Winter in Vogue

November 20, 2014 8:14 AM

Thirty images of winter, created over the past century by Vogue magazine.
posted by orange swan (20 comments total)

Some of those outfits look a tad bit impractical. If you want to see how women actually dress during wintertime, come to Minnesota in January. It all parkas, all the time! :D
posted by surazal at 8:24 AM on November 20, 2014

Spoiler: Lots of rich white people skiing.
posted by maryr at 8:25 AM on November 20, 2014 [5 favorites]

Vogue: Some of those outfits look a tad bit impractical.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:28 AM on November 20, 2014 [10 favorites]

It's not just the outfits themselves; whatever photographer decided that fur jacket + contrast leggings + kufi beanie (a little much, but OK, I'm going with it) had to be enhanced by ice axe + crampons + jumping should put the coke down for a minute.

Also, serious safety concerns there. I refuse to believe she didn't trip and go flying with axe in hand at least once.
posted by psoas at 8:44 AM on November 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

Of course they look impractical.

It's Vogue winter, not REAL winter.

They aren't going to run a picture of me in a humungous coat and terrifying ninja-looking balaclava raising my middle fingers impotently toward the sky, torrents of profanity stilled as they freeze to my facemask.
posted by louche mustachio at 8:45 AM on November 20, 2014 [10 favorites]

I kind of love this one, with the added bonus of the outfits seeming at least somewhat practical for skiing.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:49 AM on November 20, 2014

Of course they look impractical.

It's Vogue winter, not REAL winter.

They aren't going to run a picture of me in a humungous coat and terrifying ninja-looking balaclava raising my middle fingers impotently toward the sky, torrents of profanity stilled as they freeze to my facemask.


No, but if they did, I would totally subscribe to that magazine. Frozen Rictus of Horror monthly.
posted by Kitteh at 8:49 AM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]

Vogue fashion is to regular fashion what Warhammer 40K is to a real armor. Realism is not the point.

Setting aside the (admittedly considerable) burden of classist/gender/racial/body - related concerns of Vogue, I really appreciate that there is a throughline of deco modernism apparent in the few cover collections that I've seen.
posted by Think_Long at 8:50 AM on November 20, 2014 [4 favorites]

and then you get to the nineties and suddenly it's David Bowie I guess
posted by Think_Long at 8:56 AM on November 20, 2014

Perfect Throwback Thursday fodder for the ski industry. I love how things get more impractical as time progresses.
posted by furtive at 8:56 AM on November 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

VOGUE WINTER AS A PROXY FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: A Visual History
posted by oceanjesse at 9:05 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

How does Vogue suggest I dress for a Class 3 Kill Storm?
posted by msbutah at 9:08 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

I love the illustrated covers. I wish magazines still did fashion illustration covers, at least occasionally.
posted by orange swan at 9:22 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Unless there's a Big Sky Riding Skirt hidden under #26, they'd better swap that saddle out for a sidesaddle. It's a great outfit but there's no way she's doing anything but walking alongside that horse.
posted by Beti at 9:22 AM on November 20, 2014 [2 favorites]

"winter fashion" aka "the blood in the boogers frozen to my face adds a delightful splash of color to the monotone palette of slush-covered black"
posted by poffin boffin at 9:50 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm very amused by the fact that they skip straight from the 70s to the 90s and don't have anything from the 80s at all. It's almost like I can see the whole editorial staff peering cautiously at some of the possible photos from the 80s and then shutting the file with a snap and saying "let's just pretend it never happened."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:01 AM on November 20, 2014 [7 favorites]

I'm disappointed they skipped from 1970 to 1995. The 1970s and 1980s were the best fashion decades EVAR for the purposes of making fun, pointing and/or laughing.
posted by Sophie1 at 10:02 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

Also, if you like this kind of thing, Vogue UK has a covers archive that goes all the way back to 1916, assuming the glitchy interface works for you. Go to the 20's to mid 30's if illustrated moderne is your jam.
posted by Think_Long at 10:18 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm very amused by the fact that they skip straight from the 70s to the 90s and don't have anything from the 80s at all. It's almost like I can see the whole editorial staff peering cautiously at some of the possible photos from the 80s and then shutting the file with a snap and saying "let's just pretend it never happened."

It's because everyone just kept trying to snort the mountains.
posted by Kitteh at 10:21 AM on November 20, 2014 [5 favorites]

TBH, if we're going to complain about practicality, we should go straight to #29.
posted by maryr at 11:03 AM on November 21, 2014 [1 favorite]