GQ: A Stylish Cut Above the Usual Men's Mag

Unlike Maxim, Stuff, FHM and the rest of the new breed of men's magazines, GQ is in a class of its own, with a more style-conscious, upscale leaning than its upstart competitors. [It tends to be heftier than those mags, as well: Special issues, like the 'Men of the Year' annual, weigh in at as many as 500 pages, which- despite an abundance of ads- includes a wealth of interesting stories and photos]. Unlike its more glib offspring, which tend to rely on short, candy-ish items on sexy women, GQ focuses more on men of style and substance. Investigative reports by experienced, skilled journalists also separate GQ from other fashion-oriented magazines, which are often visually appealing but short on journalistic content. With its consistently strong photos, layout and design, GQ is handsomely ahead of the pack. For those less interested in fashion and more interested in journalism, Esquire is a good alternative choice. And readers after flashy, voyeuristic flair might be best served elsewhere, but GQ readers will be rewarded for their restraint with the occasional raunchy- but refined- spread. GQ seems aimed at the over-30 male, but the mag's assortment of model males apparently appeals to women as well, since they seem to be well represented in the magazine's readership. Overall, GQ is a stylish, elegant read that stands apart from its newer, splashier, offspring. A good choice for the style-conscious male reader.

The men's magazine for "men of letters"....

GQ is still the definitive men's style magazine, but it's also much more. The monthly mixology column is slowly helping me build a bartenders guide that is informative as well as useful, The Style Guy is keeping me from looking like an idiot, and the fiction and features are keeping me full of interesting stories to help me sing for my supper. The bottom line is this: if you want a magazine with guy advice... but don't want something as snarky or "hip" as Maxim or FHM then GQ has just the kind of class you're looking for.

Actually about 2 1/2 stars

The style in this magazine is incredible; it's expensive and very fashionable, with the occasional cheap item to cater to the peasant reader (i.e., everyone).

That said, the magazine is rife with flaws. Snobbish east-coast writing, awful music that is lauded for no reason other than its anonymity, still worse book reviews of Norman Mailer-style authors, shrill articles by naive hacks, and so on.

The clothes are great, but buy with caution.