STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I canceled my subscription over a year ago, and I dont miss it at all.

Every couple months I pick it up with great hope, and then I finish reading it in 30 minutes and feel completely unsatisfied. I'm sure I'll continue to pick it up now and then and keep being disappointed... I can't seem to stop!

ITA ttara.  I have vowed to stop reading it a year + ago but then sometimes at the magazine stand I get enticed by the headlines or features.  It then takes me 32 minutes to read from cover to end, not even lasting me throughout my entire commute.  The mag is filled with 1 style "quirky rich boho punk" I would describe it.  The beauty section is written by a woman who hates makeup... I am tired of reading features on $100 candles in the beauty spot.  Also, if I recall correctly, whoever is on the cover barely gets an article about them, its more like a spotlight on items they "love".  It has become a glorified advertisement. 

ARGH NO MORE!

Although I can't bring myself to cancel my subscription, I find that Lucky has been sucking for months now. They didn't have it in this issue, but I mean, that spread where they bring out a rack of clothes on the street and have random women put together outfits... ugliness after ugliness. Who could possibly put together a remotely cute outfit with the gross stuff they present these women - shapeless tents, gray tapered crotch-hanging jeans? And the so-called "Foolproof Outfits"? I have not seen ONE cute "foolproof" outfit since they started doing that feature. And I'm sorry, but the "cute" outfits of the day from Lucky staffers are like "huh???" But at least this month for the first time EVER, Andrea Linett's outfit was actually cute.

I believe that even the best magazines deserve a month off (or an "off month," if you will) or two.  But we all know, as demonstrated here, that there have been more than just a few less-than-stellar issues in the past few years. 

When a magazine is on a 10-month subscription, you usually get the combined December/January and June/July issues.  I feel like Lucky is still putting out the two extra issues that would actually be half-issues were they on another subscripiton schedule.  Maybe it's too much for them to do 12 decent issues; perhaps they should try the 10-month option for a year or two and publish 10 better issues a year.

Another thing is, all these editors that are featured in the magazine are just not compelling to me.  I know many people like to see "real women" in magazines, but models work to make clothes look as best as they can look.  It might be more satisfying to keep up the fantasy and have the "What I Want Now" section feature professional models.

I was going to write about a particular section in which the writing just sends me up the wall, but I can't remember what the section is called or who writes it.  I guess senior beauty editor?  It's way too cutsie and frenzied.

Well, I don't want to gang-up on Lucky- -even though many improvements do need to be made.  Perhaps someday.

I haven't read this in a couple of months, but in Lucky's defense, I always end up finding a few things I like.  I use it as a catalog mostly and know some of the editors personally.  I had a subscription that I bought super cheap on Ebay as well, and have used their coupon codes and city guides before.  So to me it is worth it.

I think the problem with Lucky is it is catering to a very specific aesthetic, but because it really is the only shopping magazine, it doesn't appeal to the majority of women.  Most of the editors are kind of eclectic New York hipsters who think they are writing the bible on what's cool.  I don't think they see it as a catalog that needs items in every price range and some styles that are more mainstream, flattering, and/or "understandable".  But I've found them all to be MUCH more personable and down to earth than editors at other magazines.  Vogue editors- forget about it.