Highlights of the Top Five Fashion Magazines

Highlights of the top five fashion magazines in the industry and why they made the list:

Vogue

The illustrious matriarch of all fashion magazines, Vogue is the Bible for wannabe Carrie Bradshaws and young girls with fashion stars in their eyes. Vogue has earned its prestige in the fashion medium the same way other media Granddaddies Rolling Stone and Newsweek have: by consistently presenting stark slices of modern society in well-written, editorial articles and interviews with the movers and shakers of American and world politics, fashion, media, arts and entertainment.

The keystone for Vogue's fashion prowess is its editorial photography. Instead of sticking models in fall's hottest fur coats against a black background with studio lighting, Vogue takes their models to the dessert with stark blue skies and mountains.

Vogue is unapologetically all about fashion. They may feature a story about the presidential candidates, but 90% of the content is pure fashion: Ten Best Dressed (highlighting the best dressed celebrities of the month), At the Shows (behind the scenes reviews of every fashion show possible), and Accessory File (a photo editorial just to highlight the hottest accessories).

Vanity Fair

Sharing a history almost as prominent as Vogue's, Vanity Fair is another fashion magazine that artfully combines the hottest looks and trends with revealing comments on modern society. Like Vogue, Vanity Fair has an arty emphasis on strong, editorial photography not just in the fashion editorials but also for its interviews and feature stories.

The most recent example is the portrait of Miley Cyrus by the original goddess of photography Annie Leibovitz. Hardly counting as a fashion photo when Miley Cyrus was almost nude, Leibovitz instead stripped the young popster bare and presented a different view to America: a vulnerable child behind the Disney Channel money cow.

Vanity Fair's success, like the fashion industry itself, comes from constantly looking ahead to the next hottest thing. A prime example is the "Vanities" section which features an editorial portrait by top fashion photographers of an actor the editors have chosen as the next big star. The Hot List goes beyond accessories and jackets to include books, music, entertainment and technology.

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar celebrates fashion in every aspect from the most overpriced jewelry and accessories to the fashion weeks in every country. High-end editorial photography showcases all the latest pieces while still keeping things sexy with cutting edge make-up styles and the hottest models in the industry.

The audience for Harper's Bazaar is obviously for those of its own industry. The Shopping Best Buys section regularly features $800 shoes. And, like other popular fashion magazines, the Best Dressed/Worst Dressed list keeps Hollywood accountable for how they leave their homes each day.

Lucky

Lucky may lack the society focus and high-end editorial photography of some of the more prestigious fashion magazines, but this thick little book is pure, unadulterated fashion. Considered the shoppers best friend, the editors at Lucky understand that a large portion of its readership cannot afford high-end labels, so they include pieces from stores like Target and JC Penny as well as the fashion icons. Although Lucky does include an editorial photo story on the top monthly trend, most of the photos are simple cut-outs of the highlighted pieces. By doing this, Lucky magazines features pages and pages of nothing but tops, pants, skirts, dresses, and accessories in the latest colors and styles. It is like shopping at a fine boutique where the attendants parade the hottest new trends in front of you.

The best part? Stickers in Yes, No and Maybe to mark items you like as you explore the magazine. Then take Lucky with you on your shopping trips. You may not afford the labels, but you have a quick guide to find pieces as close as possible to the ones highlighted in the magazine.

Seventeen Magazine

The final spot on the Top 5 Fashion Magazines list goes to Seventeen, intentionally ignoring Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Glamour and other pop giants. These magazines all fall into a category different from the first four. They usually rehash the same articles and trends to sell magazine to a set audience that buys their magazines as habits. So what sets Seventeen apart?

A love for fashion starts early and Seventeen has set itself apart from other teen magazines with its thoughtful fashion picks each month. Understanding its audience does not have the pocketbooks of Paris Hilton and other teen idols, Seventeen gives articles on where to find the best knock-off pieces and how to revamp existing clothing.

Another thing that sets Seventeen apart is its step-by-step articles for different make-up and hair trends. Fashion magazine with older audience may do editorial photo stories on new make-up, cosmetic and hair trends, but rarely do they present detailed, how-to steps. Seventeen Magazine is a great guide for teen girls as they learn to define their own styles, and explore their skills in make-up and hair styling.