That ain't a magazine, Montage

"The brand new Montage magazine is out now!" declared an email I received last week. Ooh, the womenswear cataloguer was switching to a magazine format. The only thing I love more than catalogues is magazines, so I was delighted when I arrived home a few days later to find my new Montage magazine in my pile of post.

But Montage and I apparently differ when it comes to the definition of "magazine". I believe that a magazine needs to include some sort of editorial content. The Montage "magazine" features nothing of the sort. The email promised "special features on occasion wear, international fashion and those all important holiday items!" The "magazine" delivered only product shots and product descriptions, most of which were bare-bones at best.

The thing is, Montage could easily have created some editorial to transform its catalogue into, at the very least, a magalogue/catazine. A page of advice regarding the best styles of dress for your body type or the best hues for your colouring; merchandisers' picks of the new party clothes and how to accessorise them; a behind-the-scenes look at a fashion shoot; even a horoscope pegged to which sandals are best for your star sign: Any of these would have set the new Montage apart from the old version.

As it is, I feel that Montage overpromised and underdelivered when it came to its "magazine". And if it overpromised and underdelivered on this, how can I trust that it won't do the same with its merchandise?--SC