Warmer and fuzzier; writer Leanne Delap parses Canada's big 3 fashion mags for their character

"Fortunately, being a bitch is so last season."

 With that, former Fashion magazine editor-in-chief (2000 - 2003) and Globe and Mail fashion writer Leanne Delap has created a profile of the Canadian fashion magazine industry in the National Post, painting a picture of fashionistas who are warmer and fuzzier than their American cousins (think The Devil Wears Prada). 

Here's how she characterizes the largest Canadian fashion titles:

Flare: "Flare bills itself as “Canada’s fashion authority” and waves the flag highest. It also has a girl-next-door wholesomeness because while the fashion spreads are sophisticated, the pieces singled out in the shopping pages are more budget-conscious than in competing titles. This is the girl you invite to your dinner party knowing you will get a thank-you note the next day.

Fashion: "The title has editions in Montreal and Vancouver, and the online identity is much more service-oriented than the national publication. This is the aspirational title of the CanCon three. If she were a dinner party guest, [editor Bernadette]Morra’s Fashion would be seated to the right of the host."

Elle Canada:  "Elle is an international brand and there is less leeway to invent a new identity, but the Canadian Elle girl is a sassy and irreverent dinner party guest, comfortable discussing her sex life and veering to the more youthful fashions at any age."