Cosmopolitan July 2013

Aya Kanai For her first shoot at Cosmo, newly appointed fashion director Kanai styled this month's Kelly Osbourne cover. "Kelly is the perfect Cosmo girl. She speaks her mind, has a wicked sense of humor, loves fashion, and brings her personality to each look," she says. The former senior fashion editor at Teen Vogue and head stylist at Shopbop.com also styled the sultry fashion feature "Sexy Summer Nights" (p. 140). Your personal style? "High-end tomboy." Meredith Clark In "Why Do Summer Movies Suck for Women?" (p. 32), writer Clark examines the stereotypical portrayal of women in film and asks why there aren't more women directing, producing, and writing movies. "A lot of people say, 'Lighten up; it's just a movie,' but I don't buy that. If something bothers you, have…

My first vacation alone was a disaster. It was winter. I was desperate for a break but unable to find a friend who could just take off. So I impulsively bought a round-trip flight to Greece with no plans, ready to embrace my inner adventurer. It wasn't until I arrived that I realized how foolish I had been. I had nowhere to stay and not much of a budget, and of course, it was winter there too. I ended up island-hopping (glamorous in July but not early March). Things seemed to be looking up when I finally found a sweet hostel right on the harbor of the lump-shaped island called Hydra with a shared bedroom. When the Italian woman sharing my room—who was roughly three times my age and also…

What You Thought of the May Issue CH-CH-CHANGES "I can't tell you how happy I am with the new look and feel of Cosmo. I've been a reader for a long time, but I've always been put off by what I felt like was fluff content. I would hide my Cosmo so that no one would see that I purchased it! It is wonderful to read content that is real and relevant. The whole magazine is so improved, and I am now a proud reader. Thanks for the change!" —Lindsay D., Bakersfield, CA FEARLESS FEMALE "I just read 'My First Year as a Woman.' I don't have transgender friends, but I'm overwhelmed by Laura Jane Grace's ability to stay true to herself in a society where you can be berated…

"I'm going back to Japan for the first time in four years. I can't wait to travel, shop, and eat!" Eri Ohkubo, 30, accountant, from Chiba, Japan "I just did an ad campaign where I rapped about embarrassing things women go through on their period. It was hilarious." Audrianna Talavera, 25, digital-marketing consultant, from Los Angeles, CA "I'm studying to be a speech pathologist, but fashion is my true passion. But where do you start? It's been heavy on my heart lately." Lamika Jerry, 28, high school phone operator, from Las Vegas, NV "A friend is taking a Facebook break, and I understand what she's going through. It's important to be selective about what you share." Jennifer Rose Smith, 32, art director, from Longview, TX "I was recently on an…

Bubble Trouble "I had a really rough day at work, and all I wanted to do was come home and Skype with my boyfriend. My roommate had texted me earlier to tell me that she was staying at her guy's place that night, so I decided to take full advantage of having our apartment to myself. I set up my computer right next to our shared bathtub, so my boyfriend and I could have some fun with bubbles. Having Skype sex with him was just the relaxation I needed, but as we were both about to finish, my roommate barged through the bathroom door—apparently, she'd forgotten her blow-dryer! We both freaked out and screamed. I slammed my laptop shut, but she'd already seen my guy on there, not to mention…

I spent my junior year of college abroad in England and became close with this cute guy in my program named Pete*. We never hooked up, but we had a flirty friendship. After graduation, Pete and I both moved to New York City, but we lost touch…until I got my current job at Cosmo. Because I have to report a lot of quotes from guys for our stories, one of the first things I did on the job was put together a huge e-mail list of every guy I've ever known. Then I started bombarding their in-boxes with totally TMI questions. ("Happy Monday! What's your favorite sex position?") And Pete, to his credit, started to respond to my callouts. After he made a particularly funny confession about the time a…