It's that time of year where we tally all the prices in fashion magazines' September issues to determine which one has the most expensive shit. This year, it looks like the recession (sorta) had an effect on ladymags' editorial selections!

Due to general fatigue, this year, we decided that we'd only add up the prices in major high fashion magazine players, meaning: Harper's Bazaar, Elle, and Vogue. The process was tedious, but we uncovered a mystery, learned that jodhpurs are the "it" pant of the season, and discovered other surprising results. Please note that this was not the most scientific of ventures (we didn't call designers for numbers on the various "price upon request" items featured in the magazines) but we did make an easily digestible chart on how the ladymags' selections compared to last year's:


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It looks like both Elle and Harper's Bazaar editors shifted their focus from expensive apparel to pricey bags and shoes, which have apparently doubled in cost since last year. In fact, it looks like Vogue is the only magazine that reduced its prices during the recession. Then again, the lower totals and averages could be attributed to mere laziness, because a significant portion of the items featured were, as mentioned above, "price upon request." For your amusement, below, a sampling of the magazines' most expensive and the cheapest items in the four major expensive shit categories.

Harper's Bazaar:
Apparel: Cheapest - Gap shirt, $14.50; Most Expensive - Fendi jacket, $40,800
Accessories: Cheapest - H&M ring $5.95; Most Expensive - Van Cleef & Arpels ring set, $335,000
Beauty: Cheapest - RickyCare retro small bobby pins, $1.99; Most Expensive - NuFace Microcurrent Device, $325
Other: Cheapest - $25 Michael Kors Limited Edition scented pen; Most Expensive - Hermès magnifying glass, $410

Elle
Apparel: Cheapest - Gap tee, $15, Most Expensive - Balmain Dress, $28,080
Accessories: Cheapest - Victoria Secret stockings, $13; Most Expensive DVH by H. Stern bracelet, $198,000
Beauty: Cheapest - Murrays pomade, $3; Most Expensive - RSession Nalu Waver (a curling iron), $180
Other: Cheapest - Vie Lux Scented Candle $45; Most Expensive - Gibson Guitar, $3,749

Vogue
Apparel: Cheapest - American Apparel tank, $29; Most Expensive - John Galliano Padded Wool Skirt, $17,715
Accessories: Cheapest - Falke socks, $18; Most Expensive, Lanvin zibeline-wool and cashmere scarf, $10,135
Beauty: Cheapest - Cover Girl foundation, $4; Most Expensive - Secret de vie perfume by Lancome, $240
Other: Cheapest - La Roux CD, $24; Most Expensive - Skepshultt V-bike, $1,250

The Winner: Vogue, for being too lazy (or too Charles B. Rangel) to affix a price to each item.

Send an email to Cheryl, the author of this post, at cherylmcampbell@gmail.com.