Ever heard of Skirt! Magazine? Don’t feel bad if you have not. I personally hadn’t before two of their employees came to speak at magazine club last week. It isn’t published everywhere, and the cover art is, well, art, unlike the photographs of celebrities we are all used to seeing.
In fact, at first glance I did not realize that Skirt! Magazine was indeed a magazine. The unusually large size of it (12 by 18 inches), considerable amount of white space on the cover and matte print give it more of a coupon book look rather than that of a traditional magazine.
Is its appearance the product of a conscious effort to make the magazine stand out by being different, or was this simply a way of saving money? I do not know, and I’m not sure that it works artistically, but what I do know is that the magazine’s uniqueness allows it to reach a broad audience. It doesn’t confine itself to the typical gossip that sells. I mean, really, how many different ways can Martha Stewart decorate an Easter egg, and how many new sex positions can Cosmopolitan think up? Actually, don’t answer that.
Skirt!’s popularity comes from its ability to appeal to both a grandmother and a teenager at the same time and in a fresh way. The ads and articles do not focus on a specific age group, and the content of the magazine, although always about women, is so diverse, that it would be hard for a woman to pick up the magazine and not be able to make at least one personal connection to it.
Also, the way that Skirt! designs its own ads for companies instead of using the same world-wide ad makes the reader feel special, as if the magazine has been tailored to specifically appeal to her.
Ladies, if you’ve been looking to connect with other wonderful females, than this magazine is for you. Don’t be afraid to put on that skirt, and enjoy the power of femininity.
