Organic Style Magazine Shuts Down

What a shame - Organic Style was a nice magazine. Despite the fact that it was so narrowly geared to those with great oodles of cash, I always found something of value in it and I always enjoyed its pleasant tone. I agree the changes over the past year must have played a big role in its failure - over the past six or seven months, the magazine became increasingly difficult to find.

I quit subscribin when the format changed. I didn't need another shopping mag.

Awwww, yay, I helped :) I didn't find out about the magazine until after the changes had been made (as far as the reformat), so I have no idea what the magazine was like before.

I'm sorry it's folding I suppose, but I was never personally particularly impressed with the magazine. I grew up on Organic Gardening in the Mike McGrath days, and Organic Style seemed incredibly airy fairy in comparison - like they took the worst of the worst from women's & lifestyle magazines and put a thin veneer of 'sustainability' over it all. The celebrity arse-licking of the latter issues was particularly galling. I would have bought it regularly if it had had some cojones, but I think they were a bit confused as to the nature of their target market or something.

Well, I'm sad they folded! They were clearly trying to do a good thing and perhaps they weren't perfect but they tried very hard and I bet their net effect was quite positive overall.

To all the people at Organic Style: Sorry to hear the news! and I hope you all slot into other positions that keep pushing sustainability mainstream...we've got work to do and we need all hands on deck.

Graham

Interesting how they took my money last month to extend my subscription for two more years.

What happens to the people who have paid subscriptions to this magazine?

Organic Style provided an idealistic approach to a "greener" and healthier lifestyle and world. Many of the ideas were impractical and unaffordable. However, I will miss the magazine as it is the only one of its kind. When I first started receiving it two years ago I would joke about "seeing what the wealthy hippies were up to". It grew on me and when the format changed, I found it more readible and entertaining. I don't think the new approach caused the demise of this magazine as much as a stagnant economy. It is hard for the average person to care about how the rich people save the environment when making ends meet is the primary daily goal. This magazine was based in reality and most people are now seeking escapism. I will miss it and I wish everyone from the magazine luck in the future.

It's always sad to hear of people losing their jobs. I looked at organic style at the book store a few times. However, I'm trying to simplify my life, not buy more stuff. I like a zine called Organic Family Magazine.

I am sorry to hear that the Organic Style is suspending the magazine. I thought that it had great ideas and was presented very nicely ,with a good blend of food,articles,and high end procuct. Lets face it advertizing is every where. I had sent a subscription to my daughter-in-law who was thrilled to recieve it as a gift. BooooooHooooo Anne

I didn't find this post until yesterday. I had been wondering why I hadn't gotten an issue in a while. I just wanted to comment to say that I emailed Rodale's customer service department and just got a response back saying that they would refund my remaining subscription or roll it over to another of their publications (I was paid through February 2008). I wrote to them at customer_service@rodale.com.

I loved organic style. Yes, the products advertised were way out my budget, but the information they reported on was extremely useful to me. It seemed like everytime I thought about something, the next issue that came had an article about it. I didn't mind the celeb articles, because they focused on good things they did, not gossip. I will definately miss all of the great and reliable information it gave about being green, sustainable, yet practical.

I am so disappointed that Organic Style folded. I just found out about it today when I went to the website because I couldn't find the magazine anywhere. I will miss all the helpful articles and practical guidelines they had. Its sad that all there is to read nowadays is the celebrity gossip magazines instead of a wholesome one.

Ordered my fist subscription and have not recieved it and just found out the magazine no longer exists, too bad. I emailed about my money so will just have to wait and see what happens..

This mag was great for busy, non-mainstream-impaired folks like myself who want to live perhaps not a totally crunchy granola lifestyle but would like to learn to live greener. This mag was a good place to start. Use of celebrities is fine..they are allowed politicize to the target market so why not use them in this magazine? As far as placement, it's totally clear to me that it belongs next to Food & Wine, Cottage Living, or Martha Stewart Living. I'm very sorry to see it go & surprised it didn't fare so well.

I am also very sad to see the magazine has folded, I went to their website to order a subscription for a friend who has recently expressed interest in changing to an organic lifestyle - to bad. Does anyone know if there are any similar magazines available??

I always loved the magazine; it was beautiful and had many good features. But one of my small pet peeves that grew with time was the constant focus on people/ women doing great things. While this has great value once in a while and power to inspire others, it quickly just becomes a who's who of activism and frankly that just gets a bit tedious and boring after a while.

I am not surprised the it folded. I have been given a subscription for the past 3 years by my mother-in-law as a gift and can honestly say that I am glad tht I didn't spend MY money on the magazine. Yes, I do agree that some of the articles were worth reading. BUT, why call yourself "Organic Style" and have ads for cars, SUV's (hybrid or not) and Dove soap gracing the pages of your magazine. I never felt that they were providing enough alternatives to "traditional products" that the average person making a living wage could afford.

