Marie Claire (1-year)

1) It still has the fluffy/girly "Cosmoesque" articles we can't help loving (i.e. "What are his p.j.'s telling you?") -- which the upscale fashion magazines (such as Vogue) won't cover -- but it presents these in a much more respectful way than Cosmopolitan (or even Glamour) would. ~For example, in an article entitled, "How long should you wait to get married?", a handful of couples of differing experiences simply explain what worked for them. There is absolutely no commentary; readers are to take these first-hand accounts and decide how they feel about the issue for themselves. (This is how Marie Claire does most of its articles.) This is in direct contrast to the Cosmo approach which, no doubt, would have included a timetable to follow and games to play to make it happen, all under the authoritative voice of some quacky, pseudo-"expert".
2) It has intelligent stories about women around the world. These are very eye-opening and mind-expanding, and often offer information on how the reader can get involved with the issue presented.
3) Its fashion coverage is extensive and top-notch for a magazine that is not solely dedicated to fashion. It presents trends and how to wear them in the real world, as well as a wide array of pieces for every shape and budget. (For my purposes, it serves me better than the upscale fashion magazines.)
4) It only uses models for (some of) the fashion spreads. All other articles feature the ("real") people who are explaining their experiences in relation to the articles' topics. This provides for a much more realistic perception of the body.

Considering the above, I still find it amazing that Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan are published by the same group!


A favorite...   June 9, 2002
Ms Diva (Nanaimo, B.C. Canada)
24 out of 26 found this review helpful

This magazine has really grown on me of late, for a lot of reasons. Glamour and Cosmo don't appeal to me as much, partly due the the drop in their quality, and partly just due to the fact that I'm not in their target age group. Marie Claire has far more articles that are in line with my interests. They attempt to cover real issues that have an impact on women's lives. They are able to write stories about the status of women in the world (i.e. their Taliban articles) in a way that makes the information accessible without treating the reader like you are stupid and totally oversimplifying. I also like that not all the models look anorexic, and they don't inundate the reader with diet advice, or articles on sex and how to find/get/keep a man. This is still a light beach read compared to a hard new magazine, but it's far better than most other magazines in this genre.


5 stars with an asterick   December 11, 2001
Cristina Miller (The Mil)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

this is a great magazine - if you compare it to other women oriented magazines. the information it presents in regard to dating, sex, food, and health is much more realistic and focused then cosmo, glamour, etc. this magazine also makes a point of talking alot about womens self esteem issues, but uses different approaches. marie claire also talks about the issues that women in other countries have to face, which really gives you a unique perspective. it also has clothing options for those who need larger sizes and are looking for something other than a tarp.

in the whole magazine spectrum, i would probably rank it a 4, but it doesnt have as much coverage in alternative, more philosophical areas that magazines like "details" have. its topics pretty much apply to the stereotypical topics that women would be interested in - however it covers them differently and better than its competitors.


The PERFECT magazine!   April 29, 2002
j95 (DC Metro)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

When I sadly abandoned the mutilated "Glamour" when they changed editors, I was comforted by "Marie Claire." They used to be a bit thin on the subtance, but they've really developed into a GREAT read that I look forward to every month.

Marie Claire has GREAT articles on social issues that go into unusual depth for a women's magazine. This is a regular feautre, not an anomaly.

Marie Claire has recently gotten better about including reasonably-priced merchandise in the magazine, something you can't say about alot of other women's magazines. There are plenty of things under $100 that are pretty and fashionable.

I also like that when Marie Claire does a feature about how real women live their lives, it's not a collection of quotes or blurbs like Cosmo or Glamour, it really goes in depth.

I can't say enough about this magazine. It's a perfect piece of fun - there's substantive articles, fashion that is sophisticated but sensibly priced and a good dose of fun.