School Runway- To think that Easy Living mag have alientated their readers with this junk

[snapsnap]

This is not a joke. Each month they visit a school and detail some of the Mums outfits. I mean I am living in the centre of Paris and am not encountering this ridiculousness

[Darkesteyes]

Easy Living magazine to close. It seems to be a very worrying time for those who work in magazines. It is sad that they are losing their jobs.


www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/may/09/easy-living-closes-print-edition

[DilysPrice]

Bizarrely, I saw this feature in EL in the hairdressers today for the first time ever, so can express an opinion on coincidentally zombified thread (the only "woman's magazine" I normally read is Stylist, which has solid feminist principles, a Lucy Mangan column, and is free).

I think you're giving it a bit of a hard time. Apart from the (to me) baffling obsession with handbags stamped with LOOK AT MY LOVELY MONEY on them in 72 point type, the clothes are mostly medium to high end High Street, rather than designer. Obviously not everyone can afford to get clothes from Whistles or Jigsaw or even GAP and Top Shop, but they're not the sole preserve of oligarchs' trophy wives. And the looks they are wearing are realistic and easy to copy from New Look, H&M or charity shops if you're interested in doing it - just because they're spending a thousand quid on jeans, a top, a scarf, boots and a handbag doesn't mean you can't achieve the same effect for a tiny fraction of the price (admittedly in my case I'd need hair extensions and a live-in professional blow dryer).

I think the school run dressing "thing" is a side effect of the Cranford law. The ladies of Cranford didn't dress up to shop in Cranford because the only people who'd see them were their friends, who already knew what they looked like. And they didn't dress up to go to London because no-one they'd know would see them (this is why so many people dress so appallingly on holiday). It's that middle ground of people who recognise you but don't "know" you that causes the problems if you're that way inclined, and the parents of your children's friends are very much in that class.

[LaMaga]

Seen the pictures, not many black people there.

[freddiefrog]

I don't understand "getting dressed up for the school run". Don't we just get dressed in what we're going to wear for the day, whether we're SAHMs or off to work?

I love clothes and fashion and make up, I do make an effort with what I wear, to tame the birds nest and slap on some make up every morning. I'm not "getting dressed up" to do the school run, I'm wearing the clothes I've closed to wear that day.

I did the school run in a pair of leopard print heels yesterday, they were an irresistible impulse buy 6 months ago and I rediscovered them lurking in the back of my wardrobe, and thought sod what anyone else thinks

I quite like browsing through the pics, but to be honest, I see the skinnies/boots/scarf look most days on me at school, there's nothing really outrageous there

[WipsGlitter]

moomin in the mag it's more glam and labels are to the fire. I think these (in the link) are ones people send in themselves, whereas the mag is a more organised photoshoot.

I agree about the mag particularly the passion killer section. I get red which I mostly like...

[Darkesteyes]

As for ELs School Runway i cant really relate to the school gates thing as i dont have children but it is a subtle way of putting as much pressure on older women as there is on younger ones.
Glamour and EL are both from the same company (Conde Nast) so i suppose they are trying to make EL into Glamour for older women.

[Darkesteyes]

NinaHeart try Red. Ive been buying it for years really enjoy reading it.

[MoominmammasHandbag]

I must be missing something here. I have clicked on the link and the women look like most of the Mums in our school playground - skinnies, boots, nice jacket and scarf.

[NinaHeart]

I swapped from Eve to EL but agree with all that has been said. especially the guff in the Passion section. Am seriously considering cancelling subscription (but love a mag dropping throguh the door - which one should I try next?)

[WillSingForCake]

I remember StyleGuile saying something on her blog about how she sent in a few different pics for them to choose from, so people do send in the photos.

I used to live EL, but its got a lot worse. And I hate the photo they use of the editor in the opening pages, where she's standing in her office gazing into the middle-distance like a wax-work.

[propertyNIGHTmareBEFOREXMAS]

I don't see any real harm in it. Wear what makes you feel comfortable Most people would not have a clue what a Hermes scarf looked like, or even a Prada bag for that matter. Not worth stressing about.

[mysteryfairy]

I'm really glad this thread got bumped because I just really enjoyed browsing through the outfit pics. To me there looks to be a wide variety of budgets represented and amongst some fab ones there are some, in my opinion, ill judged choices so I don't see it as madly confidence undermining. I think most people could appreciate school runway as a bit of an (admittedly weak) pun rather than anything more dictatorial surely?

