Mirror, Mirror: What's fat and heavy, but sleek and glossy? The September issues

You want to start reading from the back of September's three- to five-pound glossy fashion magazines?

No way.

Half the fun of this annual style ritual is thumbing through the front-of-the-book ads. And this year's do not disappoint.

This practice can take up to an hour (Vogue's editorial content doesn't start until 112 pages in), especially if you pause at the most surprising ads, such as Givenchy featuring Donatella Versace (talk about fashion gods' worlds colliding). Or stop to rub your wrists with a sample of Tory Burch's spicy perfume.

The season is strong for celebrity spokeswomen. We're talking Taylor Swift for Keds, Karlie Kloss for Kate Spade, Cher for Michael Kors, Gigi Hadid for Top Shop, Kylie and Kendall Jenner for Balmain, and Katy Perry for H&M.

Once you wade through the ads, the trends of the season become apparent. Ladies, get ready for a fall packed with blush and giraffe-print accessories.

The most modern outfits are crafted around one jewel-toned shade, and eyeliner is pigment-rich - a total carryover from spring. Shoes are especially cute when heels are chunky.

Diversity is getting better. Magazines that failed to include a model of color in their major fashion spreads at least included stories on the changing dynamics of race in America - an issue that seems to be shaping trends more than hemlines these days.

And most fashion editors seem to be anticipating the return of Fox's hit drama Empire this fall. Taraji P. Henson, our favorite animal-print wearing diva, is definitely one of the season's style icons - which must be why giraffe and leopard and zebra are likely to reign in the coming months.

Vogue put Beyoncé - the world's most-seen-but-never-interviewed celebrity - on its cover. Its comprehensive feature "Forces of Fashion" highlights 28 of the industry's most interesting fashion designers, including Shayne Oliver, head designer of Hood by Air; and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. And photographer David Sims captured veteran Liya Kebede twirling in flouncy floral Victorian-meets-athletic-style outfits.

For these reasons, Vogue nailed it when it came to diversity.

Maybe it's all my binge watching of HBO's Game of Thrones, but I was completely captivated by the whimsical 12-page coat spread "Into the Woods." And if my budget would allow me, I'd purchase the blue, orange, and mint-green color-blocked shearling courtesy of Preen by Thornton Bregazzi.

One downer: Vogue's 10-page Empire spread featured all of the show's main characters - including creator Lee Daniels and Season 2 additions Jourdan Dunn and the Weeknd. But where was actress Gabourey Sidibe? Maybe she hasn't been able to repair her relationship with Vogue editors, who criticized her 2010 Oscars dress. Either way, it just doesn't seem fair.

The editors' accessories picks - especially the page of peek-a-boo chunky heeled booties and bucket satchels - left me salivating. The cover story on prima ballerina Misty Copeland, written by Chester County-bred Julee A. Wilson, was warm and illuminating. And the photo of Copeland striking an attitude pose in a full-skirted, midriff-baring Zimmerman dress was dramatic.

According to "Harper's Bazaar Pages," we should be wearing a lot of cobalt blue, wine, and blush this fall. I can do that.

Beyond fashion, actress Tatum O'Neal tells an intimate story about her new relationship with a woman. I found many of the looks in a spread inspired by Spain unwearable, though the pictures certainly were pretty. Henson channeled her inner-1970s Diana Ross in photos that accompanied the story of her slow and steady rise to the top of the entertainment world.

Vanity Fair's best-of-style issue is like walking through the year's best fashion moments. Frankly, I can't disagree with any of the editors' picks, from Amal Clooney, Copeland, and Rihanna, who were named among the best-dressed women, to football player Russell Wilson and - swoon here - Prince Harry in the best-dressed men grouping. An essay on Taylor Swift proves the 25-year-old singer is one of the industry's most fashionable bosses. Definitely worth a read.

InStyle's guide to the best fall bags was one of the most useful features this year. Oh, how I need a new bag. Somehow, however, I don't think I'll be able to swing the orange Celine tote at a whopping $2,350. Anne Hathaway on the cover did not draw me in - nor did the accompanying story. But a feature showing how to mix prints in a quirky way featuring actress Mackenzie Davis left me in the mood to experiment.

I'm still working on getting through the 789 looks that Glamour says I should buy. But so far the gray pleated Metaphor skirt, Stella McCartney knit dress, white Gap slip-on sneaks, and White House Black Market's faux leather skinny pants are on my bucket list.

Of course, model Karlie Kloss, who is on the issue's cover, can make any outfit look fab. Stripes, anyone? And a piece about the importance of breaking the silence about race by poet Elizabeth Alexander reminds us that one of the best ways to heal from prejudices - real and perceived - is to talk about it.

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