Friday, January 21, 2005

The rest of the review of InStyle Weddings Issue

Things I like.
I like the fact the articles finish in order in the magazine. I hate it when you have to go searching around the back of the magazine to find the last one and a half pages of an article.
I like that the articles are well-written and seem to respect the reader. It seems to be a style that says "We understand you are really happy, but we also know you have a lot of decisions to make." Nothing too frothy and lovey-dovey.
As you would expect from a bridal magazine, the photography is excellent and the clothes that are displayed are tasteful. Not necessarily my taste - there's a doozy on page 159 that you would have to pay me the 6,990 bucks it costs just to wear it - but no red latex jumpsuits for you to show off in in front of the vicar. Hey, maybe by the time things roll around to the day, I might be interested in that look. But that wasn't what I looking for when I bought the magazine and that's happily not what is in it.
Being from InStyle, there are some clever stylistic things to do with your hair and the location you choose. Other things too that are perhaps a bit more fashion than just bridal. But I might just being saying that because it's my first one. I guess I'll have to buy another and compare. :)

Things I don't like.
The pages and pages and pages of ads. I'm not surprised, but when I pay $6.50 Cdn for a magazine, I would hope to get a bit more meaty substance than was provided.
I'm sure many brides probably appreciate that there are so many ads for ideas they can see pasted in front of them. But I would appreciate if some of them listed the price of the outfit the model is wearing. You (you being the advertiser) may feel that's a bad idea, listing the price, as people will just flick through, either shocked at the prices or simply looking for the cheapest dress. Well, I have two things to say to this. One, they list the prices of the dresses used in the articles, so I think most women would have an idea of what to expect. Two, either they are going to fall in love with your dress and seeing the price doesn't matter or they are going to shop around anyways. Do all of us future brides a favour, start listing the price discreetly in the corner!!
Okay, if that is really too much to ask - although I feel is shouldn't be - can you at least then put the name or number of the style on the page so we know what to ask for when we go into the shop? That truly is the least you can do, rather than making us go online and find it on your website, which also doesn't have the price. Sigh.
The last thing I didn't like, which relates to the first thing I didn't like, was that there wasn't enough practical information in it. I suppose this is how they sell magazine after magazine, by only telling you a few tidbits at a time. Well, like I said, I'll buy another one in a few weeks and see how they compare...

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