State of the Banter Address: The 2026 Update

Happy New Year, lads. Welcome to 2026.

We made it. We survived another year. And let’s be honest, looking around at the state of things, we might need a stiff drink.

If you’ve looked at the "Men's Trends" for 2026, you’ll know why we are still here selling vintage magazines. Apparently, this year, high-fashion designers want us to wear "luxury pyjamas" to the office and "mesh knitwear" down the pub.

I don’t know about you, but if I walked into my local wearing a sheer knitted vest and silk pyjama bottoms, the only thing I’d be catching is a cold (and a barring order).

The "Comeback" That Never Came

Remember back in 2024 and 2025 when there were whispers of a "Lad Mag Revival"? There were rumours. There were mutterings. People said, "Surely, men are bored of scrolling? Surely, FHM is about to relaunch?"

Well, we are still waiting.

The big publishers are still too scared to print anything funnier than a quinoa recipe. They are terrified of the "Fun Police." They think the modern man wants to read about mindfulness and tablescaping.

They are wrong.

Why 2026 is the Year of Vintage

Because the mainstream won't give us what we want, we have to go back to the source.

In 2026, a copy of Loaded from 1996 isn't just a magazine anymore. It’s a relic. It’s a historical document from a time when:

• The Beer was cheap.

• The Footballers were ugly (but they had personality).

• The Girls were on the cover (not an AI-generated influencer).

We are seeing it in our sales figures. You lot aren’t just buying these mags to read on the toilet anymore. You’re buying them as investments. You’re buying them because in a world of AI bots and digital noise, holding a physical copy of Zoo feels… shockingly real.

The "Ladsmags" Prediction for 2026

We aren't mystics (Meg mystic is long gone), but here is what we think happens this year:

1. Digital Fatigue Hits Hard: We are all sick of screens. The VR headsets are gathering dust. Men will start building "Analog Caves"—bookshelves, vinyl records, and a stack of Maxim magazines in the corner.

2. The 90s Nostalgia Peaks: It has now been over 30 years since Euro 96. That is officially "Vintage." Expect the prices of pristine 90s mags to start climbing. If you’ve got a mint-condition FHM #1, keep it in a safe.

3. We Keep the Flame Alive: As long as there is a bloke in Britain who prefers a fry-up to a kale smoothie, we will keep stocking the archives.

Start Your 2026 Collection

Don’t wait for the culture to get fun again—it might take a while. Buy the fun instead.

Whether you need to complete your 2003 FHM run or you just want to see what Kelly Brook looked like before TikTok existed, we’ve got the goods.

Here’s to a proper 2026. Keep it real, keep it laddy.

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