If you decided to run a celebrity gossip blog, but don’t want to pay for a premium theme, there’s still hope: just look at the themes listed below, test them and make up your mind. Or you could be patient and wait for my next release (a free magazine-style theme called Gossip).
1. Mimbo 3.0
Mimbo is one of the all time most popular WordPress themes and among the first to propose a magazine-style layout.
The 3.0 version allows users to implement child themes, has integrated support for WordPress 2.7 (paginated and threaded comments, stiky posts) and lots of features accessible to unexpermented bloggers through the theme options page. The most impressive feature is a brand new script that calls the image attached to a post and displays it on the homepage, scaling it to thumbnail size – which means you can forget about the custom fields.
Mimbo 3.0
2. Arthemia Free 2.0
Arthemia’s last version propose two interesting new features: a custom length of the excerpt (90 words) and an automatic resizing of the thumbnails (you still have to specify the custom values to get the thubnails desplayed on the front page, though). The theme (in its free flavour) doesn’t provide support for the features available with the last version of WordPress.
Arthemia Free
3. Options
Options is no longer available on its creator blogs (as a matter of fact, Justin Tadlock publicly stated he disliked it), but I guess you can still find it elsewhere. I include it in this top because of its (too) many options (just take a look), which make it suitable for bloggers who don’t want getting their hands dirty by editing the template files.
Release page
Description
Download – no download link available. I just checked the theme’s licence (I have a copy saved on my computer) and I realized I wasn’t allowed to distribute it. Hope you have already download it.
4. Linoluna
Linoluna is a beautiful whithe theme with light green accents. Unfortunately, its costumization could be difficult for someone without php skills. With a little css editing, the theme can be perfect for your celebrity gossip blog.
Info and download
Demo
5. Hamasaki 1.6
Hamasaki’s features include easy customization (sidebar widgets and options page), a very simple way of displaying ads (3 formats supported) and threaded comments. The CSS structure is very clear, so you can easily modify it.
Hamasaki
6. Smashing Theme
This is definitely a beautiful theme and it has its own rightful place in this list, although it hasn’t a mag-style layout. Smashing Theme is adsense ready and supports widgets.
Smashing Theme
Info and download
Demo (Select this theme in the upper fixed bar)
7. Small Magazine
Small Magazine has a rather rare layout, with three featured posts on the top row, an widgetized sidebar, ad-support and minimalistic header. Like all the themes created by Mehmet at Gabfire, the CSS is very intuitive and ready to be modified.
Info and download
Demo (picture)
8. Magadine
Magadine has a curious homepage layout, with three post columns and no obvious hierarchy. The customization is very easy (if you know some CSS, of course).
Magadine
9. Wynton Magazine
This is a very clean theme, with a lean design and a beautiful color scheme.
Wynton Magazine
Info (in German)
Demo
Download
10. Jello Wala Mello
Jello Wala Mello is an easy-to-use magazine-style-theme, with a featured post and three post columns, and making intensive use of css images.
Info and download
Demo (picture)
Published on the 19th of February, 2009, in Inspiration · Print
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