To Lisa, try "Mother Earth News". A bit more crunchy but worth the read.

I have to agree with whomever commented "funny how they took your money last month to extend your subscription a year" I didn't find out until today 12/14/05 what was going on I assumed I wasn't getting my subscription because I recently moved. Here's the kicker, I just signed up for another year and mailed it our yesterday! I loved Organic Style! But I was not nearly as big a fan after it was re-vamped earlier in the year. It was too shopping focused and I think the editors knew it. Now looking back you could almost see a last ditch effort (or grabbing at straws) to return to the original format stuff like the article about women farmers, harvest parties, HFC those were the article styles most readers knew and loved.

I am so disappointed this magazine will no longer be published. It seems as though this is a lame reason as to why it is folding. Perhaps someone else will pick it up and move forward. I think the new editor did a nice job of combining different flavors of information regarding healthly living.

Please bring back this magazine!

I really looked forward to my Organic Style mag. I just went online to purchase a gift subscription and found out it had folded. I live in a small town and it's tough to get info about cosmetics, bedding, etc. that are organic. Another magazine I would reccommend is "Natural Home and Garden". It is very high quality and has many similar resources in it. I just ordered it on Overstock.com at a discounted price.

As a young person, Organic Style made a huge impact me. Because of it, I changed a lot of things about my life. The biggest change is how I eat.
It's a sad, sad thing that something w/ so much positivity has to end. And it didn't matter how the magazine looked on the outside. The content of it still produced some great things.

my subscription to organic style was paid through 11/07. does this mean i lose my money? if you can't answer this question, pls. direct me to someone who can. thank you.

I was upset when I found that Organic Style had jumped the track and quite literally faded away without a last hoorah!! This magazing was a part of my "Living life happy and healthy" trinity. I also subscribe to Natural Health and Real Simple. It is refreshing to read information rather than constant gossip and fashion trends. I enjoy my other girly magazines, but every now and then it is nice to stay grounded in real life, even if it feels like it is pricey. I just think that the world can't afford to be kind to itself. Manufacturing and processing has made everything so cheap and basically reduced all of our products to a shell of what they once were. How can anyone afford to eat and wear and live the things that are the best choice for the world and themselves. The point is not that Organic Style was sometimes contradictory, the point is that they tried to bring facts, research, real lives and products that make a difference. It may be a small one but hey,,,,,,I am just so proud that they tried. WhaHoo for Organic Style. I will miss you!!!!

Kara B.

I was shocked to hear from my girl friend that Organic Style has been discontinued. I have only two magazines subscriptions and this was one of them. I did like everything about the magazine. And it was particularly important to read informative articles about living sustainably. I will miss Organic Style. Wishing everyone with that publication the best of luck in the future. Keep up the great work. :)

Well, I tried to get Backpacker (another Rodale magazine) to extend my husband's subscription since my Organic Style had another year, but they wrote back and said "Organic Style has ceased publication. The remainder of your Organic Style subscription has been transferred to Lifetime Fitness. Their number is 800-749-3964." Lifetime Fitness doesn't even seem to be a Rodale magazine, why have they not contacted me, why can't I choose which magazine I want instead, and why are you guys making this so hard, Rodale? Ugh.

I'm sad about Organic Style- even sadder for the money I spent on the subscription that I won't be getting!

It was a decent magazine and I will miss it. I called yesterday to inquire about the remaining issues on my subscription (I reupped for two years in July). The rep said I should start receiving Body and Soul starting in April. That's a Martha Stewart Omnimedia magazine. The rep also apologized about the transition taking so long. She said the shutdown came as a complete surprise. To the previous poster who mentioned something about Lifetime Fitness being subbed; I guess they have changed their minds about that, thank God.

I'll miss the magazine. I re-upped in July for two years. Called yesterday; CSR said that I will begin receiving Body and Soul in lieu of Organic Style. We shall see.

Well, I got the magazine "experience Life" in the mail this week with a note saying I would rcv it for the rest of my OS sub. I was subbed up until 2011, lol. Experience Life is owned by the same people that make "Life Time Fitness." Annoying. I do already get Body & Soul ... so maybe that is why I got this?

Well I've been assigned Organic Gardening as my subistitute! Guess it's a grab bag as to what you get. I'm disappointed as well that Organic Style bit the dust. It was the only magazine I still subscribed to and I always found interest in it. I thought Organic Gardening was some sort of advertisment at first, it's so thin! Hopefully the content will make up for the size. I only have a few months to go so it doesn't matter too much either way.

i got experience life which i did not find comparable to OS at all. i wrote rodale asking for something more comparable or my money back. gosh right before they folded they kept sending me notices to extend my subscription so i did and this is what i get, gee thanks!
i absolutley loved OS, i'm all for a magazine that helps me feel good about myself and shows me the changes i can make for a better life and world. my favorite magazine ever! sad to see it go!

