REDBOOK Has Always Kept it Real—Now We're Just Taking it Up a Notch

This is our second year of the Real Women Style Awards—those are the winners, right there on our cover!—and I am not exaggerating when I say it's my favorite story ever. 

I particularly love that we're running it in September, the month when fashion magazines feature the most trend-conscious of celebrities and fill their pages with looks from the designer runways. I spent most of my career at those magazines (Harper's Bazaar, W, the late and lamented Lucky), and I love them. But let's be honest: For the vast majority of us—with jobs and busy lives and budgets—those magazines are pure fantasy. So focusing our September issue on style that lives in the real world and reflects the gorgeous mix of American women has been pretty thrilling. 

As much as we love to hear that stars are just like the rest of us (they use shopping carts at the grocery store! they fill their cars with gas!) nobody sincerely believes we all have that much in common. We're aching to see relatable, familiar kinds of bodies and faces reflected back at us from the media, an antidote to the almost alien-like perfection of celebrities and supermodels. Smart brands have known this for years: Dove began using everyday people in their ads back way in 2004, and Lane Bryant got some well-deserved love this year for featuring curvy models in their Cacique lingerie #ImNoAngel campaign. There's something so satisfying about feeling a ping of recognition when you see an actual person (i.e. not a model or actress) in a magazine or on whatever screen you've got in front of you. It's empowering. And frankly, it's a relief. But it wasn't enough for us.

The media spends a lot of time pretending to celebrate diversity, sending up a self-congratulatory cheer whenever a magazine puts someone who isn't pin-thin on a cover. It's a step in the right direction, but it's awfully small. I, for one, don't want to believe that it only takes a famous face or a million-dollar wardrobe or a size-zero body to sell magazines. I know how much Redbook's readers love seeing women who look like them; it's part of the reason that we put so many non-models in the magazine. Frankly, it's far easier to believe that a hairstyle or an outfit or a makeup trick actually works when you see it on someone you can relate to. So why shouldn't that extend to the cover itself? 

I learned a heck of a lot from our Real Women Style Awards winners: they know how to dress on a budget, flatter their figures, and pose for a photograph like nobody's business. Plus, I think they're every bit as stunning as any actress or singer or model. They're not just beautiful because of the way they look, they're beautiful because they're confident. They're relatable. They embrace who they are, no apologies. And they deserve their space on the newsstand next to the Rihannas and Kim Kardashians of the world.

For those of us who will never have a personal shopper or glam squad, it's a satisfying moment. Do I hope this issue sells gangbusters? Well, of course I do. But for me, the most gratifying thing is being able to give real women a place to shine. Because look around you—they are shining everywhere.

JENIESE HOSEY on midi skirts: "So many curvy women think volume is bad, but long, full skirts are flattering with a boxy crop top or fitted tee."

CASSIE FREEMAN on how she effortlessly achieves big, Texas hair: "I like my hair big—I'm from Texas!—but a little mussed up. So I wash and curl it every few days, then use baby powder as dry shampoo in between."

CHRISTINE BUZAN on wearing your favorite pieces as often as you want: "Don't save 'special' pieces for occasions. Wear and enjoy things you love often; they can be repaired. I've gotten my favorite boots resoled every fall for the past eight years."

PSYCHE SOUTHWELL on her love on bold lipstick: "Pink, red and purple look great on brown skin. I also never leave the house without blush and mascara."

MARIJA KROSNJAR on the power of a great trench: "Outerwear is how Chicagoans make a statement. A trench is always in style and goes with everything."

NIKKI FRENNEY-WIGGINS on what inspires her fashion choices: "When I walk into a room, I want people to think, 'She's fun, she's approachable, she loves life.' That's how I like to dress."

Now, we know you've got loads of real style to share too. Show the world your favorite looks using the hashtag #ThisIsRealStyle on Instagram this week and we'll regram you!

To get more style tips from these fierce women, pick up of a copy of REDBOOK on newsstands August 18. And, in the meantime, you can hear from them yourselves:

Meredith Rollins

Meredith Rollins is the editor-in-chief of REDBOOK, where she's been since 2010. She's worked at a bunch of fashion magazines, has two little boys, and likes to shop... maybe a little too much.