Let's Not Forget the Blogs

At the beginning of every month (or in the case of Vanity Fair, two months in advance), I get so excited to check my mailbox for magazine subscriptions. It's like a surprise gift I know I'm receiving. But that's not to say that blogs don't have their place in a magazine lover's life. Blogs occupy the meantime in between months--they offer the quick and constant updates without the luxury and frill of a periodical. And often, they inform of new worthwhile magazines.


The premiere blog in my mind will always be Gawker. Gawker is the blog that could--starting from Manhattan media gossip to the paradigm of blog networks. It's the outsider blog looking in, only to find everyone else is looking with it. The site never takes itself too seriously and never stops posting. It's content is always spot-on, from political criticism to self-indulgent celebrity babble. And of course, Gawker (and it's sister site Jezebel) covers the ins-and-outs of magazines.


Where as Gawker provides content in an unserious manner, The Sartorialist picks up with pictures given the utmost thought. Scott Schuman, AKA The Sartoralist, has become a household name and inspired dozens of imitators due to the success of his fashion-photo blog. He posts a picture every day of one man and woman who he believes to be fashionable, successfully employing runway trends to real-life outfits while retaining personal style. Scott provides his readers with something aspirational to dress up for every morning.



Given the infinite number of blogs in cyberspace, I'll round out my blogroll with Men.Style.Com. Conde Nast's online counterpart for Details Magazine and GQ, Men's Style.Com serves as the authority for men's fashion and culture. Its Material Interest blog keeps readers up-to-date on menswear and design news, but the site is most valuable because of its multimedia content. Given Conde Nast's deep pockets, Men's Style has video interviews and tours of cities and stores. We read about these people all the time--it's interesting to see them on camera.


Whereas a daily newspaper acts much like a blog in its quest for constant, daily, up-to-the-minute updates, magazines at their best are a beautiful round-up of all things worthwhile. Blogs may lead to the demise of papers, but it seems blogs and magazines have a strong mutual future together.