Print Magazines that are Actually Worth Putting your Phone Down
Somewhere between the glossy celebrity covers and the tabloid-bright fashion titles I would browse while my mother got her hair done, I found a quieter shelf. I pulled magazines off the shelves one afternoon at Smith & Son bookstore, and found myself engrossed for hours: a photography journal that asks what's worth capturing, a menswear title that devotes a full page to a loafer, a food magazine about history rather than recipes. What they share isn't necessarily a genre, but the patience of stopping, noticing and examining a small facet of life. Each one takes something ordinary and treats it as worth a second look. So, here are six magazines (in no particular order) that make you rethink the way you physically look at the world around you, and maybe even start reflecting on the smaller pieces of your everyday life.
Most photography magazines teach you how to shoot--the angles, lighting, landscapes. But Tide captures the “why” factor. This issues’ feature is on Mohammad Ghazali, who amplifies the “why” of a photograph by asking what it looks like for the blind to see. The issue thus takes us to the streets of Tehran, displayed through side-by-side photographs of Ghazali's image and the unassuming photographer, circling back to the argument that each photograph, depending on the photographer, holds a different perspective – or truth. I recommend picking it up if you want to rethink the way you really view life.
In a world where we aimlessly scroll through images, we forget to look at the beauty of small details. Homme Girls pauses to observe the gradual smile spreading on someone's face, the fold of a sleeve, a resting hand – zooming in on the beauty of overlooked moments. I suggest taking a look at it if you're interested in the intersection between fashion and photography, and the small details create a harmonious image between the two.
I picked this up meaning to skim it but realized 10 minutes had already passed. If you love scrolling on Substack, think of this magazine as its wiser and perfectly put together older sister. The “Now I Am Nothing” issue reads as an introspective look through Maddie Ziegler and Tali Lenox profiles, exploring identity through various artistic expressions like art and physical movement. It's less about the finished look of a photograph and more about discovering self through fashion and culture. Elsewhere, the Inez & Vinoodh's Kunstmuseum Den Haag exhibition investigates the boundaries of emotions a photograph can convey. If you want a more philosophical piece on fashion and art that reads like a short essay, definitely pick this one up.
This magazine fixates on the more traditional, classical approach, and pays attention to details, and maybe a perfect pick up for some of the more "performative" fashion consumers out there. A cream wool sweater with a shoulder-button placket gets a full page, tracing its lineage and history. A burgundy penny loafer gets the same attention to detail designed in Paris, first crafted in John Lobb's workshop in the 1950s, and as L’Etiquette calls “dressier than a Weston, more relaxed than a Berluti”. The magazine underscores the everyday sophistication and history of basics. Pick it up if you want to actually understand what you're getting before buying it.
You just moved into your shoebox apartment, and need inspiration outside of your overly saturated Pinterest boards to make your rental feel like home? Sloft is an interior design magazine whose perspective strays away from the typical sprawling million dollar mansion, to the flexibility of combining every day art and flexibility into new, smaller spaces. If your apartment needs a makeover, or you just want to fantasize about your dream apartment, keep this on your bedside table.
Part of traveling is tasting the new foods, but also discovery how they are a part of the culture. This magazine highlights why food means what it means, and maybe even inspires you to finally cook something other than buttered noodles. It follows how food has shaped mythologies, rituals, and different gatherings around food, giving narrative and meaning to your otherwise passive meal.
This selection of magazines isnt meant to be your metro commute entertainment, and honestly, thats kind of the point. Hopefully this inspires you to pick one up, and really spend some time slowly flipping the pages, re-reading a passage, or noticing a detail you would normally pass. And maybe next time, you'll willingly give up your screen time for it instead.
