Countdown of the Top 5 Fashion Magazines

When I worked in merchandising, there were many magazines I was responsible for placing in various areas throughout a store. I could judge the popularity of each magazine by how many the companies would ship to the store for display. Some publishers would send so many that I was forced to make room for these magazines. As a matter of fact, we were told to find space for these publications even though it was tempting to send a crate or two back. Sure enough, before the week was out, these particular magazines would be running low. Everybody knows the magazine industry can be very lucrative if a company attracts enough readers. This means developing a target audience, marketing to them, and coming up with strategies to keep the regular subscribers. The company must also come up with incentives to bring on new subscribers. Most companies are aware of what is required to attract and keep subscribers month after month, but what makes the top 5 fashion magazines the top five? Here's my countdown of fashion magazines I think belong on top.

5. Redbook. This magazine talks about everything from relationships to food, love, beauty, fashion, career, and parenting. If you need a delicious recipe you are sure to find one in Redbook. Their website is also full of information for anyone-subscriber or not. For subscription information, visit www.redbookmag.com.

4. Marie Claire is a publication primarily for women. Its information covers careers, fashion, health issues, beauty, and relationships. Their website has a nifty, little virtual model you can customize to fit the shape of your body and try on items from retailers like Sears and Lands End. There's also a virtual hair salon you can use to see how you would look with different hairstyles. All one has to do is either upload a personal photo or use the models provided by the website. Visit www.marieclaire.com to try out these handy tools or simply read a few articles.

3. InStyle's big, bold letters always drew my attention to the top shelf. This thick magazine covers the latest fashion trends and what's hot in shopping. InStyle also includes other topics from skincare to hairstyles and jewelry. Want to know what your favorite celebrity is up to? InStyle gives you the dish on what they're wearing and who they are dating. If you are interested in subscribing you can visit www.instyle.com/instyle/. The site also lets you see what's in the current or upcoming issue.

2. Cosmopolitan always has a beautiful model or actress on the front of their shiny, attractive cover. They offer weekly tips on many subjects and are big on relationship advice and quizzes. The relationship and personality quizzes are always my favorite. One quiz claimed to be able to predict my personality by the shape and condition of my fingernails. Click on www.cosmopolitan.com/ for articles on a wide range of topics that apply to everyday life.

1. Like Cosmo, Vogue always has an attractive person modeling on its attractive, eye catching cover. Yes, this one has celebrity features, too. Vogue magazines cover sports, cars, fashion, food, wine, and even travel. I like Vogue because it also publishes Vogue Men and Teen Vogue. These other two publications of Vogue have their own website, too. They are www.mensvogue.com/magazine, (where men can read about fashion and sports) and www.teenvogue.com, (where teens can find teen-celebrity gossip and fashion guides, as well). Anybody can visit these websites for fun article reads like, trend and fashion updates or visit the forum to talk about anything that comes to mind.

As you can see, the top magazines share a lot in common. They have a wide range of topics for women as well as men. The other commonalities amongst these magazines seem to be not only celebrity gossip and fashion trends, but tips on how to have happy relationships. So, visit the websites and see what you think about these top five.