Vogue September 1, 1925 Cover

This September 1, 1925, Vogue cover has a simplistic, elegant quality. It features modernist characteristics such as the main rectangle, which is reflective of a modernist use of geometric shapes. “VOGUE” is displayed in a sans-serif font. However, one can note that the thin stroke lacks the boldness of many instances of modernist typography.

Vogue, being a luxury magazine, was meant to target wealthier women. The cover depicts a fashionable, lavishly dressed woman who we can relate to an emerging idea of the time, the “New Woman.”

According to Ruth Bordin, author of Alice Freeman Palmer: The Evolution of a New Woman, the phrase “New Woman” was first used by Henry James, who meant to characterize American expatriates residing in Europe. His view of the “New Woman” was an affluent one, who, either in spite of her wealth or due to her wealth, displayed a liberated personality and had a habit of acting on her own.

The stylish figure illustrated here reflects the concept of an independent, self-assured woman and ties it and femininity to luxury and glamour. The “New Woman” lifestyle it presents is one related to consumerism and those who could afford such luxuries. It is not so inclusive to women of the working class.