Fashion

September Issue Season Is Upon Us

by Shorey Andrews

It's that time of the year again: when fashion mavens everywhere stop what they're doing and run out to their nearest newsstand to scoop up every September issue they get can their stylish little fingers on. In fact, this may be the only time of the year that digital sales of magazines fall flat, because nothing feels better than the extra weight of a real magazine in your hands like that of the September issues. They are often referred to as the Fashion Bible for the fall season. Every word, photo, and references within the glossy pages feels like it's dispersing some sort of knowledge that will soon make our lives complete.

The reality is that we now live in the digital age, where every click of the mouse brings about countless scrolls of fun GIFs and witty repartee all of which comes at us with the speed of light. Switching over from your tablet, phone or laptop to actually drag your butt to a store to pick up psychical copies of magazines somehow seems foreign — but it's essential. It doesn't matter which model is on the cover or what stories the coverlines tease. You need to know EVERYTHING otherwise you feel so left out of the loop, you may as well go into hiding until next year. Maybe that was too dramatic?

There are so many reasons to still get excited for the September issues, even as everyone insists that print media is dead. They're the glue that keeps these issues alive and glorified and I for one am just as much of a sucker as you are. Here, in no particular order, the 5 reasons to still be stoked when September rolls around.

1. THE BUILD UP

As summer begins to come to a close the buzz surrounding the September issues become paramount. Now that we have social media, the sneak peeks are easier to follow and share with everyone you know, but that only seems to heighten the fact that just around the corner awaits something great... a physical magazine.

2. ITS ABILITY TO DICTATE EVERYTHING FASHIONABLE FOR FALL

What would we do without a September issue telling us what is hot for fall? Would all fashion be lost and completely off the grid if one magazine did not tell us that a chunky scarf is in and your silk one is out? So many of us hold our September issues up high and praise the gods of fashion for letting us in on fall's best kept secrets. It serves as a bible for the dos and don't for cold weather style.

3. THEY MAKE GREAT HOME DECOR ITEMS

These magazines no doubt have beautiful covers. They feature the best of the best in models and actress's for that time and that means mega eye candy. So it should come as no surprise that these issues double as lovely coffee table books. I can remember picking up last years Vogue with Jennifer Lawrence on the cover and it sat preciously on my coffee table for a solid week before I turned the pages, and remained for several months after I finished it. Even if you don't actually get your fashion advice from print magazines, it sure looks fancy on your table.

4. MEGA INSTAGRAMMING POTENTIAL

Allow me to point out the obvious by saying that holding in your hands ANY September issue of a magazine provides some serious Instagramming potential. It could be a quick snap of the cover, your collection of all the magazine issues for that month, a photo of you in deep thought reading the magazine, or of course the always impressive #voguestagram made famous last year. Let the stylish Likes roll in.

5. THE MESSAGE IT CONVEYS TO OTHERS

Some where along the line the September issues began to be looked at as the previously mentioned fashion bibles. What that actually means to others when you walk down the street holding one (particularly Vogue) is that you are "in the know". Maybe you work in fashion, or you blog, or you are just super trendy. It sounds ridiculous even as I type it, but it does provide this elusive feeling of power. Look at me! I'm cultured and well dressed.

Images: instylemagzine/Instagram, Giphy, bryanboycom/Instagram, voguemagazine/Instagram