Vogue's September Issue and Economic Status

In the fashion world, Vogue's September issue is the biggest magazine of the year - literally. The September issues of all fashion and beauty magazines are typically their largest issues in a given year, due in part to their coverage of cold-weather fashion, back-to-school features and early hints at the holidays. These issues boast up to hundreds more advertising pages than issues of the same magazines covering other months of the year. Vogue's September issue leads the pack, typically featuring the most advertising pages of any magazine.

When you think of fashion magazines, it conjures an image of encyclopedia-thick volumes filled with photo shoots, runway recaps, style mockups and glossy advertisements. This conjured image is exactly what a September issue of Vogue looks like. Under editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Vogue's September issue has become the gold standard by which all other fashion magazines are measured. This has attracted additional attention to the annual issue, making it something of a phenomenon. Women who typically don't buy Vogue will still purchase the September issue, and these issues are favorites among collectors.

The Vogue September issue is such a source of interest that it was the subject of a feature-length documentary - aptly titled The September Issue. This documentary focused on the work involved with creating the benchmark tastemaking publication, from securing advertisers to deciding which trends to feature. The September Issue followed Vogue through the creation of its September 2007 issue, its biggest ever. The magazine tipped the scales at over 4 and a half pounds, according to The Wall Street Journal. From cover to cover, Vogue's September issue for 2007 was comprised of 840 pages. 727 of those pages were ads. Due to its record largesse as well as its connection to the critically-acclaimed documentary, copies of this particular issue regularly fetch up to $120 each on eBay.

Unfortunately, through the recession that officially began in late 2007, the years that followed were not so good to the magazine industry. Tighter consumer budgets led to smaller advertising budgets, and the magazines significantly slimmed down. As seen in a diagram featured on The Wrap, 2009's September issues were positively skimpy by comparison - losing 1/3 of their total weight in the transition from 2008 to 2009 alone. Vogue's September 2009 issue came in at 447 ad pages out of 584 total pages, a loss of 280 advertising pages from 2007.

Economists often look at the fashion and beauty world to determine the state of the economy. In addition to monitoring the number of advertising pages included with magazine issues, they also study what people are buying. One example of this is the so-called "lipstick effect." The lipstick effect is a phenomenon which occurs during recessions and large-scale crises; the term was originally coined to describe the cosmetic industry's enormous growth in the midst of the Great Depression. In an economic downturn, people naturally tighten their budgets. Women aren't spending on pricey luxury goods, but turn to splurging on smaller "pick-me-up" items such as lipstick. They may not be able to rationalize large luxury purchases like the latest designer bag, but can still feel fashionable and fresh with a smaller-scale purchase.

If fashion magazines are a true indicator of the economic climate, it appears that we're on our way back up. The Cut, a fashion blog attached to New York Magazine, reports that magazines are back on the rise. As expected, Vogue's September issue stands to be the biggest. The September 2010 issue will reportedly include 532 ad pages, up 25% from 2009. At its current rate of growth, Vogue's September issue would break its own size and ad page record in just two more years.

Sources:

Kayleen Shaeffer. "Lipstick May Be an Economic Indicator." New York Times.

Dylan Stableford & Amy Kaufman. "The Wrap's Fall Fashion Magazine Weigh-In." The Wrap.

Emily Steel. "Thick Fashion Magazines Are So Last Year." The Wall Street Journal.

"Vogue's September Issue Will Be the Fattest." The Cut.