Scoping Out September Issues: Marie Claire

The issue weighs: 1.4 pounds

Issue thickness: an eminently manageable three-eighths of an inch

Who’s on the cover: A surprisingly attractive Ashley Olsen, sporting an indigo Vuitton gown and heavy eyeliner

Why she’s on the cover:  Because she and her sister are launching yet another clothing line, this one called Elizabeth and James, as well as a second collection from The Row.  Which means people are actually buying pricey clothes designed by Mary-Kate and Ashley, which means their Wal-Mart collections were just a launching pad, which means these two are almost certainly going to take over the world.  Brace yourselves.

Who bought the back cover: Emporio Armani Diamonds, with an ad featuring Beyonce.  We have no idea what this stuff smells like, but this ranks as one of the most uninspired ads ever.

Cover line that made us cringe:

Shocking!  Female suicide bombers

Way to make a serious topic sound like tabloid fluff.

Number of ad pages between the cover and the table of contents: a mere 17

Total number of pages: 284

How many of those pages are ads: 168, almost 60 percent

Subscription cards: Our issue had only one, and it was bound.  No pesky flyaways?  Nice.

Cosmetic samples: 3 scent strips—Ralph Lauren Romance, Donna Karan Cashmere Mist, and Sarah Jessica Parker Covet.  Enough!  Our nostrils are on fire.

Is it portable?  Oh, yeah.  This edition is no larger than the average issue of Vogue or InStyle.  We’re ripping out the fragrance strips, though—this thing reeks enough to attract bees.

Comments

[laylaness]

"Cover line that made us cringe:

Shocking! Female suicide bombers

Way to make a serious topic sound like tabloid fluff."

Based on those four words I was loath to read the piece, but it was actually pretty impressive.

[erin]

Wow... an Olsen twin not looking like an Olson corpse? How refreshing. Fresh hair, pretty dress, and the hint of a smoldering eye. Well played on Ash.

[Stunt_Girl]

I agree with Erin, it's nice to see one of the Olsen twins NOT looking like an absolute train wreck.