The choice in the no choice

Two days ago, I was faced with a decision, certainly not a remarkable decision but a decision none the less. It was five - ish on a busy Saturday evening in the city. My shopping list was concise, a few bits and pieces for school but more importantly: a magazine. For what seemed like the first time, although it surely could not have been, I was faced with the ultimatum, Elle UK or Vogue UK. Elle boasted the lovely, quirky - cool, without being too annoyingly 'hip', girl of the mo' absolutely Alexa Chung. I was enticed certainly. Vogue, on the other hand had the utterly passe Kate Moss. Kate Moss in someways is certainly not utterly passe, she can still pull out a good outfit from time to time(nothing as good though as her looks of yore, just look at the previous post) but as a cover girl in 2008? Yawn! To add to that the cover, was not even interesting. Kate Moss, her same - old, same - old expression - teeth - bearing pout -, an aqua green background. I was hardly enamoured. Somehow I ended up buying the Vogue anyway despite knowing that it wasn't going to be much good and I was right but just because out of routine I always do.


Most British blogs agree that Vogue UK isn't up to much. I have felt in the past, that was slightly unfair, Vogue has after all given me plenty of pretty editorials - that Sophie Dahl as Debbie Harry shoot I am obsessed with, that stunning haute couture shoot last winter shot by Corinne Day(left), Gemma Ward styled by Camille Bidault-Waddington in theatre surroundings , Karen Elson dolled up in couture, quite literally with china doll makeup, last issue's English country - chic affair - but while they have been beautiful and memorable, many have just failed to ignite any excitement in me. Just bland. Pictures you would flick past in a minute. Vogue UK likes things of a nonthreatening nature - established figures - that would be Moss, pretty but not exactly fascinating models - Lily Donaldson please stand up ( is it just me or is she in almost every edition, boring the nation?) and safe depictions of the season's trends. British Vogue also likes a bit of grandeur this means dark, 'sultry', luxe shoots with beads, gold and satin which actually translates into a tedious editorial surely only appealing to women well into the prime of life. Vogue still considers Kate to be at the edge of fashion and although, they took a step in the right direction featuring Karen Elson as its cover star prior to Kate(right), Vogue UK is not keeping up with the younguns.

Next week, I will buy Elle and will I be enamoured thus? Um...probably not. Unfortunately, Elle has had to deal with my criticism far longer then Vogue has had to do so. Whereas Vogue is never considered an entire waste of money, the articles are long and elegantly written, although sometimes a little twee with stories of rich beyond words elderly women, it generally is a good read if you want something almost old - world. Elle on the other hand is absolute hit and miss. Sometimes it can turn up the goods and deliver an issue of excellence and other times, well it misses the mark all together, rendering me bored after twenty minutes. The last edition of Elle featuring Mary Kate Olsen was a good one although did anyone else find Mary Kate's interview as about as exciting as watching the kettle to boil. The accompanying shots(left) were too clean lined, too simple for me and honestly, as someone pointed out to me recently why do they(The Olsens) act as though they are 'queens of cool' when a lot of what they do, admittedly more Ashley then MK, is a run a merchandise empire for tweenies? That's a whole other story though because in fairness, I do value their exciting contribution to the celeb fashion world immensely. Perhaps this will be a reasonably good one too, anyone like to shed light on the issue?

However, the crux of the situation is this, I can rant all I want about Britain's rival fashion magazines but I'll just have to make do because that's all that is on offer here. I live outside a small city where Vogue and Elle is about as fashionable as it gets. My recent attempt to get POP recently turned out to be a disaster, running, rain, sold out. I was nothing short of fuming as I had been given the heads up that is was on sale in said shop but as things turn out they must have only been selling about three copies. So what's the conclusion you may say, I'm not sure there is one, this is just an good old - fashioned rant although come to think of it, it might be MOVE!