Singaporebrides | Editors' Notes
September 2012
The Colour Purple
Any girl past the age of 18 must have religiously bought and read at least two different magazine titles. I remember how I would always hover like a bee over the nearest magazine stand on the second week of every month to be the first few to buy the latest issues of my favourites. I especially love the smell of the paper stock fresh from the printers and the feel of the glossy magazine covers.
Ialso remember having to save up a few days’ allowance just to buy an imported copy of Cosmopolitan; this was way before magazines became digital and before magazine titles from the US and UK were so easily available here (am I revealing my age?). Cosmo was coveted not only for its fashion stories, but also for its sections on relationships and sex. It was the women’s magazine of my time, and the fact that it came sealed in plastic and a warning sticker made it all the more delicious to read.
But Cosmo hasn’t always been that way. It started out in the late 1800s as a family magazine before evolving into a literary magazine a few short years later. However, magazine sales started to decline in the 1950s and circulation dropped from its peak at 2 million to slightly less than 1 million by 1965. Then, Helen Gurley Brown came into the picture and reversed Cosmo‘s fortunes. An outspoken advocate of women’s sexual freedom, the new editor-in-chief sought to turn Cosmo into a women’s magazine and provide young women with role models and controversial articles on how men and women are equals when it comes to sex and power. Her timing was perfect, and Cosmo became a medium for sexual revolution in the US. Helen Gurley Brown was editor-in-chief of Cosmo US for 32 years, then became international editor of all 59 international editions of Cosmo until August 2012, when she passed away at 90.
So it was no accident that last issue, we introduced two articles on sex, which made it to our Popular Posts in a very short time. I really hope to do more articles in this area, because sex is as much an emotional union as marriage is. As Helen Gurney Brown says, “If only one of you is in the mood, do it. Even if sex isn’t great every time, it’s a unique form of communication and togetherness that can help you stay together with a good degree of contentment.”
In celebration of Helen Gurley Brown’s contribution to sexual equality, our colour theme for this issue will be Wisteria, a lovely shade of purple, which is a union of two opposites: red and blue, warm and cold. This mysterious and sensual colour is a favourite for weddings, and is also one of my favourite shades of purple.
Follow our Pinterest board “Wisteria” for ideas on how you can incorporate this colour into your wedding theme.
XOXO,
Michelle Tay
The Editor
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates!