CondePosting

a perusal of early mags

I wasted a solid four hours the other night looking at the past covers of various women’s and fashion magazines, and ruminating on the idea that there was a time when women who aren’t full-time homemakers have different, specialized interests. It was educational! I present my findings.

Charm: The Magazine For Women Who Work

Gifts for lunch-hour shoppers. A woman who doesn’t have all day to shop: novel! But is this gifts that are perfect to give to people who only have an hour to shop, or gifts that you can buy during your one hour to shop?

Also, does anyone these days work in an office where its feasible to leave your desk for an entire hour and shop?

MEN IN YOUR LIFE.

Nurses, Teachers, Office Workers (I assume this means secretaries and switchboard operators?), Saleswomen, Executives…the four kinds of Jobs! Why they would need special fashion I understand, but the beauty? Hmm.

Hey, it wouldn’t be a magazine cover without a diet lunch!

Alas and alack, Charm folded. I couldn’t plot the exact timeline, but I’m pretty sure the demise of Charm is what led to Glamour going from “what to wear to be pretty”…

To a magazine for, you guessed it, the girl with a job! I actually approve of this whole cover. Affordable clothes for all sizes and the semi-annual career issue. Plus an excellent hat.

College and fall shopping. Women can have it all.

If my editor at Glamour is reading this, please don’t fire me, I am toasting, not roasting, the company’s past.

See this is where I don’t quite know the timeline, because Charm published into the 50s, and Glamour was for job girls by the 40s…

But I guess around 1959, Glamour incorporated Charm? I could look it up, but I won’t.

20 Questions Women Won’t Ask Their Doctors, Diet With An Added Splurge and Who Controls Your Future? are all articles I NEED to read.

And finally, some photos from the Condé archives of models with cats, because you deserve it.

With a job,

Lizzie

PS- did you read my Robby Hoffman profile? You should!

PPS- did you buy my friend Eli’s book for someone for Christmas? You should! And/or my friend Taylor’s book!