WHILE my girlfriends cleave away on the glossy pages of fashion bibles, I have never been much of a women’s magazine fan. More Jon Stewart, than Anna Wintour, my idea of leisure reading lean more toward periodicals that punch holes in Obama’s latest economic stimulus plan than what the hippest colour should be for my fall wardrobe.
WHILE my girlfriends cleave away on the glossy pages of fashion bibles, I have never been much of a women’s magazine fan. More Jon Stewart, than Anna Wintour, my idea of leisure reading lean more toward periodicals that punch holes in Obama’s latest economic stimulus plan than what the hippest colour should be for my fall wardrobe.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking; and no, I’m not a female chauvinist. I still like my pretty dresses and frivolous shoes, but I tend to place more value on the quality of feature articles than pretty pictures. Combining beauty and brains, Marie Claire has been on the shelves of Malaysian stands for years. Published in all five continents of the world, it caters to fashionistas who are looking for a little more. Please tell me I’m not alone here.
The February issue features a smiling, blond Caucasian cover girl and two large words that captured my attention from the start: Get Happy! Two points: Since this is a localised issue of Marie Claire, why isn’t the cover girl local? It’s not to say that we have a shortage of beauties here, right??
Anyway, editor Mindy Teh quotes Robert Louis Stevenson that it is our duty to be happy, and happiness as a feeling or emotion isn’t enough. Hmm. Good luck convincing half of the rat race population in KL. They’ll tell you happiness is overrated and they’re too busy attending 3-hour work-skiving meetings. Not to say that they need to lighten up a little.
The Happy issue carries the same sections as always – fashion, beauty, health, travel, lifestyle, relationships, food and features reporting (which is my favourite part of the magazine). Of the five feature articles, two were syndicated: the first was on a female United Nations Food Programme pilot based in Afghanistan, while the other was an exclusive interview with Hollywood starlet, Anne Hathaway. Hey, what do you know, Princess Mia is growing up!
The other three local articles weren’t too bad either. The piece entitled ‘Hope Springs’ gives an insight on what three regular Malaysian women are doing in the face of an economic downturn. And boy, are they able to look on the bright side. Maybe I’m wrong in thinking happiness is overrated in our city, after all and I’ve lived here long enough to turn into a cynical old fart.
The fashion and beauty bits are pretty generic i.e. white is the new black, soft pastels and bright yellow and orange are ‘in’ for spring, beauty and hair tips for your next big date. One interesting piece that was nestled within the fashion pages was an opinion column written by an Adrian Wong, who gave an account on his friend Karen’s Valentine’s Day fiascos. His mantra is that VDay is all about dressing up: there’s nothing a nice pair of Manolos can’t heal. Amusing and horrific at the same time, it’s rather Sex and the City-esque from the viewpoint of a metrosexual male.
Flipping on. Further along, there was an interview with four women discussing the top ten most used rejection lines highlighted in the cult relationship book, He’s Just Not That Into You. The number one, most used excuse: Sex is going to ruin the friendship. Well, don’t we all know that? Even though it confirms much of what we already know (but perhaps, refuse to acknowledge), this book has been made into a movie which will hit the big screens soon.
Men. But really, if there weren’t men in the world, there would be so much less to write about. And that’s the topic for another day.
Personally, my second favourite part of the magazine is tied between the food and the travel section. That’s only because it features two items that are pretty close to my wizened, cynical heart: Tea and New York City.
Let’s start with the food section. The Art of Tea feature chronologically traces the history of tea, right back to 300 B.C. when the first reference of tea was made in China, right up to the invention of the tea bag. Zen culture has been all the rage throughout the decade, so why not pick up some tips on brewing the perfect pot?
In line with the tea theme, the next article is a review on Purple Cane’s restaurant, where the food incorporates tea one way or another. Good idea for the next family dinner with mom and dad, that’s for sure.
And now, for the travel feature: A Movie Lover’s Guide to New York City. Interesting approach, basing it off landmark movies from the 80s like Big and Ghostbusters. Nonetheless, I have to speak up for those who grew up in the 90s as well. What about the café Serendipity from the similarly named movie? And Carrie Bradshaw’s favourite cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery?
Well, despite the standard pretty pictures and product snapshots, Marie Claire pulls its readers in with insightful articles. It is by no means the next Vanity Fair, but considering the fact that I paid a Malaysian magazine price for this publication, it really is as good as it gets.