Looking For Unique Magazines? These 8 Will Have You Swooning

Confession time: I used to have a whole ritual around the September issue of Vogue — drop the kiddos off at school, turn off my phone, put classical music on the radio, make a cup of coffee, place a few snickerdoodles or shortbread on a pretty saucer, snuggle into my favorite spot on the couch, and read every page of the mag. Sometimes twice.

The combination of aspirational editorial images sandwiched between glossy advertisements made for a thrilling afternoon. Would I buy a $20,000 timepiece because a beautiful young starlet wore it? Not at all. But thumbing through the pages gave me a similar type of buzz as my coffee.

I’m not so into Vogue these days (September issue or otherwise). I still love discovering new magazines, though. Whether it’s a glossy fashion tome, a cooking-centered title, a thoughtful lifestyle edit, or an arty, international romp, these unique magazines offer new insight into modern themes.

Kinfolk

You can’t have a list of magazines without Kinfolk. The quarterly magazine dedicated to the art of slow living launched in 2011 and quickly changed culture. Sure, Kinfolk didn’t invent eating outside under fairy lights, but the photos tinged with muted beige colors, soft contrast and dreamy edits took over Instagram and Pinterest.

Self Service

Founded in 1994, Self Service is the magazine equivalent of a stylish college professor. Smart, sleek, and unapologetically Fashion with a capital F, the unique magazine has had everyone from actual royalty (Monaco’s Charlotte Casiraghi) to fashion royalty (Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen) on its cover.

The Gentlewoman

The London-based lifestyle publication launched in 2010 as a sister mag to Fantastic Man. The Gentlewoman quickly became a fashion darling, with no shortage of megawatt cover stars: Simone Biles, Kirsten Dunst, Allison Janney, Beyonce, Adele, writer Zadie Smith, filmmaker Sofia Coppola, and the iconic Angela Lansbury.

Cereal

A distinctive magazine that sees travel and lifestyle as an art form, every page of unique Bath-based Cereal magazine is visually stunning and worthy of framing. Check out the mag’s curated seasonal playlists for a taste of the Cereal life. 

Racquet

A relative newbie to the market with only 10 issues to date, Racquet takes a high view of tennis. Not a sports fan? You don’t have to be, as the publication looks at everything from tennis personalities, to clubs, to sportswear. Printed in Washington state, the magazine aims to “celebrate the art, ideas, style and culture that surround tennis.” For a taste of the Racquet life, pop over to the magazine’s podcast and listen to interviews with everyone from tennis legend Chris Evert to Emmy-award winning actor Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black).

More or Less

A unique magazine with a thoroughly modern take: to promote and advocate for sustainability in the fashion space. More Or Less features stories ranging from environmental activism (How To Build A Bee Hotel) to women’s health (the environmental harm of disposable feminine hygiene products) to entertainment (legendary rap group Beastie Boys and thrift store shopping).

Cherry Bombe

This ain’t Food & Wine. Cherry Bombe takes the food mag formula and turns it on its head, presenting recipes and explainer articles as if they were spreads in fashion glossies. Tune into the podcast Radio Cherry Bombe for thoughtful pieces on food, food culture, and its effect on pop culture.

Apartamento

A biannual magazine about interiors that doesn’t pretend to live in pristine palaces (as the photo of knitwear designer Tiphaine DeLussy’s bathroom attests), Apartamento balances the aspirational with the relatable with charm to spare. Grab a cuppa and read the mag’s interview with Black skateboarder Beatrice Domond or leisurely scroll through the publication’s Instagram page.

What are your favorite unique magazines? Have you read any of these? Let us know in the comments!

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