These 6 Real Women Were Part Of A Major Fashion Milestone

Ensemble covers aren’t a new concept: Think of Vogue's model cover, many years' worth of Vanity Fair Hollywood issue covers, and plenty of other magazines who think two (or three, or four) heads are better than one. But your mom’s favorite mag, Redbook, did something that was truly novel, and put half a dozen real women on its September cover, for the first time ever. The six women made their newsstand debuts after winning the magazine’s Real Women Style Awards, which were given to ladies who with truly relatable, covetable, magazine-sellable style.

The newly minted cover girls, who range in age from 25 to 42, shared their favorite styling tips inside the magazine. Among these recommendations, there’s a suggestion to reconsider the midi-skirt: "So many curvy women think volume is bad, but long, full skirts are flattering with a boxy crop top or fitted tee,” Jeniese Hosey, 36, from Birmingham, AL, told the magazine. Hosey also underscored the importance of fit: "I get my clothes hemmed or taken in by a tailor. It makes a difference." The powers of the jumpsuit were celebrated by Nikki Frenney Wiggins, 42, of Atlanta: "They make me look taller and play up my curves. I own 10!"

Plus, some big love for the trench: "Outerwear is how Chicagoans make a statement. A trench is always in style and goes with everything,” says 31-year-old Chicago resident Marija Krosnjar. Another tip, from Christine Buzan, a 25-year-old from New York City: Wear those beloved items in your closet all the damn time. "Don't save 'special' pieces for occasions. Wear and enjoy things you love often; they can be repaired. I've gotten my favorite boots resoled every fall for the past eight years," said Buzan. Sure, we’ve heard these before, but the fact that they’re shared by real women of various sizes (and ages) featured on the cover of a very mainstream magazine — not just in an inside story — is pretty admirable.

Check out more styling and beauty tips from the cover stars inside the issue, which hits newsstands on August 18.