I keep up with magazine and publication news, and for a couple years or so ‘Lucky’ has been the sadder part of the news. Its numbers have been going down, and this current September 2012 issue is one of the thinnest September issues I’ve seen in a really long time. This isn’t for nothing, though- I’ve subscribed for about four years and I’ve got to say, ‘Lucky’ is really no longer worth subscribing to. Come December, I think I’m done.

Ever since they switched up their editor-in-chief (used to be Kim France), things just haven’t been as strong for the magazine. Don’t get me wrong- I’m a die-hard, so-badly-wish-I-lived-in-NYC trendy hipster fashion slave. I love it all and I read almost all fashion publications on a monthly basis. But I really feel like the editors at ‘Lucky’ think its readers are robotic numbskulls. It’s become almost nothing more than a glorified catalog, and there’s barely any meaty content now. I understand that instant gratification is the name of the game these days in fashion publications, and that it’s kind of a genius strategy to tell your readers exactly what to buy (with the item styled in a cute editorial shoot on the same page!). ‘People StyleWatch’ employs a similar technique. But I feel ‘Lucky’ has pigeonholed itself into catering to one specific kind of reader- someone who WORKS IN FASHION, LIKE THEMSELVES.

It’s like the folks at ‘Lucky’ are working to create a publication simply for people EXACTLY like themselves! Same looks, same sense of taste and style, SAME PAYCHECK, same type of job, same type of living conditions (hip, urban), etc. Any time they do a feature on a ‘Lucky girl’ or some ‘real person’, they always seem to work in fashion, advertising, or are the owner of some fabulous salon. Oh, or perhaps they’re a recording artist showing this year at Coachella, or they’re the star of a film out this month. They always seem to live either in New York or Los Angeles. There are no teachers, no office workers, no folks from the mid-West, no one that just knows how to shop and dress damn well and WITHOUT the million-dollar budget or high-profile career. And AGAIN, don’t get me wrong- I am a fashion fanatic. However, my budget is, well, budget-ish. I can’t identify with the ‘Lucky’ reader anymore because she doesn’t seem to have a budget and she doesn’t seem to be able to say “No” to advertising. I’m sure I could still subscribe to ‘Lucky’ for another year and suck the juice out of it, but I am just at the point where I feel insulted doing so. EVERY SINGLE PAGE is listed with attractively-styled items and their given prices, along with a sometimes-ludicrous description of each. Example- “Bonjour, Cleveland! Rose-gold jeans feel so French rocker.” I mean, ok. I get it, I like to write too. But you just feel like they’re trying SO HARD to convince you to just BUY. Not to be inspired, but to buy. And they will shamelessly pitch that item to you, no matter what the price tag may be (frequently upwards of $500 … BUT YOU’LL LOVE IT FOREVER!!!).

While some may argue that ‘Lucky’ is trying to provide fashion inspiration, let’s face it- the point of ‘Lucky’ is to inspire SPENDING, and almost nothing more. Each month, I at least find myself at the drugstore buying some new body wash they recommend in each new issue, and I just don’t need that right now. I understand that ‘People StyleWatch’ has the same thing going but I feel they do a much better job of catering to lesser incomes and helping you restyle your own wardrobe. They have their niche with their specific focus on celebrities, and everyone can name a celebrity whose style they like. ‘Lucky’ just leaves you feeling overwhelmed and as if you need to be one of the “cool girls” in order to relate. Your evidence of this problem lies in the fact that their issues have been growing increasingly thinner; they’re losing readers and they’re losing ad pages.

If you’re not Olivia Palermo, pick something else to subscribe to rather than ‘Lucky’. You’ll enjoy it more in the long-run.