I have a magazine crush!
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| SLINK Magazine Issue 15! |
It is called SLiNK magazine, and is a relatively new magazine made in the UK.
So what is SLiNK magazine? Well this is what they say:
"SLiNK magazine is a full-on fashion and lifestyle magazine whose tagline is “Styling Your Curves, Fashioning Your Life”. We don’t use the standard size 6 models like other magazines, instead we only shoot models from a size 14 and we never airbrush them any smaller. Not only do we shoot great curvy model editorials, we also make sure that all the clothes featured in the magazine go to at least a size 20/22. Finally fashion is a bit more inclusive!
Aside from gorgeous editorials shot by top photographers, we also have key trend shopping pages that show you how to buy into the latest catwalk looks, and unlike some of the major glossies we make sure we have products suitable to every purse.
When we aren’t obsessing about what colour is ‘in’, the SLiNK team search out the latest beauty goodies, while celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford takes care of our top tips and styles sections.
As the curvy girls’ ultimate lifestyle magazine, every issue of SLiNK is jam-packed full of articles on our issue theme (currently we are looking at managing your money!), as well as beautiful travel ideas, motoring features and our infamous food section."
So it is a femme glossy fashion and lifestyle magazine that encourages good body image. Or in other words, sign me up!
I have got hold of the two most recent editions of SLiNK magazine (Issue 15 - cover shown above and Issue 14) and I have been really impressed about it in several different ways!
SLiNK helps open up the definition of what it is to be feminine
The media has a very powerful role in today's society. Many people consume what it reports as unbiased fact. Others try to lessen the way the media influences them, but still get suckered into believing certain media standards.
One such media standard is that being feminine relies on someone having two qualities; being skinny and being white.
And that's the beauty of SLiNK magazine, it challenges this media standard by opening up femininity as something so many more people can be comfortable to enjoy!
Its pictorials and interviews with plus-size models who are comfortable in expressing their femininity helps to normalise the idea that beauty comes in many shapes and forms, which can be uplifting to everyone.
On a personal note, I have seen with my own eyes how the media's obsession with a specific body type for femininity can be corrosive to the crossdressing / transgender world. I see close crossdresser friends who are upset that they cannot meet this body type, either because they are too tall or they have a natural amount of body fat. I think that reading SLiNK magazine allows the transgendered community to feel more comfortable about their bodies and also provides them with a range of clothing that they would more likely fit!
The second part of the media standard that SLiNK challenges is that being feminine involves being white. In my home country of Australia, almost all models used in fashion are white, despite our vast array of ethnic backgrounds. In SLiNK there are no mono-ethnicity problems. Models come from an array of different backgrounds, helping to show that anyone can be feminine and beautiful.
SLiNK's way of challenging these media standards really inspires me. I wish I could take copies of the magazine and pass them out to teenagers, both girls and boys, so that they would have an alternative source mitigating the negative body image mantra provided from other media outlets. A magazine that will show these teens that beauty comes in many shapes, sizes, and ethnicities, so that next time they look in the mirror they can see how wonderful they are.
SLiNK's front fashion segment
If you ever read any of the major femme magazines you will be well aware of what they do with their front pages. Over 80% of the first 60 pages are taken up with double page advertisements. It takes an awful lot of page skimming just to get through that section and find actual content.
By contrast, at the front of SLiNK magazine there is no wad of advertisements to skim through, but rather an innovative fashion segment, which shows off products and draws in the reader.
SLiNK takes a double page, and attributes it to a certain style of clothing. On the left hand page their talented illustrator will do a sketch of a model wearing this style of clothing. These drawings are extremely eye-catching, due to its realistic body shape drawn with good use of colour.
On the right hand page, nine products are shown that relate to the category. The Sports Sass page (shown below) shows a couple of shoe designs, a gorgeous pink and aqua swimsuit, and some beautiful working-out wear.
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| At the front of the magazine is several double page fashion spreads like this - a great design - I love the drawings! |
I think this double-page design works really well, using the left hand image to draw the reader's eye in, and then further engaging the reader with the range of products on the right hand page.
Each issue of SLiNK has several double pages in its fashion segment, each dedicated to a different style of fashion. Issue 15 has double pages with the themes Military Madness, Pastel Princess, Purist Perfection, the aforementioned Sport Sass, Striped Sass, and European Vibes, bringing the reader 54 different fashion products they can engage with.
My message to any SLiNK magazine editors is: I know that SLiNK magazine will evolve over time due to changes in taste, market growth, and the need to bring in revenue, but please retain these fashion pages in some size and form. They are really fun and engaging!
An all-round great magazine!
So I thoroughly recommend getting yourself a copy of SLiNK magazine at
http://www.slinkmagazine.com/ It is really wonderful watching a new innovative magazine evolve, especially one with such a positive body-image message!
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| Issue 15 - Fashion Segment! |
