To feel like there is not one decent women's magazine on the market

[tinierclanger]

They all churn out the same tired old stuff slightly rehashed every now and again, there's no proper journalism, hardly any proper reviews, no insight into anything. They're all so boring!

I used to read Good Housekeeping, but after a year, I realised that the same old crap is rehashed for each "season". I particularly loathe the Christmas edidtions of all magazines, banging on about the importance of getting your table decorated properly/proper gift bows on your presents, if you don't want to ruin Christmas. (I'm just happy if we get through it without any major family fall outs)

I used to get Marie Claire. Cancelled the subscription about 2 years ago because it had got so dreadful. Used to get Eve. Was gutted when it folded. Now have subscriptions to She and Red, but they aren't great.

dh gets Time and Private Eye.

Between us I think most stuff is covered, but I don't always have time to read them.

Another one missing Eve and regretting the demise of intelligent articles from the glossies.

I always looked forward to picking up 3 or 4
in August ready for my summer hols, but this year I kept the money in my pocket as none of the current mags have anything to say to me.

I do buy Heat most weeks but mainly for my teenage daughters.

I cancelled my subscription to Glamour and switched to Easy Living. Find it a bit smug and dull though.

Still get Marie Claire but thinking about stopping.

You only need to buy two a year and you get the whole year's content.

They are all pants.

Agree re Dec issue Xmas party fashion articles...who are these people with hundreds of Christmas parties to go to? they always, always have a feature on "day to night" looks - what is that about?

And they massively over-use the very annoying expression "luxe" (the "de" seems to have gone permanently missing) as in treat yourself to this luxe handbag, go to this luxe spa, bleurgh.

i just buy a newspaper or a book if I want something to read :)

If you want proper journalism, reviews and insight, you'd be best sticking to a newspaper.

Haven't women's mags always been full of pappy light entertainment stuff?

i love The Week. not a women's mag per se but so interesting and enjoyable!

We like the Economist Editors' Highlights delivered free straight to podcast in our house. The Economist is well worth a read if you've not tried it - you can skip the few pages about business and just read the interesting bits

I just assume I'm not in a magazine demographic. Unfortunately even if something like we are talking about was brought out, it would cost £4 - 5 and few of us would buy it - even Vanity Fair, which I do like, has me calculating exactly how many pence per minute it has cost me. There's no way I would give up my broadband subscription for a magazine - not even New Scientist - and all broadsheets these days have feature sections. How many threads do we have on Daily Fail, Torygraph, Slimes and Grauniad features? How often do we have threads on magazine features? Only the ones that have made the newspapers/gone viral online because they are so offensive. Hence the magazines have to go for a different demographic.

What really killed off my magazine habit (which was pretty heavy - Honey was my favourite, whoever the poster was who mentioed that, and I used to put the day it was due to come out in my diary with a big red star next to it) was working in the industry for less than a year. It's exactly as corrupt as you might imagine, just vile in every way - the Ab Fab magazine episodes were documentaries.

The weekly celeb ones are awful.

I get Good Housekeeping and Woman and Home. I enjoy them, they have good articles and recipes in too.

I used to like She till they fucked it. Take a Break does some campaigning for women

NObody has mentioned The Lady...

I too grew tired of the sex and shopping mags and after seeing the RAchel Johnson documentary and falling in love with her I went out and bought the magazine to see what all the fuss was about

I am now a subscriber! Such a great mix of articles about random things you didn't know you would be interested to read about and you can fantasise about being the type of person who advetises for a housekeeper

What's not to like

Ones I used to read that have gone are New Woman, Me, Options, Eve and there was one that was out fortnightly that was good but I can't remember what it was called.

Pinty, I think there used to be better journalism in women's mags. Yes there's always been fluff in them as well but I don't have a problem with that, I quite like reading about fashion and stuff as well. I just think there's been a massive decline and they are just wall to wall rubbish now. Mens magazines can be better so why can they have it and not us? And why are music and to a certain extent film magazines targeted at men? Hardly any female writers in them.
I'd just like to feel interested when I read something. Had a subscription to Red and I was glad when it expired as it just kept making me angry!
Yes something more akin to mumsnet or womans hour in print is what I'd like. With a bit of the culture show and some affordable fashion chucked in.

You're right about Marie Claire. I used to be good, until Liz Jones (its former editor) was sacked for apparently making the magazine too "worthy". It has been dull ever since, nothing but pictures of handbags and shopping advice. All the women's mags are like that: patronising and boring. Are women really only interested in shopping, celebrities and sex tips?

Just finishing a subscription to Easy living - liked the idea of the different sections as I used to read different things what ever mood I was in.

But its getting very repetative.

I am asking for a subscription to 'How it Works' for Xmas - looooads of different stuff in it.

I used to buy mags like Cosmo when I was younger but tbh I preferred Select and music mags! I only buy Delicious and Good Food now but I do read DH's Uncut and Word. I'm interested in fashion and make up but I don't really need to read badly written magazines to find out about this!

However, when we go on holiday I will often buy closer or some such shite (much to DH's horror!).

Ha Ha, I have RED subscription (a gift) that makes me angry too. Next month I may just recycle it immediately - I don't want to know how wonderful rich mummies can sell cupcakes to other wonderful rich mummies and still have time to watch their boys play rugger.
I loved EVE.
I use Google reader to subscribe to blogs in things I like : food, crafts, science, parenting, fashion etc.

Forgot to say...

DH has a sub to BBC Focus (as recommended by a MNer last year) - it is great. I quite like the look of their new one BBC Knowledge.

How it Works is brilliant - science for normal people.

I just need to adjust my approach don't I? I think that is the answer, subscribing to bits and bobs on t'internet. I just liked having a magazine!

this is a timely thread. Only yesterday I realised I haven't actually bought a womens mag for nigh on 4 years now. I used to be a total mag junkie.

I flick through them in service stations on long journeys, but I can never justify the £4+ price for what is essentially a collection of shiney adverts.

I have read the odd Runners World, but we pass one dog-eared copy around at my running club.

I did read Evo in the hairdressers the other week, which was a lot more interesting than all the Heats, Closers etc in the pile on the table.

Anyone remember Frank? That was good! But only lasted a little while. Presumably there were not enough articles to make you feel crap about yourself and go out and spend lots of money on the things advertised/featured. So I suppose they stopped getting adverts.

SGB I have the first three years of J17 (which I have carried around in a big bag (J17 free gift!) for 24 years). Is now the time to ebay?

I loved Minx when I was at uni (that's going back a bit) and, like everyone else, really liked Eve, but there's nothing on the market now that fills the gap! (Minx used to have useful features on 'how to change a car tyre' and 'how to throw a punch', now that was journalism )

I mean, I carried the bag from flat to flat etc when I moved, not all the time