To fit into the slim silhouettes of the thirties, editor Elizabeth Penrose endorsed starvations diets: ones where the dieter's duties involved staying in bed and a strict daily food regimen of eight to ten oranges a day.
Lucky for Ditto, Vogue's current editor, Alexandra Shulman probably wouldn't sanction such archaic methods of weight-loss, regardless of the vitamin c involved. Which is why Ditto, wrapped in skin-tight gold Lame, is one of the main attractions in Vogue's June 2007 issue.
Though societal rather than editorial progression are more responsible for these kinds of changes--lawsuits prompted by media encouraged eating disorders were yet to be in fashion--Vogue has indeed changed shape under Shulman's reign, and not just in relation to body types.
Ironically enough, first on the chopping board was Vogue's "Living and Food" section, one which lived on with Elizabeth Tilberis's Vogue until her departure.
Previously criticized for her frumpy appearance, Shulman first arrived to the Vogue scene in April 1992, an unlikely replacement for constantly Chanel clad Tilberis, who had hopped the pond for Harper's Bazaar. Her journey to the top of Vogue, which Shulman describes as "serendipitous," was unexpected.
It was when Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune turned down the offer to replace Tilberis that the job found its way onto Shulman's lap; of course, previously working for Tattler, Over 21, GQ and as a features editor for Tilberis may have had something to do with it.'
Describing herself as first and foremost a journalist, Shulman's Vogue certainly reflects this depiction. The magazine is chalked with meatier features, as Shulman prefers to contextualize pictures with words. "I like to featurize fashion, adding a story to give it another dimension, not just showing very expensive clothes floating around that people can't afford," she says in a New York Times interview.
Wanting to move away from Vogue's old elitist attitude, Shulman was keen on expanding the magazine to a wider audience by gearing it towards shopping rather than just shopping inspiration. "I do what I think works here," she explains.
More often than not, what Shulman thinks works. Though she caused a scare when running Vogue's first high street issue ("The end of Vogue as they knew it"), the high street has now become an integral part of the magazine.
But as Vogue's advertising space is still the most expensive among its competitors, the magazine maintains its high fashion credibility; a sign of leftover elitism that is no doubt still part of Vogue's charm.
Besides a warm reception to the high street, Shulman also took editorial risks. In 1992, she published a Susan Mower article on Pulitzer Prize winner, Susan Faludi, notorious for criticizing publications like Vogue for denigrating the feminist movement.
While her selection of informative articles serves as the glossy's intellectual fodder, Shulman isn't ignorant of the big picture: knowing what sells. The September 2006 issue, featuring top model Kate Moss as the cover girl, was the second highest selling issue in Vogue's history. It's no surprise that Moss has appeared on the cover 23 times. "She sells copies," Shulman says matter of factly.
Though critics may have wanted an overtly style savvy Vogue leader, one cannot dispute Vogue's success under Shulman's watchful eye. Selling more than 220 000 copies each month, Vogue's readership is double that of Tattler and Harper's Bazaar.
To her detractors, Shulman answers, "I can't have edited Vogue for 16 years without having been engaged with fashion."