Evelyn1
member
Reged: 10/01/2008
Posts: 39
Loc: Belfast N. Ireland
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Received my April issue of W & H yesterday, and having been a subscriber for a number of years, this issue could have been almost tailor made for me! 
There was an article on Thailand, where my daughter is going to for her honeymoon in Sept, so she was delighted to read all the info about it, then we read up on the articles about the Spa's as she is hoping to have a spa weekend for her hen party. I decided to relax with a cuppa and read your short story, What was it called " Mother of the Bride" I was also married in 1974, and 33 years on still happily so!
Finally I finished off by reading about all the faboulous beauty finds, and lastly, cutting out a picture of the lovely hairstyles featured to take along on my next visit to my hairdresser.
So I have certainly enjoyed my latest issue, and will not hesitate in recomending W & H to all my friends, ( they wont be getting their hands on this one!!) Evelyn
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bordersue
member
Reged: 18/07/2007
Posts: 24
Loc: Beautiful Scottish Borders
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Glad to know that some are finding the articles directly appropriate to them, it is always a bit of a mixed bag for me which I generally do not mind. However I am increasingly finding the fashion shoot pages (as opposed to the suggestions for how different shapes can find ways to wear trends/colours) reflect styles which are either impossible for those of normal dimensions to wear successfully, or priced far above the means of the majority of us, or belong to the category of fleeting high fashion which is not even a good investment. I cannot justify paying hundreds of pounds for a handbag, but even if I could it would have to earn its keep by staying current-looking for many years. Ironically the "celebrities" featured (Helen Mirren and sister, Delia etc) generally look stunning wearing simple, elegant high quality items plus unusual accessories. This is easier to adapt to most budgets, and nothing like the catwalk fashions promoted on other pages. Makes for a confusing jumble! What do others think? Bordersue 
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jennifer36
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Reged: 16/01/2008
Posts: 444
Loc: West Oxfordshire
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Do so agree with you bordersue about the fashion pages -how many readers of W&H would wear the things they feature? Not many I would guess. The sunglass article too was amazing -not one pair under £80!! I'm sure we'd all love designer pairs but how many can actually afford these prices? Think there should be a mix of prices on everything.
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jillinspain
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Reged: 21/10/2007
Posts: 264
Loc: Southern Spain
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I think it's a shame that many of the article focus on women who have a business to promote at the end of the feature. For me there are never enough nurses, shop assistants, teachers, civil servants etc - those that don't have a business always seem to be in media, PR or similar  Judging by a number of recent comments, particularly about the fashions featured and their high prices, perhaps many of us are not actually the type of reader W&H are aiming for.
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dbverycherry
member
Reged: 24/02/2007
Posts: 3519
Loc: Kent UK
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Hi there Evelyn, Boarder Sue, Jennifer36 and Jill in Spain.
Some of us on the forums have had a moan to W&H about the state of the W&H fashion pages before. The first 3 pages of the April issue say it all !! 
The over priced items which most of us I feel and I understand from the feed back posted on here and the rest forums is way off the mark and not suitable for us real shaped women and surely a lot of the clothes featured are out of most of our budgets. *And why O why are there so many adverts still in the magazine 
*The many subscribers surely pay enough to fund the magazine with out having it stuffed full of adverts!
More articles please on real women. Not high flying business women who often appear more than once in the magazines during a year or so, one lady you even admit she has been featured in the magazine before (page 52) come on!!
Would be so refreshing to see feature pieces on carers, nurses like Susi (page 66), shop assistants and ladies like Daniela (page 66) and mums at home who do excellent jobs and often go unsung.
I wouldn't dream of spending £80 on a pair of sunglasses!!
I like to get value for money. Also seeing as I often end up sitting or loosing them I buy from either Boots, Woolies or Superdrug  Average price £6.99 
I have to watch where the money goes and surely I'm not the only 40+ lady who is like this.
N.B May be it is just because the fashion editors and W&H editoral team earn enough to spend such massive amounts on sunglasses, the latest clothes for example the Jaeger dress on page 3 of W&H April issue is £299 and fashion items from £100 and featured such as a £525 Hogan holdall
You need to note W&H it doesn't mean us average W&H magazine readers can and even wishes to spend £80 + on a pair of
sunglasses!
A real Debbie dbverycherry on the W&H forums in Kent UK
OK I am just about done with my moan of the month and feed back here.
Yes I am PMT but that doesn't count or allow W&H magazine to get away with all this mentioned here by me and others
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Gooseberry
member
Reged: 28/02/2007
Posts: 10
Loc: Fife, Scotland
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I thought it was just me that feels W & H is focussing too much on fashion that no normal woman could afford or would wear. I love any articles about people with real lives, like the majority of us. Dealing with husband, children and grandchildren. We are not all size 8's with husband something in the City.
