Afficionados and Fair Weather Fans

O.M.G.! I love September.  The weather is perfect for sweater sets, the kids are back in school, and the wind starts to turn crisp and cool so I can break out my hound's tooth fall jacket and switch over to bootie shoes from my sandals (so I can stop getting pedicures).  But, of course, the best thing about September is a Vogue the size of a telephone book.  New York's, not Toledo's.  Unlike other so-called devotees who hunt down a copy as soon as it is available on the stands or who savagely tear the plastic from the tome the minute it arrives in the mail, I wait.  I wait until September to relish and savor each page in the month it's meant to be read.  September.

Similar to other devotees, I do have a September issue ritual.  Mine entails drawing a hot bath, pouring a glass of the good stuff, locking the door behind me and sinking into a steamy world of sexy poses and artful still-lifes.  I will consume the pages with fervor until the water gets cool, step out of the bath, refill the tub with hot water and get back in and continue until the bath is cool again.  Repeat as necessary.

Unlike most fashion mag consumers, I don't just look at the pages to decide whether I like the fashion or not.  I study it like a med student studies an anatomy text.  I analyze each page like a chef tests for flavors in a dish.  I look for answers to the eternal questions: "Why did the designer choose that fabric?"  " Does the jewelry enhance or detract from the outfit?"  Would I put those shoes with that dress?"  "What was the theme of that photo shoot?"  "Should that blouse have been in a soft peach or a delicate cream instead of white?"  and, "Why, why, why is that outfit not in my closet?"

The September issue isn't the only issue of Vogue I buy, of course.  And, of course, I also buy other fashion magazines and I peruse them for ideas and to see which of the new trends jump off the pages and spill out into reality as I people watch.  "Did the drop-earring resurface for day time?  Oh, yes.  Yes it did." I say to myself.  Did I catch that pant leg flaring a bit as a harbinger of the return of the bell bottom? You bet.  The excitement of seeing the public embracing the latest fashion trend and incorporating it into their lives always makes my heart skip a beat.  I like to believe that sometimes I am the first to notice that "ties got wider this summer" or that "cable tights came back for the fall".  And I like to think that my passion for fashion magazines is why.

But life is busy with two kids, a small consulting business, and a running routine.  So for the other magazines and issues of Vogue, I must admit to a more cursory and superficial review - more like an executive summary, hitting just the bullet points and only digging in deeper when something doesn't make sense.  But as for the September issue, I consider myself an aficionado, not just a fair-weather fan.