Are 'Men's' magazines doing the 'rest of us' any favors?

What I mean is this:

Let's say you don't frequent forums like this one to keep abreast of fashion. You rely on magazines [GQ, .. Esquire, Men's Journal] at the newstand to do so.

Wouldn't you actually be discouraged?

I would be. I would have thoughts like: nice clothing is too much $/can't purchase that kind of stuff here in Nakinac Michigan/can't travel to that chemisier in Paris/those pants are too short but the author is saying it's correct/.

And where are the information articles extolling fit, fit, fit? There are none. But, my friend, buy this double signed Brook Brothers.Comme de garcon.Akubo Nakamura plaza shirt for $800. and you will be at the cutting edge. Sorry, no half collar sizes.

You can buy a woodworking magazine that shows how to woodwork correctly. How come you can't buy a fashion magazine to tells you how to dress correctly?

Discuss.

-Moose

I used to think that way, until I learned the point of the clothing is to display style trends. So if you were to see a $4000 ensemble in GQ or Details I bet you could put together something similar for $800.

Personally, that's what I take from the magazines.

In terms of fit, the magazines regularly showcase articles discussing how to purchase the right fitting suit and so on. But alot of that information, I feel, is rudimentary because once you know it you know it. And alot of the fit issues are so basic that people who wear illfitting suits or shirts or trousers are just lazy or have bad taste so would not get much from getting recommendations in a magazine.

PS - you really expect to see a magazine that solely/primarily discusses how to wear certain things right? It wouldn't last very long. There are quite a few books that actually discuss it (much better for referencing purposes)... actually that is quite a fine idea for a monthly newsletter (SF gods, care to run with this?)

I hardly ever see anything in a men's magazine that I would want to wear. most of the crap they show is a great deal more fashion oriented than anything I would be interested in.

If you really want to learn something new, start reading (or looking at) Japanese magazines like Mens Ex, Leon, etc. They are far superior to the magazines put out in the U.S. and they are catered to fanatics.

Originally Posted by Mustapha

Click to expand...

How come you can't buy a fashion magazine to tells you how to dress correctly?



I don't want a magazine to tell me "how to dress correctly".

I actually like the way they do things currently, with sometimes absurd outfits that are oftentimes overdone, but contain elements here and there that someone could incorporate into their own style and make look good. It's like those who criticize runway shows as being "unwearable", somehow not realizing that the runway shows an aesthetic and isnt some guide to be worn head to toe that way.

For leisure, no problem. Those kind of magazines show us what's hot in the next season, what's the future fads etc. Normally those trend-setter clothings only look good on models, and many of the new fads are too ambitious and forward. No harm to go along the fads just that you know what's best for you. For me the timeless elegant style is the way to go.

So while we are on the topic, what good books are there , say to educate the ignorant folks (like me) on the finer points of the art of dressing well ?

Erm, i meant books not as in fashion magazines but the well written ones on specific topics. (just thought I'd clarify)

Magazines are here to broaden our sartorial horizons,to give you a direct look to the products on display around the world...
Take for example ,John Lobb ,Gaziano&Girling ,JM WESTON ,Charvet,Kiton,Brioni Berluti and many others are not brands you will cross easily and sometimes a magazine can give you an introduction to these upmarket products..
After everything is just a question of using these information to create your own style without be mothballed by some product placing strategies..
Do not forget that you style is evolving with your age ,life experiences ,etc...
If you do believe without questioning a newspaper editorial line ,you are prone to manipulation ...The same rule applies to fashion magazine than to television or newspapers..

Reading a good article ,editorials written by fashion experts giving sometimes good sartorial advice is a good tool you can use to better your personal style...

Originally Posted by Get Smart

Click to expand...

I don't want a magazine to tell me "how to dress correctly".

I actually like the way they do things currently, with sometimes absurd outfits that are oftentimes overdone, but contain elements here and there that someone could incorporate into their own style and make look good. It's like those who criticize runway shows as being "unwearable", somehow not realizing that the runway shows an aesthetic and isnt some guide to be worn head to toe that way.



Bingo!

Originally Posted by Get Smart

Click to expand...

I don't want a magazine to tell me "how to dress correctly".

I actually like the way they do things currently, with sometimes absurd outfits that are oftentimes overdone, but contain elements here and there that someone could incorporate into their own style and make look good. It's like those who criticize runway shows as being "unwearable", somehow not realizing that the runway shows an aesthetic and isnt some guide to be worn head to toe that way.

EXACTLY!

Originally Posted by G79

Click to expand...

So while we are on the topic, what good books are there , say to educate the ignorant folks (like me) on the finer points of the art of dressing well ?

Look at the right hand corner of this site. There is a link to the styleforum amazon store, which contains the books that SF members have found to be recommendable.

If you want it to focus exclusively on shopping and displays of various looks at different price points with no/few articles just read Japanese magazines, I'd look at Men's Non-No to get an idea of the layout/goal of those mags as it is more widely available, just concentrate on the form and forget the content (it is definitely not about suits and ties; very youth and fashion oriented).

thanks ccfm1. btw i was refering to the technical aspects, just curious to learn more. Sure beats readin bout drugs and bugs all day long !

So like, didn't you guys know this about fashion? Let me be the one to break the news to you then: fashion changes every 3 months. That means people will want to buy new **** every 3 months to accomodate to fashion. Ergo: fashion designers make money.

Now, how do you accomplish people buying new stuff every 3 months? Oh, I know! You put an ad in a magazine. Hell, why not devote an entire magazine with that stuff AND ads?! Fashion magazines are PAID by the designers.



There's nothing wrong with that to me though - people have to make money. It's not like the fashion designers are the only ones to blame here - ads are there to make you think you need stupid ****, whether that's a new tv, car or jacket. And apparently it works, and I can only applaud those who understand this and take advantage of it.


That said, I like fashion mags. They have an occasional interesting or funny article. Besides, great brands didn't become great just by marketing - surely there is some quality involved in their products too. And because I sometimes have more money than time, I can safely buy a designer item with the guarantee that it won't fall apart after 2 days wear rather than spending 3 weeks finding that 1 cool item.

But I don't expect them to teach me how to buy a suit. There are loads of books for that.