The language of fashion magazines
Overture The significance of print media has been getting bigger and bigger as the time progress all over the world. Magazine is one of the popular forms of print media worldwide. There are different types of magazines with different features and attributes. They are mostly periodic- monthly and quarterly magazines are most common. The magazines generally focus a particular area and they target a particular group of people as their target readers.
Such as business and economics oriented magazines are designed mostly for the business people, Science and genealogy for the young people and students, art and literature for the readers who particularly possess interest towards art and literature. Sports magazines target the young and enthusiastic sports lovers and fashion and lifestyle magazines are for the people who are concerned pretty much about their living style and modern days fashions. In this report we have selected such two fashion and life style magazines, one local and one international. Instill” the international one, published as British version and Mirror- the Bangladesh magazine regarded as one of the most rumoring and classic fashion magazine of the country. Both the magazines follow English as their media language and are published monthly. We will try to identify the approach of these two commonly oriented magazines. Both the magazines target the today’s modern women with their independence and glamorous. In the next section we shall be introduced with these magazines. 1. Mirror; at a glance: Name: Mirror Magazine Nature: Monthly Magazine Type: Fashion & Life style Established (First Issue): 2003, Dacha Editor: Quasi Changer Lam Number of publication: 24,000 (2013) Language: English Company: Mirror Group (Bangladesh) 1. 3 Instill; at a glance Name: Instill Established (First Issue): June, 1994 Editor: Ariel Fox Number of publication: (2011) Company: Time Inc. (US) EPIC Media (I-J) part: TWO 2. 1 PURPOSE STATEMENT This paper has been intended as an academic purpose of the students of M. A. In English Program.
It aims to find out a comparative analysis of both the magazines in literal as well as structural sense. This comparison will reveal both the similarities and dissimilarities between the two magazines each possess supreme popularity in their own platform. The other purpose of the study is to analyze the style of language of English and what techniques are used in the magazines. This paper also tries to find out how to use language in print media 2. 2 Methodology For a constructive comparison time frame and contextual frame should be pretty much same and identical.
Here two magazines have been selected with same nature and categorical similarities. In order to maintain the time frame, the particular number of the magazines for analysis was kept concurrent. The Bangladesh magazine “Mirror” was taken of volume 10, which is the July-August Edition of the rent year and an Did Fashion Special. On the other hand, the I-J based international Magazine “Instill” was taken of Volume 20, number 5 and it was the edition of the month of May of this going year. Thus, from the time frame perspective, both have same platform.
In order to maintain the contextual frame, the two magazines taken from the similar taste and target readers. Both are fashion and life style magazines particularly designed for the progressive modern ladies. It is important to mention that the comparison was not made from all the numbers of the magazines, rather the two given numbers mentioned earlier. In the next section, we will begin with the comparative analysis of the magazines. Part: THREE Comparative discussions on the two magazines The previously mentioned numbers of each magazine were brought under the observation of the readers.
We have tried to point out similarities and dissimilarities found in their writing styles, literal values and presentations. 3. 1 Point of Similarities: 3. 1. 1 Presentation of the Cover Page: Both the magazines feature their cover page with the photos of two very beautiful and glamorous celebrities. The one at the left is the cover page of the Bangladesh gagging “Mirror” which features Biddy Sinai Mim, a very promising and one of the top models of current times of the country. On the right top, we have the cover page of the British tabloid “Instill” which features the global celebrity Emily Blunt, a very popular international actress.
This similarity is quite an evident and a very common method for the fashion magazines to feature a photo of a beautiful looking celebrity with her distinguishes appeals and glamour. This similarity is not true for these two numbers of the magazines, bull almost all numbers of all fashion magazines. 3. 1. Domination of Photos of the models at pose: This is perhaps the most significant similarity and feature of the fashion magazines. They use the photos more than words. In fact, in the two numbers of the magazines, almost 80 percent of the pages contain photo of the glamorous models at their beauty pose.
Thus, the language of fashion magazines are predominately visual and not word oriented. This has been found in both the magazines case. 3. 1. 3 Presentation of Commercial Advertisements Both the magazines preach quite a heavy volume of advertisements. The advertisements are found to be similar in nature. The advertisements are mostly of the beauty products and colorful photos are used in form of commercial advertisements. This reveals that both the fashion magazines use their commercials as like their features as the magazines features models and their beauty styles.
Thus the advertisements seem like the magazines own features. 3. 1. 4 Similar presentation of articles: Both the magazines publish few articles in their magazines apart from the photos. The articles are mostly short, generally contains less than 250 words. The British tabloid of May, 2013 featured few articles regarding Oscar programs and activities of he international celebrities. The local tabloid featured with beauty instructions and tips and promotes latest fashions through their articles. In each case, the language is short, easily understandable and free from literal complicity. . 1. 5 Similarity in Language and writing style: Due to the light nature, both the magazines follow short and simple writing styles. They use simple worlds, short speeches and the articles are mostly free from articulate and literal beauty. 3. 2 Point of Dissimilarity: 3. 2. 1 Contextual Dissimilarity: Despite of their similar nature of fashion and life style, the magazines differ in their approach too. “Instill” exhibits its high interest in the life style of the celebrities whereas “Mirror” focuses more on the fashions of the progressive ladies.
The photos and the features of the magazine “Instill” uses the international celebrities to preach the activities of the celebrities. Mirror- the Bangladesh Fashion tabloid on the other hand, focuses more on the fashion and glamour of the local celebrities. 3. 2. 2 Difference in the theme: it has seen that the local fashion magazine focuses on the impact of culture and seasons. For instance, the selected edition was an Did special. There were previous editions on summer bride, pupas special, bookish special etc. This suggest that the local magazine focuses on the cultural impact in the world of fashion.
The international tabloid focuses on the life of the celebrities, their activities are the elements of interest. The impact of culture and season was not found to be strong. 3. 2. 3 Difference in Approach: The British magazine provides short article and information though small news in columns which has been completely missed out in the beggarliness magazine. Bangladesh magazine on the other side focuses on the physical beauty of their local liberties (mostly models) and the pattern of their latest fashions thought the exhibition of a series of photos.
Part Four Findings of the language of Fashion Magazine: The noticeable findings of the language of fashion magazines are It shows how linguistic techniques such as puns and presuppositions are used by magazines to capture our attention It examines how image and text combine to produce meaning It discusses how ideological messages are conveyed It analyses how the appeals are constructed through language It looks at how magazines relate to culture part FIVE Conclusion The language of fashion magazines is lively.
Furs are to-die-for’, colors are ‘drifts dreamy and looks are ‘leotard simple. The last three decades have witnessed a reevaluation of fashion, both in terms of its credibility as an area of academic investigation and its importance in Western culture, which has caused its reconsideration within popular culture. Today, fashion can be found when flipping through art and fashion magazines. The art press, however, locates fashion within wider social and cultural dialogues, reflecting upon the social, cultural, psychological ND economic implications of dress.
As women’s fashion magazines have critical role in the maintenance of cultural values and representation of the gender identity, we will be able to investigate how English language relates to gender identity through fashion in Bangladesh. Even though synergies effect of fashion and language as symbolic capital is very interesting subject to study. This habitation of two is neutralized as to create mythology of the modern society is hard to deconstruct. To demythologize the fusion of English language and fashion more profound research will be needed.
