Summertime Reading...

I am voraciously reading my way through the summer...which now explains why I haven't been sewing my heart out, eh? (that and I couldn't possibly use another skirt...well, unless I find that perfect fabric...)

Among all the books I've been devouring, my mother also found and gave me a wonderful vintage Cosmo magazine...coming direct to you from October 1957. It is the special law issue...with such highlights as "When to Sue" and "Model Prisons"...the one thing I notice that's lacking is any kind of wild girl sex tips or how to catch/keep a/your man. Not to mention the Cosmo Quiz...there's no Cosmo Quiz?!?! Then again, there's hardly a Cosmo Quiz now...a group of us used to go over to Dina's once a month to all take the Cosmo Quiz, and they've just cut it down to about four questions now anyway...

I love that the cover is a hand painted picture instead of a photograph (that's Kim Novak by the way...apparently she's Sinatra's Pal in "Pal Joey") and the advertisements in the magazine are priceless. The whole back cover is full of Pulp Fiction Books you can get for free just by sending in the coupon! (that's $16.90 worth of books folks...in modern prices adjusted for inflation and collectible value, I figured that would be about $107.98) There's an ad for Martini & Rossi Imported Sweet Vermouth (and I didn't even know they made that...but I highly recommend their Austi Spumanti) There's also various body slimmers (one even being called "the magic button" hee hee) push up bras, chin straps and wrinkle fixers...you can also buy Colored Burlap, because apparently it's Gone Modern (free samples on request) There's even an ad for Columbia...but instead of them sending you free CD's to join their club...it's free records instead!!

My favorite ad is the one for the RelaxAsizor...not only did I read about it in Vogue (apparently) but I can reduce my hips, waist, and tummy...with No Diet! I just lie back, read my magazine and let it do its work. Not to be outdone by Mr. Stauffer's "magic couch" of course!

Funny as well are the amount of advertisements for baby things and one slant board to give you "the body you had when you were 21!" So, I think they're target market has changed somewhat within the last few years, wouldn't you say? I mean, sometimes when I look at more recent issues of Cosmo...I actually feel a little "old" to be reading...

But, it's still a fun and sassy magazine indeed...no matter what the era is.

And, there is this tiny part of me that really wants to send the coupons in the ads in to the addresses posted...just to see if I could get more of a part of the past back...This would probably explain why I love to hunt to find all things vintage, eh? A constant love affair with a part of life that I didn't have the chance to see...Thank goodness for old magazines!