Simply Stated

When standing in line at the grocery store or at any major superstore, we are constantly bombarded with huge headlines carefully worded and scripted on the covers of many glossy magazines. These headlines promise to speak about gossip filled stories, new fashion trends, how to lose 10 pounds without doing anything, how to shop on a dime, and many other eye catching and questionable, yet intriguing stories. But then there is always a rebel in every group. Harper’s Bazaar® always stands alone, as its cover is continually uncluttered, just an incredibly artistic fashion photo of the cover girl. Rarely is there more than ten words in a small accompany paragraph on the cover, words that never interfere with the artistic dramatics of the cover photo. The cover always appears to be extra glossy, once again, another defining characteristic in its uniqueness on the tabloid and magazines shelves. I have always loved fashion magazines and don’t discriminate against cluttered covers, but I truly do appreciate the minimalism of Harper’s Bazaar®. What they have done, in my opinion is let the fashion speak for itself. The cover girl, needs no accompanying clever words to sell a product, the photo does that on its own. Many of us already have stressful busy lives with lots of “clutter”, we turn to magazines to relax and indulge in the fashion pages. We don’t need any more of this “clutter” in our lives; we need the fashion handed to us straightforward, with no baggage, just a fashion edge. To me the simplicity that is a Harper’s Bazaar cover, is what fashion is all about, telling you a story without, ever having to open your mouth.

First Issue of Harper's Bazaar (1867):



Modern Day Cover of Harper's Bazaar: