Ad pages in this year’s September Vogue have dropped 36% from last year, leaving 584 total pages in comparison to 798 in 2008. This may come as no surprise given the recession though some have noticed that Elle magazine has, for the first time, surpassed Vogue in ad pages. But Vogue is basking in the current publicity around documentary “The September Issue” which was filmed while they produced the record-breaking 840 page September 2007 issue. I don’t recall anything in that issue about “smart buys” and “makeup for less.”