How has the representation of women on the front covers of women's magazines changed over time?

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How has the representation of women on the front covers of women’s magazines changed over time?

The main purpose of women’s magazines is to advise and entertain. The representation of women on the front covers of these magazines has changed over time due to the time set and circumstances during this time.

Magazine covers from 1920-1930 portray women as sensible, posh and generally quite boring compared to today’s standards. This is partly due to the era, where social class would be considered more important than looks, men and glamour. On the front of one magazine is a woman wearing posh clothes playing golf. This would essentially be a man’s game, so it is unusual for a woman to be playing it. This shows the superiority of the way women see themselves to men. In an edition of ‘College humour’ magazine, the model on the front is pretty and is posing similarly to how models pose on the front covers of magazines today. A main difference between magazines in this era compared to others is that no articles or sell lines are featured on the cover. The only text is the title, price and some have a punch line at the bottom.

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Magazines from 1950-1960 show a different approach. In this era, there was a general change in the way women are represented due to the end of the second world war. Women were shown to be more autonomous as they had important jobs during this period. This is reflected in the magazines, where women are noticed for their work. Magazines show the importance of family, which would be considered significant after the war. There are some magazines that show glamorous women on the front, a step forward from the 1920s, but not as glamorous as magazines today. The women on ...

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