My favorite time of year, fall is quickly approaching, and with fall comes my favorite month of fashion mag’s, the September issues.  Although a lot leaner than their sister books of yesteryear, it’s still the most coveted issue of the year, stocked with all the essential must haves for the coming fall and holiday season. However, equally as important is who graces the cover. This season, all three major books “Vogue,” “Harper’s,” and “Elle,” feature women, all of whom are in their forty’s.

Halle Berry, at forty-three shot by Mario Testino, is the first African-American woman since Naomi Campbell, the first black woman in 1989 to grace the cover of American “Vogue.” Berry’s deco-esque portfolio is filled with vivid film noir styled images, which feature her classic beauty and powerful screen presence. http://www.vogue.com

“Harper’s Bazaar,” features the forty-one year old Jennifer Aniston, shot by Mark Seliger, doing an impressive homage to her personal favorite Barbara Streisand, and her inimitable style. http://www.harpersbazaar.com

“Elle,” which of late has focused more towards a younger demographics, has the forty-two year old “Eat Pray Love” star Julia Roberts, on three separate covers, shot by Alexei Hay, Tom Munro, and Carter Smith. http://www.elle.com

So what’s prompted this trend. All three covers feature actors, that women today can relate to as parents, spouses, and career driven individuals. Women are no longer buying the Madison Avenue example of what they should be, but understand clearly who they are, and have grown tired of seeing images of sixteen and seventeen year old models as well as reality TV stars, marketing and selling them products. As women live longer and healthier lives, their perception of how they see themselves continues to change.

In these tepid economic times, women are still resilient, confident, and style conscious.
They insist on being taken seriously.