[Darkesteyes]

Does anyone remember Eve magazine. I loved it and was gutted when they cancelled it 5 years ago.

[AvrilPoisson]

Hahaha! One of those mums on the school run is StyleGuile!
(the blogger...have I spelled it correctly?)
I should hope she is well turned out- she's a personal image consultant.

[Darkesteyes]

Ah yes the mystery writer who calls herself Sarah Stone who writes about her sex life with husband Ed every month.
Each month the column always seems to start off the same way saying that they havent had sex for ages. So was the column from the previous month made up then. It doesnt quite ring true.

Rosie Greens column in Red is really good. And a lot of the time its funny. Ive laughed out loud several times while reading it.
Red is getting a new editor now because Sam Baker resigned a while ago. I hope they dont change it like the other lot did to EL.

[Darkesteyes]

Sorry When i posted i thought Diddleds was the only new post on this thread.

[Darkesteyes]

Hi Diddled. They started that Passion section as a knee jerk reaction to 50 Shades.
I will admit that i am still buying EL but its gone down to £2.50 so its cheaper.
I buy Red and Psychologies every month too and they are loads and loads better than EL.
After Christmas they did shrink the size of EL too which pissed me off. Instead of being magazine size its now what they call tablet size.

[DIddled]

I just piss myself at school runway- I used to think I was well to get there dressed at all ( conveniently forgetting the time I was sick down my coat after an unusually boozy night out)!

I have been a EL subscriber for many years and SR wouldn't put me off but as other posters have mentioned , the Passion section has hacked me off no end- I don't buy a woman's magazine to hear about some journos bedroom shenanigans - plus I now have to hide it in case my DH gets ideas! Just one more think for me to feel inadequate about as if being not rich thin or stylish wasn't enough!!!!

[CoolCadbury]

Got to hand it to Angela Kearsey - the only one not wearing skinny jeans. . Good on her.

The thing is, it's people's choice whether they want to be "dressed up" for the school run. I look hideous in the morning, especially in the winter but at least I am warm.

Still, it's a cheesy feature I think.

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

someone should send a link from this thread to the EL editor because there seem to be a lot of disgruntled ex readers around. EL was great lots of indepth articles great food and no sex :) The "mystery writer" woman in EL describing her sex life is the worst bit of writing I have ever had the misfortune of paying for.

[ReturnOfEmeraldGreen]

I have just cancelled my subscription - I used to like EL a lot but it is pish now. I started subscribing in 2008, back when it was quite square but in a good, positive way - lots of practical articles about how to get stuff done, good books coverage, nice interiors ideas and recipes.

The new format is so cliched and boring - agree with previous poster re: utter cringeworthiness of the sex section ('Passion' ). I also hate the sodding 'school runway'. I happily pick up a (free) copy of Harpers, sometimes Elle too every month because I love looking at designer clothes and beautifully-styled locations, but I really couldn't give a fuck about what private school mummies are wearing on their journey from the school gates back to their 4x4s. I have no idea what EL is for any more.

Also, if I'm going to read a frivolous magazine I want it to be big, glossy, heavy and lovely, not bloody 'tablet-sized'!

[DyeInTheEar]

I like a nice outfit. I like looking at people in interestingly put together outfits. One of things I like about living in London.

But this is total shit. It makes me want to never do a school run again in protest. Fucking fucks sake. Only when I see a load of grown men looking delighted that they've been stopped because of what they are wearing will this patronising bollocks sit well with me. We're grown ups -we don't need people telling us we look all pretty in our clothes.... "Oooh look, lovely mum, all stylish and matching on the school runway. Maybe she uses scented Always as well. Let's take her picture for our magazine"

If you look like you've made a massive effort you've done it all wrong anyway.

[raisah]

The whole school run experience can be challenging from reading some of the threads om here. Women dont need this to add to the many other anxieties & challenges that they have. It is sexist, is there an equivalent for men? Are men scrutinised so much for the outfits they choose to wear to collect their kids in? I am dreading my ds starting school in Sept & all the stupid school gate politics. Luckily as I will only pick up once a week & my cm will do the rest.

[Floggingmolly]

Which one are you, then, MrsCampbell????

[MrsCampbellBlack]

Or maybe they have stuff to promote and that's why they did it?

And many people dress nicely for their day to day life and the school run is just a tiny part of their day.

Honestly its just a bit of fun isn't it?

But I don't buy Easy Living - too much sex for me