This is very sad for Organic Style and for its subscribers. It is a great magazine--totally unique--and it leaves a major void. It's dumb that vendors couldn't figure out that it didn't need to go next to the women's magazines or the gardening section--what matters is that it was being read (I think...I had several friends subscribe after seeing it at my house). It's really too bad because there is not a single other magazine that I can subscribe to and read that will cover the topics that an eco-friendly girl wants to read, without being bored. I hope it comes back to the stands!
--an ecofriendly girl in Maine

I'm heart broken; I love Organic Style magazine. BRING IT BACK! So what if it changed over the last year, it had a lot of interesting, helpful topics I looked foward to reading. What will I read know? I just bought a recently published magazine, Organic Life from the UK, it's o.k., it's $7.99 an issue!!! Bring back Organic Style PLEASE!!!

I'm heart broken; I love Organic Style magazine. BRING IT BACK! So what if it changed over the last year, it had a lot of interesting, helpful topics I looked foward to reading. What will I read know? I just bought a recently published magazine, Organic Life from the UK, it's o.k., it's $7.99 an issue!!! Bring back Organic Style PLEASE!!!

Glad to see I'm not the only one surprised about Organic Style ending its publication. I have been a subscriber since its first magazine was published 4 years ago. I was thrilled to see the organic content and eventhough it may have been a bit fluffy at times, it brought a general eco-conscious message to the every day person. My subscription ended in November and I never recieved a renewal notice...now I know why. Organic Style you will be missed!

Well, I just figured out today that Organic Style had folded. I thought I was losing my mind, with a toddler and another on the way I figured I was just mistaken that the magazine hadn't showed up for so long. I am really disappointed that I wasn't even contacted. I too have a subscription for several more years and none of the other magazines are of any interest to me. I just emailed customer service tonight and will see what they say. I really enjoyed OS even with the format/content changes I always found something useful. I especially liked their article on plastics which I copied for my entire family. I will really miss the magazine. I liked the eclectic mix of entertainment and green living. It made it fun to read while thinking about real issues. The celebrity plugs were getting annoying and starting to make me feel like I was reading InStyle or some other crap but I just usually skipped them. Anyways, good to see that others liked the mag too. Will check out suggestions posted above for replacements. Think green!!!

I just started buying the magazine and was so happy to find a magazine that was dedicated to promoting a heathy way of life. Organic food is the way to go and I thought the formate was very user friendly. I gained alot of information in a short period of time. THANKS

I was really disappointed to find the October 2005 issue to be Organic Style's last. I had just subscribed for 2 years, too. My parents used to get Organic Gardening - the early editions of Organic Style before the takeover and change. As a designer, I can say a "complete overhaul" as OS recently experienced is not always the answer to bring in more subscribers. I was given a "replacement" subscription to Martha Stewart's Body + Soul, my first copy arrived this week. yeeeech. Not only is the content poorly-written, the ads are too "hippie" for me and the magazine smells funny - sure its probably recycled paper with soy-based inks, but the odor just added to my dislike. I called and canceled the Body + Soul rollover subscription and they are sending me a $9.37 check for the remainder of my OS Subscription. Anyone have any replacement suggestions for mags that are similar to OS - before or after the overhaul redesign?

I am trying to find copies of Organic Style Mag. from June, July and Aug of 2004. I realize the magazine is out of business and am having a hard time locating back issues. Any help from this web-site?

I just discovered Organic Style only to find out it is now discontinued and am thankful for the other magazine suggestions posted. I'd like to pass along one of my own about a young publication called 'Hobby Farm' which I just subscribed to at an Equine Expo. Very interesting articles and ideas on how to make the most of small acreage, business ideas like goat farming and herb growing for sale.

Also, "green" folks may want to look into 'Permaculture' - local groups meeting and sharing ideas on self sustainance, conservation, solar power, practical advice on growing foods on acreage from city roof tops and terraces to big land tracts. Certification programs and ongoing seminars too. There is an INCREDIBLE amount of information available on this movement...try google and yahoo searches.

Maybe the folks at Rodale could poll their collective subscriber lists for suggestions about what WE want to read and come up with a revamped Organic Style? OS had too much going for it to let it fall by the wayside!! Marth Stewart Living is pretty good, but awfully commercial - I'd like to see her articles with much more organic info woven in, and less mainstream advertising like for SUV's (wasteful!) etc. Thanks for the forum, good luck, OS staff!

I am so sorry for not finding the Organic Style magazine in my mailbox anymore! I have enjoyed each and every issue! Informative and fun! Please bring back the magazine!

I loved Organic Style. I wonder if they transferred my subscription to Prevention, because out of the blue I just started getting it. I am bummed! I loved the recipe for black bean veggie burgers with sweet corn salsa and guacamole. I have served it a ton of times for company... probably the best recipe I have ever cut out of a magazine. Boo hoo hoo hoo. Oh well, at least I have my recipe.