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salgash
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Reged: 02/07/2007
Posts: 246
Loc: Gloucestershire
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How I agree with everything you say. The first fashion article in this months W&H is titled 'Living the high life' Just how many of the readers do? Not me.
I don't look at the prices anymore as I know I would never dream of paying their sort of prices.
I have often wondered how many W&H readers do, am I in the minority?
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Mayday
member
Reged: 19/01/2008
Posts: 1579
Loc: Gloucestershire/cotswolds
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Absolutely agree with everybody. Could never afford the prices of the fashion items.....especially as I am retired as is OH. But I still want to look good. Why don't you feature some of the lower priced stores like Matalan? Some mags do a compare and contrast with the designer label and the matalan look-alike. Can we have something like that please? Even "Your M&S" are more affordable than the fashions featured.
Some of us live 'in the country'. Can we have some pieces about rural lives please?
Mayday
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PLASMO
member
Reged: 13/03/2008
Posts: 3958
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Hi there gooseberry, I agree with you wholeheartedly, I love the magazine, but feel really useless sometimes, as a lot of the articles seem to feature business women who are changing businesses, and they all seem professional types.
I love seeing all the clothes that are around but couldnt afford half of them, the most I have ever spent on sunglasses was from Vision Express.
I am a size 20/22 and really love fashion, and I like to think that I am fashionable, and it must be great to have a makeover and get all that advice given.
Wish W@H would feature a sixty plus woman, size 20/22 who is not filthy rich.
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BEL
member
Reged: 21/02/2008
Posts: 1144
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I cannot add anything else, agree
entirely with the above.
Feel W/H are losing the plot.
I did not buy last month's mag;
Will see how I feel this month.
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stylo
member
Reged: 26/07/2007
Posts: 459
Loc: Kent
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I'm glad its not just me who wonders who can afford all the fashion featured. I certainly cannot and I am working. Even if I had that sort of money I would rather put several hundred pounds towards a holiday rather than an item of clothing. And from what I see I don't think its just me.
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Bookgirl
member
Reged: 12/01/2008
Posts: 16
Loc: East of Scotland
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Hi all
I agree with all that has been said on this thread. Sometimes it feels as if I am so inadequate as I do not have a business, nor am I a high flyer with lots of money to spend on bags, clothes etc. Not sure any more who W&H are targeting, feel it's not me
Another thing while I am on a rant, why do they always have the fashion shows etc based in London, tickets are expensive to attend, then cost of overnight stay in London, plus travel to get there would be huge. Come on W&H there is life outside London. I am sure hotels in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Manchester etc etc can all hold a Fashion Show so give your readers throughtout the UK a chance.
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Gemini
member
Reged: 10/03/2008
Posts: 2435
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Yes Bookgirl, agree with you. I am just an "ordinary person" not got a vast amount to spend on clothes, makeup etc.
Also why not do events in the Midlands...you may get more going W&H? Would be lovely for you to organise a meet-up of forum members in the middle of the country, give us a few months warning to organise people having weekends off and booking cheap or luxurious accomodation...I bet that would be popular!!!!
Alison x
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dbverycherry
member
Reged: 24/02/2007
Posts: 3519
Loc: Kent UK
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:( Unlike you Evelyn1 sadly I felt April issue of Woman and Home magazine and the last few issues come to that haven't been for me at all.
As others have said here and I have said before here on the W&H forums I was disappointed with under 20 skinny models W&H used and the over priced clothes and items listed for sale on almost every other page.
To my delight I picked up a rival magazine prima (May issue) and found it great value for money at only £2.50. I admit it still has pages of adverts and it is thinner than the W&H magazine, may be due to less double page adverts in prima!
But prima has fashion pages featuring older models and clothes at with down to earth prices from the likes of Asda and Tesco feature.
 What topped it for me, apart from the colours 2 suit U feature, was the yummy look food pages and the Vanilla and Cherry Cheesecake recipe, see pages 22-24 and 110 for the recipe.
ma and not me for Me from now on.
April issue after this I am gone, I've seen red and had enough W&H magazine. It's now prima for me.
N.B I will be giving my discounted Tesco subscription of the W&H magazine to my doctors surgery, I am sure someone will benefit from this.
Edited by Pippa_Jackson (31/03/2008 17:32)
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cupcake
member
Reged: 15/02/2008
Posts: 2910
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Wow. Send your magazines to me if you don't want them! I don't mind if they are full of adverts...if I'm not interested in that particular advert I'll skip the page! I'm also not bothered if they use young attractive size 8 models! THEY LOOK GOOD! Surely that is the point of using them? I have enough confidence in my own style and taste not to be intimidated by seeing gorgeous young girls modelling the clothes. And if I can't afford the actually clothes shown in the magazine, well, I'll use a bit of imagination and look for similar high street versions.
