Who said the covers of fashion magazines are only for pretty young things? Certainly not W magazine. Call the oversize glossy a welcomed antidote to the Nylon magazine youth craze. For the past three months, which is only a snippet of the magazine’s long history of putting beautiful women on the cover, W magazine has been fronted by Jennifer Aniston (41), Julianna Margulies (44) and June’s cover star Cate Blanchett (41).

I don’t want to add to the mucky muck about the unattainable standards of beauty pushed by the fashion industry and their societal consequences (eating disorders, plastic surgery, poor self-esteem). Rather, this is a musing about how great it is to see beautiful, confident (and talented!) women on magazine covers.

Predominantly on W magazine. In the later half of 2009 W magazine featured Demi Moore (47) and Uma Thurman (then 39, now 40) on covers as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Nylon and all its candy-colored so-cool-its-not-cool-anymore fun. But I (we) have to inject a little substance into our magazine reading every once in a while. Right? Enter Blanchett!

Next up on the magazines-challenging-social norms agenda: mothers as sexual beings. Jada Pinkett Smith, naked on the July cover of Essence, will do her part to dispel the myth that once a woman gives birth, sex appeal goes out the door.

(lead image via areyouscreening.com)