Making Magazines Great Again
Every month when my Vogue Magazine comes in the mail, it sits on my desk for weeks on end above the four other copies which came each month before. Try as I might to get my money’s worth out of the subscription paid for by airline miles, I have yet to crack open a single one. I could simply attribute this neglect of the magazine industry to my oh-so-busy schedule, but when I spend an hour on my laptop scrolling through online fashion articles in class, I must confront reality— it’s not me, it’s the magazine.
Over the years, many forms of print media have fallen with the arrival of technological advances. People read the news via iPhone notifications from the New York Times app or in online articles when scrolling on Facebook. Instagram allows fashion companies to attract readers for their online divisions by advertising click-bait articles or new clothing lines. The days of daily print newspapers and glossy magazines have all but disappeared entirely from our technological world. However, with such a shift in the way people view media, we start to see changes in the medium.
Fashion, specifically, is extremely nostalgic. The iconic trends of each decade reflect the fashion culture of their predecessors. Even now, with the comeback of high waisted pants, turtlenecks, and flowy long sleeves, we see a modern twist on the popular styles of the ‘70s. Films like Clueless, American Beauty, and Pulp Fiction make us reminiscent of the quirky ‘90s clothing which many millennials grew up surrounded by.
We buy polaroid cameras, chokers, and even wear scrunchies on occasion— bringing past looks back to pair with newer trends, which will soon define the 2010 decade. Who knows? Maybe in 2027 college students will “bring back” the trends we all abide by today. Will UGGs be an essential piece of every person’s wardrobe in twenty years? A scary thought, but only time will tell.
This historically supported tendency to perpetually glamorize the past— its fashion, its ignorance, its simplicity— testifies to why we continue to produce print forms of communication like magazines and newspapers. It is part of our history— a tradition which fabulously reminds us of simpler times. Keeping up the value of print media in our increasingly technological world is a tribute to fashion and our culture’s history. However, despite the existence of modern magazines, it is undeniable that our reliance on technology affects the industry— and fashion culture as well. With many people shifting to online media, the way we represent ourselves and our fashion choices continues to change.
Recently, technology has become a fashion outlet itself— and I don’t just mean from which color iPhone you buy. On Instagram, a new emphasis has been placed on flow. Now, what you post doesn’t matter nearly as much as how what you last posted flows with your next post— in color, content, and context. Having a color-coordinated Instagram feed has recently even trumped having a color-coordinated outfit. The rise of social media applications coincides with a rise in the importance of “Instagram Beauty.” Not only must your feed look “beautiful,” but you must look as beautiful as possible in the pictures you put on it. Many fashion and cosmetic trends have focused so much on looking good on Instagram or other social media outlets, that they stop looking good in person. For example, the recent trend of perfectly exaggerated contour or highlighter entirely relies on a camera’s flash. Wearing that kind of make-up anywhere but on the walk to a mirror with really good lighting is borderline insanity. Yet for some reason, extremely superficial-looking highlighter and contour have become the latest thing in makeup trends. This trend, and others, results from our exaggerated reliance on technology and its outlets. Without somewhere to post that bedazzled selfie, do we need as much sparkle? Do we need to look Instagram beautiful or can we settle for real, inner beauty?
Although similar questions have plagued the fashion industry for its entirety, the rise of technology and its participation in defining beauty is undeniably relevant. Until we, as a society, can manage the complications which technology poses— in fashion, politics, and our individual lives— I will continue my Vogue Magazine subscription, even if all I will use them for is comfort and the pleasure of reminiscing about a simpler time.