Ypulse Monthly Teen Mag Roundup
Posted by casey on 02-04-2009
In a nod to the current economy, Teen Vogue struck a very stylish balance between inspirational and accessible fashion: Alexander Wang with Express, Comme des Garçons with American Eagle Outfitters, and Armani with The Limited. Even cover girl Taylor Swift, who designs a line for LEI but opts for Marchesa or Badgley Mischka on the red carpet, wore a luxe Louis Vuitton top with $40 jeans. Elsewhere, the magazine suggests hosting a clothing swap party, hitting up JCPenney for Charlotte Ronson's new label, and updating your spring wardrobe with classic Keds.
Sloane Crosley, the brilliant book editor-turned-author of I Was Told There'd Be Cake, wrote an essay about friendships parents frown upon. Every girl finds herself in such a situation at one point or another, and Crosley makes the angsty situation relatable and humorous. While the writer's worrisome pal is now an Ivy League grad who works with AIDS orphans, the troubled friend of my life is still flipping pizzas. Seriously.
The longest feature is about a topic especially close to my heart: teen fashion bloggers. While there are a handful of high school girls highlighted in the article, Jane of Sea of Shoes seems to be the leader of the pack, as far as both style and popularity go. Jane is a 16 year-old from a small Texas town who collects Prada and Marni the way most girls collect, say, band Ts. The girls are all as intelligent as they are stylish, and it really makes an interest in fashion seem less Lauren Conrad and more Cathy Horyn.
In real life, Seventeen cover girl Leighton Meester sounds more Nelly Yuki than Blair Waldorf. She grew up in Texas, was a straight-A student, and values her family and close circle of friends. Leighton discusses her rarely-publicized romance at great length, and her attitude regarding love and relationships seems refreshingly opposite of her alter-ego's: drama-free.
Seventeen rounds up stylish spring attire that won't break the bank, and also includes some smart tips for updating your existing wardrobe. On the beauty front, they use the same strategy to show readers how to make the most of the products already found in their makeup bags. Seventeen's exclusive fashion and beauty coupons are not just a fun idea – they're also a great way to teach girls that coupons aren't just for grandmas buying gallon of milk at the supermarket.
The cover touts "the best guy advice ever," but keep in mind that these little nuggets of love are delivered by lotharios Brody Jenner and [Leighton's "Gossip Girl" costar] Ed Westwick. The editors also include flirting tricks for the "hottest spring break ever" (their words, not mine), as well as easy exercises for a correspondingly hot SB body. And on that note, Seventeen.com has a very good fitness blog and its own fitness videos; in fact, I've been doing the site's yoga workout for the past few days in preparation for my own spring break.
Overall, March is a good month for print teen magazines (the ones that are left, that is). Teen Vogue and Seventeen give readers a lot of spring fashion, a little economy pep talk, and their usual dose of big sister-like advice.
Categorized under: Fashion, Magazines