Esquire magazine came out in 1933. The magazine was a hit even though the world was hounded by multiple crisis such as the Great Depression and World War II. As a men’s magazine, Esquire focuses on things like men’s fashion, health, sports, business and politics.
10. Mademoiselle – In 1935, Mademoiselle became known as a women’s magazine who published short stories from multiple known authors such as Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Perri Klass, plus more. Women across the US loved Mademoiselle as they strongly felt that they could relate to the short stories that were published by the authors. The final issue of the magazine was printed in 2001.
Fashion magazines are part of our culture as people may have collected several issues of their favorite ones throughout the years. With the evolution of the digital world, your magazine collection might go unnoticed and could be sitting in your attic for years. If you have old fashion magazines that you might want to let go for others to enjoy, we are here to help. Please visit our website and we’ll happily negotiate a great deal for your once beloved publications.
