Over the 20th century, magazine covers continued to change as the publication redefined "the image of female models, forsaking shapely forms to showcase slender, gender-neutral physiques."

When Anna Wintour took over as the magazine's editor-in-chief in the 1970s and 1980s, she decided to make a change since the covers were getting too similar and needed to be freshened up. She was the first to feature a model wearing jeans on the cover. She began focusing on the woman's body rather than simply her face and by often using Hollywood actors in place of typical fashion models, "immediately changed Vogue covers, setting off a worldwide trend."