Writing about their own magazine, the Publishers of Vogue once said "(We are) a magazine that defines fashion-then pushes it to the limits. Readers know Vogue as the first and final word on fashion, beauty and contemporary culture. Vogue is the ultimate image-maker. Before it's in style, it's in Vogue."

As another fashion critic put it, "Vogue lives by the maxim that you can't be too rich or too thin--or have too many ad pages." But the glossy spreads of broomstick-thin supermodels draped in Prada and Chanel, and the endless pages of ads for the finest clothes, accessories, and makeup the beauty industry has to offer, help make it the leading magazine of women's style. Fashion is the main event, but every issue attends society parties, goes inside the home of a celebrity designer, and travels to an exotic resort or vacation spot. Like Playboy, Vogue is a magazine you can claim to read because the articles are good. 

HARPER'S BAZAAR 
HB has lost some of its original sheen, but continues to carry some of the best photographs in the fashion industry. As one reader out it" The informative articles are few and far between but the layouts and spreads are worth framing. I find myself cutting out pages and archiving back issues!" But the publishers feel differently, "HB is a specialist magazine for women who love fashion and beauty. It is edited for sophisticated women with exceptional taste. Bazaar offers ideas in fashion and beauty, and reports on issues and interests relevant to the lives of modern women." 
But the Lancer Club's final analysis is - Don't buy it if you are looking for makeup tips or love tips (although they are featured). Buy Bazaar because fashion is an image - not just how you apply your lipeliner.

ELLE
"I buy Elle only for the ads!" says one Elle regular. And its true. There are more pages with advertisements than numbered pages in this magazine. But that is precisely Elle's niche. Not a magazine for the haute couture aspirant, its aimed at those who have already arrived. 
Whats more, it actually has smart, sensible articles in the pages that don't feature advertisements! Summed up nicely by one reader, "One of the things I love about this magazine is that it has not only beautiful fashion spreads and great items, it also has a lot of articles about books, theater and film. The articles are well written and researched and they are always compelling."
And what do the publishers have to say for themselves? "This magazine reports on emerging trends in fashion, beauty and style. Its visual core is surrounded by features, news and analysis of the larger world. Its articles feature information on culture, health, politics, art and relationships." 

W
Size matters when it comes to fashion layouts and W is an over-sized pleasure. Touted as the fashion industry standard, this magazine has some mind-blowing examples of fashion photography can be. But these are mostly in the form of advertisements, which take up the first 175 pages and many more throughout. The pages are almost twice the size of a standard magazine, which leaves provides the ads with immense scope.
But the articles are hard to relate to or take seriously. According to a W newcomer, "They seem more like tabloid tales of sordid love affairs and over-hyped parties than any kind of actual informative articles. For a magazine that is supposed to set fashion industry standards, I expected to see many more articles about fashion, styles, and designers rather than Hollywood gossip!"

VANITY FAIR 
Unlike any other fashion and glamour magazine on review today, Vanity Fair's focus and strength are its articles. The publishers say, "Fair presents the issues, events and people that define the times. This chronicle of contemporary culture features art, entertainment, politics, business, and the media. Each issue includes in-depth reporting and profiles targeted to a young, affluent audience."
One avid Fair reader confesses, "I'm a sucker for a little gossip but I find I detest the "may or may not be true" feel of some magazines. Vanity Fair goes straight to the source and manages to get real information on what a star is going through and real emotion about their life." But Fair isn't simply about celeb gossip - their real articles - focusing on world events or politics, often from a human angle manage to maintain good journalistic standards.