It is a truth universally acknowledged that lifestyles portrayed in glossy magazines are more aspirational than obtainable, however the total cost of items featured in some Australian publications cost more than a house.
American journalist Noah Veltman calculated that it would cost more than $365,000 to purchase all the items featured in a recent issue of Vogue. A modest sum, we discovered, compared with the same issue of Vogue Australia which included fashion totalling more than $731,000. Just shy of the the median house price in Sydney, which is now about $800,000 according to figures released earlier this week.
Veltman hand-tallied products that were featured with corresponding recommended retail prices on the editorial pages of popular magazines and discovered Vogue was the most expensive, with fewer, more luxurious items while GQ and Cosmopolitan championed the more affordable high street.
Blame the steady Australian dollar or mag lands' disregard for Joe Hockey’s calls for austerity but closer to home, the Australian versions of the magazines were considerably more high-end than their American cousins.
The most expensive item in Vogue Australia was a $74,730 Celine coat and the most affordable was a $45 pair of knickers designed by Stella McCartney, however the model was photographed on an Emilio Pucci fur coat with a $POA price tag – fashion speak for “next month’s rent plus some”.
While Vogue Australia’s editorial and fashion spreads cost more than the average price of a one-bedder in Bondi ($731,182), its News Corp stablemate GQ came in as the next most costly with goods valued at more than $245,000.
Pacific Magazine’s InStyle ($180,906) and Marie Claire ($100,302) placed third and fourth. Bauer Media’s Cosmopolitan rounded out the list with pages of products totalling more than $39,000.
Cost to buy all the products featured on editorial pages:
Vogue Australia - $731,182 v Vogue US - $365,462
GQ Austraila - $245, 386 v GQ US – $91,331
InStyle Australia - $180,906 v InStyle US - $158,490
Marie Claire Australia - $100,302 (Marie Claire US was not included in Veltman’s study)
Cosmopolitan Australia - $39,879 v Cosmopolitan US - $42,835
It's not only the clothing, shoes and accessories which are pricey, an auction house in the UK has since put a price tag on the front row seats at the biggest shows at Milan Fashion Week next February. Bidding for the Fendi, Armani and Prada shows, which are usually reserved for fashion editors, buyers and celebrities, starts at $26,000 or are available outright for $102,000.
