Verily Magazine: A classier Cosmo?

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
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For those of us who think culture is everything, Verily Magazine comes as a welcome addition to the women’s magazine genre.

There are many reasons for this. First, imagine you have a daughter. In a world where unrealistic body images are ubiquitous — and where too many young women feel they can’t live up to the images portrayed in most magazines — Verily’s PR manager and contributing editor Ashley Crouch has a promise for you: “We’ll never photoshop the face or body structure of our models.”

Verily, Crouch tells me over coffee at DC’s Union Station, is about “challenging the perceptions of what people think is beautiful.” (Actually, the magazine is full of glossy photos of attractive people. But those people are real people with real bodies who come in real sizes. And, unlike a lot of fashion magazines, they tend to be fully clothed.)

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While there will always be a market for looking at pictures of attractive people in stylish clothes, what kind of content will the magazine offer? Expect articles on everything from networking and etiquette and hospitality advice, to online daring. Or as Crouch puts it: “Fashion that is worthy of the woman — and strong cultural and lifestyle journalism.”

Of course, a lot of women’s magazines ostensibly aspire to such noble callings, only to end up delivering “10 Sex Tips From R. Kelly.”

“Many women’s magazines present a one-dimensional perspective when it comes to women, in terms of being hyper-sexual,” Crouch says. “We give holistic coverage.” If you’re sick of salacious and vapid content, then this is the magazine for you.

Matt K. Lewis