Also, no offence to anyone,but I really do not want to dress in clothes from places like Matalan or Asda. I'd rather go to a charity shop or buy good vintage pieces and adapt them or mix and match them to suit my own style.
The other point I have is that, yes, the food pages are nice and look good and maybe the recipes are interesting, I'm not a foodie so I don't have a big opinion on them. I AM still a size 8 -10 though. Maybe a food magazine would be more suitable if that's your main interest?
Regarding the so called high flying business women, well, I know lots of nurses, yes, yes, they're all wonderful, but I don't want to read about them. Sorry but I would rather read about someone with a fabulous lifestyle! Who cares if I'm never going to have a life like that? I know about real life, I don't want to read about it! I want escapism and glamour. And then maybe some of us might even be inspired by these successful women to reach for the stars! Who knows! Won't be me though! I'm too lazy ....I would rather get my glamour from a magazine!
I've read a lot of the criticisms of the magazine and just wonder why you actually buy it if you dislike it so much???? Seems a very odd thing to do!
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Jane2008
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Reged: 08/01/2008
Posts: 2442
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Hi Debbie, I hope this doesn't mean you'll be leaving the forum. You sound very frustrated with W&H, is this because you feel they're not listening to you?
I too would like to see older models in the magazine. When I see a skinny 20 year old in a skirt above the knee, I wonder why it's even in the magazine as women our age don't tend to wear that kind of thing. Why can't the models wear clothes that are suitable for our age group. After all, W&H readers are probably in the 35 - 75yr age range arn't they? They want us to buy the magazine and yet they undermine us, that's how I see it!
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Jane2008
member
Reged: 08/01/2008
Posts: 2442
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Cupcake, I'm 47 yrs old, 5'6" and size 10. I for one, certainly do not feel 'intimidated' by these models because I consider I look pretty hot myself! It's just I would prefer to look at clothes a forty year might wear, so that I could consider buying them myself if I liked them. Why would I want to look at what 18 year olds are wearing? Don't get me wrong, I'm quite trendy, but 18 year old clothes on a forty something is pushing it a bit isn't it?
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dbverycherry
member
Reged: 24/02/2007
Posts: 3519
Loc: Kent UK
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Quote:
Hi Debbie, I hope this doesn't mean you'll be leaving the forum. You sound very frustrated with W&H, is this because you feel they're not listening to you?
I too would like to see older models in the magazine. When I see a skinny 20 year old in a skirt above the knee, I wonder why it's even in the magazine as women our age don't tend to wear that kind of thing. Why can't the models wear clothes that are suitable for our age group. After all, W&H readers are probably in the 35 - 75yr age range aren't they? They want us to buy the magazine and yet they undermine us, that's how I see it!
Yes Jane I am angry and frustrated with W&H over this issue. W&H on high even went and deleted two postings of my red post above from the Food and homes forum just now!!!
Sorry but I will be sending my magazines to the doctors surgery as I think it will get more circulation there and they are always asking for magazines.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said you wanted clothes to suit us not matter what our size. I have a 18 years old teenage daughter and I personally certainly don't want to up stage or dress in her type of clothes and take her style!
There are plenty of magazines for the teenagers with fashion articles suitable for them so why not W&H for us 40 + ladies. After all that is what this magazine says is its age group and is aim at!!!
dbverycherry
It's OK folks I am getting off my PMT soap box now 
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cupcake
member
Reged: 15/02/2008
Posts: 2910
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Jane, I'm sure you're lovely. And I'm sure the young models don't intimdate you! Why on earth would they!
Personally there is no way on this earth I would want to go back to those insecure and angst ridden days of my late teens! I'm just not bothered that they use 18 year olds or whatever. Don't know whether I might wear some of the clothes they would wear though, it would depend what they were like really. Lots of clothes can be worn by any age group, just depends how you wear them!
Lets face it the models generally are lovely to look at. The clothes hang well. And it is all a bit of a fantasy anyway isn't it? Surely the idea of the magazine is a little bit of escapism. You are buying into a look and a lifestyle if only for a few hours and for only a few quid.
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Jane2008
member
Reged: 08/01/2008
Posts: 2442
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Debbie, it’s the same with Lorraine Kelly on LK Today and Phil and Fern on the This Morning programme. They almost always have size 8, 18 year olds modelling clothes that are quite unsuitable for woman aged 35+. Why do they do this?
I THINK THIS KIND OF ATTITUDE IS BOTH AGEIST AND SIZEIST. WE SHOULD PUT A STOP TO IT, AS WE ARE CLEARY BEING UNDERMINED!!!!
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