Burda Style US Magazine

I am not sure how many readers have heard that there is a new Burda Style Magazine on the block - the new Burda Style US edition.

Hi August 2012 Peplum Top!

I spy with my little eye... A December 2012 jacket!
And some photos from October 2012 as well...

Looks like the mix-n-match feature will be a part of the US edition as well.

A few things...

1.  It looks as though the US version of the magazine will *gasp* include seam allowances in the pattern tracing sheets.  Whaaaaaaa?

2.  It looks like the magazine will include re-written instructions and not the usual translations.  (Though, I think the translations have been getting better in recent years?)

3.  It looks like you get a mix of paper and digital patterns downloads with the magazine.  (Note: The digital patterns are the same as if you bought them before and do NOT have the fancy new seam allowances added on.)

4.  There look to be articles written on sewing techniques and tools, as well as an introduction to Burda and an article on creating DIY runway looks.

5.  Based on the (very limited) photos I have seen of the cover and Table of Contents pages, all of the patterns and photos look to be re-hashed from the regular 2011-2012 Burda Style magazines.  I will admit that US style seems to follow about a year behind what Burda does, so the looks are very "on trend" at the moment.  And it does look like they chose the most popular/on trend patterns, with a good variety of pieces, so I give them a thumbs up for that.

6.  It looks like they will produce 4 issues per year, so I am assuming that they will continue to use re-print patterns and not have the most current looks from the regular magazine?

7.  One nice thing about this - the English Burda website now has a button on every page that will take you to a page dedicated to telling you how to subscribe to the magazine.  It gives you the new US version info, as well as info for the many other languages the magazine is issued in.  The US issue is $14.99 newsstand price, and a year subscription is $24.99.  Significant savings for a four issue subscription.

My thoughts...

1.  I think having a dedicated US version that they will push into bookstores and craft stores will be good for the magazine.  When I was first getting interested in Burda I only found one book store that carried it.  And then they announced bankruptcy and closed shortly after I found them.  So, a US pattern magazine on shelves gets a yay from me.

2.  I am not a fan of the idea that half the patterns are digital downloads and half are paper.  If I am paying for the magazine, I want them all to be paper.  If I had to I would do it, but printing digital pattens is annoying.

3.  If all the patters are just going to be re-prints I don't have a lot of incentive to buy this magazine.  I would really like to look at a copy, to see how useful/detailed the articles are, but if the fashions and photos are the same, then I already have most of the content.

4.  I don't think there has been enough advertising for this.  You want to know how I found out about it?  Ebay.  Yes, I saw a copy for sale on Ebay a good few weeks before I found the announcement on the English Burda website.  Granted, I spend more time hanging out on the Russian and German websites for news, but still.  Did I miss an email or something?  I saw a tiny announcement on the bottom of the one I got from them today.  I always feel like I am trying to search for news from Burda, but the US website is the worst.  For example, their sewing books?  I found out from other people's sewing blogs about the first one, and the Vintage Modern book I found out about by accident while I was in a bookstore.  At least GLP News sends me a little postcard when they think I will give them money for something, like when they are taking orders for Burda Classics.  Get with the program Burda.  Advertising campaigns!  Try it!

5.  I really hope that the US magazine will not have future impact on getting the normal Burda Style in English.  I am going to assume it won't, as I expect they will still produce the translated version for the non-US English speaking markets (hi Australia, England, and New Zealand!).  And I am going to assume that the US magazine will be more focused on re-prints with seam allowances and re-written instructions than on getting out the latest patterns.

Conclusion:  I think I am going to stick with my crazy good-old-seam-allowance free translated Burda.  I have gotten used to the tracing, the lack of seam allowances, and even the crazy instructions.  And I think it has made me a better seamstress.  If the US magazine had been available when I started sewing I might have gone that route - it seems like it is trying to make Burda more accessible and less intimidating.  But I have gotten used to the real thing and I don't know if there is any going back now.

So, what do you all think?  Would you be more likely to pick up a Burda if you could flip through it in the store first?  Do the seam allowances make it less scary?  What are your thoughts on offering a combination of paper patterns and digital downloads?  Is anyone else curious to read the US version of the instructions?  For those of you who have let your subscriptions lapse - would this less frequent "best of" approach encourage you to pick up the magazine again, even if you are a season behind regular Burda patterns?  If you aren't in the US - do you feel a bit left out by not having your own special country edition?  Let me know your thoughts on this latest Burda development in the comments!