Review: In Retrospect Magazine

In Retrospect magazine

A little while back I was approached by photographer and editor Mathew Keller to see if I would do a review of the magazine In Retrospect. As a subscriber already I, of course, jumped at the chance but it’s taken me a while to get my butt in gear and actually do it.

In Retrospect magazine covers

In Retrospect is a quarterly periodical that focuses on all things old, old fashioned or retro styled. It covers all aspects of the vintage life from fashion, culture, design, social history, music, travel and much more. Their tagline ‘A Modern Magazine for Old Fashioned People’ describes them perfectly and is something that really resonates with me, which is why I ended up immediately ordering the latest edition when I first came across them.

Mathew, along with other familiar names from the vintage scene, pin-up model Ava Aviación, award-winning blogger G. M. Norton and mid-century enthusiast Rebecca Mountfield (better known as Bookish Becca), make up the truly original editorial team. They cleverly take the best of both worlds using modern techniques to create a wonderfully stylish magazine and filling it with oodles of interesting pieces with their feet planted firmly in the past.

Vintage fashion spread

Each beautiful A4 edition is generously packed with a whopping 130 pages making it a really weighty magazine and, unlike many other magazines, there is a much larger percentage of actual content compared to the advertising. The cover has a matt finish and inside every page is lovely and glossy which makes you want to display it on your coffee table for everyone to flip through. This all adds up to a read where you absolutely get your money’s worth.

Men's vintage fashion article

The fashion articles cover both men and women’s styles and there’s both photoshoot spreads set in perfectly suited locations and in-depth articles covering things like Christian Dior, Make Do & Accessorize, The Pencil Skirt and my personal favourite 1930s Beach Pyjamas. There’s a variety of eras covered but I would say the majority of articles range from the 1930s to the 1950s.

First World War Trench Cake Recipe

You’ll also find long forgotten recipes for both food and drink (the cocktail ones are my favourite!), as well as articles about different vintage crafting hobbies such as knitting and sewing. There’s a great article about sewing from vintage patterns in issue 03, which is a must read if you’re attempting it for the first time. I also really enjoy the travel articles written by fellow blogger Mim McDonald from Crinoline Robot, particularly the Art Deco one she did in the same issue.

The Women Who Flew

You’ll find many a familiar name amongst the writers too, including Gemma Seager from Retro Chick, Theodora Burrow from Theodora Goes Wild and Fleur De Guerre from Diary of a Vintage Girl, so you know each and every article is written by a vintage enthusiast who is really passionate about their subject. I find this sort of thing quite refreshing compared to other magazines where the writers are just names you’ve never heard of. It makes you feel part of it somehow, as if this is a magazine written by your peers for you to enjoy and not just a faceless person telling you what you should wear, what you should look like and how you should behave (sorry, not a fan of women’s magazines!).

Born In The Wrong Era

Another thing that is very different is the In Focus debates feature where the editors get together and discuss a hot topic within the vintage scene. Topics such as ‘Are the 90s Vintage?’ and ‘Born in the Wrong Era?’ are probably discussions we’ve all had with our vintage friends and it’s really great to read other people’s opinions on such subjects as it really gets you thinking about your own views (I won’t go into mine now!).

Vintage Events

This magazine is for people who really like to immerse themselves in the past, who love the history, the culture and ethos of times gone by but also appreciate the benefits of living in the 21st Century. If, like me, you think you’re one of these people then why not check them out at www.inretrospectmagazine.com? You can have a flip through a small selection of the articles from each edition on the website. Subscriptions start from just £12 for 3 issues in the UK but, if you’d prefer to have a read of the latest edition just to make sure, you can also purchase just that copy for £4.50 in the UK or £9.50 elsewhere. I personally cannot wait for issue 05 to come out.

Cate

Just a vintage gal suffering from the Golden Age syndrome. A lover of all things old, especially the 1930s, seamstress, crocheter, maker of hats and enjoys rummaging at flea markets.

8 Comments

  1. Aw, ta for saying you like my features. As with my blog, I pay for all my travel myself, so if I recommend something, I really have put my money where my mouth is.

    • No worries, I really loved that Art Deco one and wanted to go to all of the places you suggested. Burgh Island is definitely on my bucket list, particularly after reading Evil Under The Sun.

  2. Lovely review! This magazine is the bee’s knees! I just love the wide range of voices and opinions present in it, as well as the the thoroughly engaging range of topics, as well as all of the familiar names and faces that grace its pages. I really hope they’re able to keep at ‘er, as they’re one of the loveliest vintage lifestyle mags I’ve encountered.

    ♥ Jessica

    • Thank you Jessica. I really hope they make a success of it. I know how hard it can be to keep producing a magazine of this quality, but I think with the wonderfully passionate vintage community behind them they’ll go from strength to strength. xx

  3. I have the first four issues and am saving them to read on a little break I am having in a few weeks. Your review made me glad I bought them and I am looking forward to enjoying them!

    • Oh, you’ve got so much lovely vintage stuff to get through. Enjoy!

  4. Hi Cate
    Just to say thank you for recommending In Retrospect Magazines.
    I ordered the first 3 back issues and subscribed to the next 3 after reading your blog.
    They arrived this morning and I can’t wait to read them, I have only flicked through them quickly but they look amazing, even better than I had expected.
    I was going to pass them on to a couple of my ‘vintage gal pals’ but think they will have to buy their own as these are definitely ones to keep!

    Thanks again Cate.

    Best Wishes
    Desley

    • Oh I’m so glad you decided to buy them, it really is a fabulous magazine. Enjoy!

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