MEN'S STYLE: The Laddie Mags by Brett Singer You've seen them. You may even subscribe to them. Like your buddies, they have short, easy-to-remember names. Stuff. Gear. Maxim. Bodacious, navel-baring babes grace their covers. But apart from the eye candy, can a guy get any fashion tips from the latest crop of men's magazines, or is it best to stick with tried-and-true GQ? To find out, I took a few issues home for a closer look. So can a swank man like me (who, as we know, every girl is crazy for) really expect to glean worthwhile fashion advice from a mag that, for instance, goes by the name of Stuff? Absolutely, according to the staffer I spoke with. "Every issue has two 8-10 page fashion spreads," says Loren Talbot, a researcher at the testosterone-charged newcomer. Stuff is stocked with “ultramodern” fashion, according to Talbot, and features new designers like 33 Degrees, Lyrics, Ragtag and Bush Babies. It also lists the price of each piece, from $28 for a Calvin Klein t-shirt to, well, more than that. If Stuff is any indication, the folks at the guys’ glossies not only want to dangle attractive women in front of their readers, they want to help guys look good enough to maybe date some of them. Let’s see if they’ve succeeded: Details Fashion clearly takes a backseat to features at this boy bible. The one style spread buried in the May issue features guys and gals rock-climbing, and the scenery overshadows the clothes. Grade: C FHM The name of this newbie is as British as its roots (think "HMV" or "FCUK"). For Him Magazine has a surprisingly solid selection of clothes. Eschewing traditional fashion spreads, its section is nicely laid out, with concise descriptions of each reasonably priced piece. At this point, the last thing America needs is another men’s mag, but if we have to, FHM isn’t a bag guy to get to know. Grade: B+ Maxim This British import gets big points for (a) making a nice transition to the US, and (b) persuading every new nymphet who comes around the bend to pose for its covers. The “MaximWear” section is a smorgasbord of style -- offbeat photo spreads ("Beach Golf") and quick, itemized fashion picks (including a photo, description and price). Overall, it’s pretty darn good, and if that Amazon woman’s a golfer, I need to switch country clubs. Grade: B+ Gear Thinner than its beefy brothers, Gear is also the sloppiest of the bunch -- the June issue’s cover is badly lit and features some little-known French actress. The spreads, however, are enormously clever. One features kickboxing. Another, titled "Primary Colors", is a fantasy about Bert Shrub, a candidate on the campaign trail, complete with a scene of an illicit affair. Art imitates life once again -- the model playing his wife is hotter than the object of his cheating affections. Grade: A- Stuff This guy would win even if the June/July 2000 issue didn’t have a free CD stuck to it (a good one, too, with Sisqo, Method Man, LL Cool J, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and more!). The fashion section ("Instant Cool") is conveniently located in the back, so you just have to scan through the Lucy Lawless pics to get there. The focus is on clothes, not bucolic backgrounds, and I could actually picture myself wearing some of them -- imagine! Grade: A So which should you buy? If your shoulder is killing you from schlepping your laptop, stick with Gear (then hit the gym). Otherwise, go with Stuff -- this month it more than pays for its cover price with that free CD. Then, rip out what you like and head to inshop to find it all on sale! back to writing samples