While OTC focuses primarily on the physical side of style and culture – clothing, bags, shoes, ties, watches, etc. – equally if not more important is one’s intellect.

Being aware and literate about what’s going on in the world is, frankly, far more vital than what shirt you’re wearing. There are many, many pretty faces out there with nothing worthwhile to say; do not be another one.

Can you talk about world affairs, the environment, or trends in design? Do you have an opinion on art or literature? If you are American, do you actually understand what’s going on in other parts of the world? Sure, you like clothing, but do you appreciate changes affecting the business side of Savile Row or the environmental impact of mass market fashion retailers?

What do you know about global culture; craft vs. commodity?

When it comes to getting useful information about the big picture of global culture and style, Monocle is simply outstanding.

I have written about and referenced Monocle before, but I feel this remarkable multimedia publication deserves some additional attention.

The Monocle shop

What is Monocle? First, it’s a remarkable magazine. Each substantial issue is divided into sections covering affairs, business, culture, design, and edits. It’s packed with news, policy, insights, reviews, trends, and products from across the globe. As an American, I greatly appreciate the fact that the U.S. is treated as just another country, which helps provide a truly global feel to the magazine.

In fact, I was once chatting with New York clothier Jay Kos, a successful menswear entrepreneur and owner of his eponymous Fifth Avenue shop, and he told me that Monocle was about the only news source he bothers with.

Second, Monocle is a fully functional mixed media website. It’s like the magazine gone digital. Print articles from recent issues come to life online in video segments narrated by the story’s authors. Those with a subscription can access additional material, videos and news.

Monocle’s website

Third, Monocle is a brand. In addition to the magazine, lovely enough to stack on your coffee table by the way, and the website, Monocle has a collection of branded products.

Elegantly functional things are offered, many created specially for Monolce; from bags to furniture, Skeppshult V-Bikes to Valextra notebooks. They can be purchased through the website, the magazine or by visiting Monocle’s small pop-up stores located in Marylebone (London), Los Angeles and, shortly, Palma de Mallorca.

Tyler doing Monocle Weekly

I’ve also become a big fan of the Monocle Weekly, a downloadable podcast akin to an NPR culture/news/interview radio show. Great for the Metro ride into work.

I’ll leave you with founder and Editor-in-chief Brule’s own description of this remarkable venture:

With a keen focus, strong reporting, sharp wit and more classic approach to design, we’ve dubbed our venture Monocle….Focused on informing and entertaining an international audience of disillusioned readers, listeners and viewers, it is our intention to create a community of the most interested and interesting people in the world.

Click on the image to the left to view the full piece.

Now, for those of you outside the Beltway, it may come as a surprise that associations are actually a big deal here in D.C. They play a huge role in shaping policies and educating decision makers about a wide variety of important issues. ASAE is itself the trade association for those work in the association business.

In addition to its excellent magazine, ASAE regularly publishes a special supplement for the D.C. market (the epicenter for association careers) and this is where the OTC article appeared.

Though initially targeted at the younger executives who roam the Capitol’s hallways and populate the many think tanks, advocacy centers and trade association and non-profit offices of this fine city, I’m posting the article for all to read because I think its message holds true no matter where you live.

The message is simple: choose the core pieces of your wardrobe with an eye for the long term and modify where needed. For example, if you never wear a suit and never expect to do so, than get a really nice blue blazer for the times you need to dress up. Then, you can spend a bit more and get a couple of extra pair of pants or some nicer shoes.

Just use your common sense and focus on how you want to come across to your peers, your clients or your boss. How you dress does in fact matter, especially when you are on any sort of public stage. Ignoring this important fact can work against you, even cost you a promotion, as one human resources VP recently told me.

I’d be remiss I did not point out the Top 5 list for women. I’m not nearly as useful when it comes to women’s wardrobes, so let’s just say I had some help from a panel of experts – including my beautiful and very sharp wife.

This pretender to The Official Preppy Handbook throne has been making the reviewer’s rounds and I have secretly hoped to be among the chosen few to peer critically though this (satirical?) homage to the world of the super-rich and super-vain.

It’s a hilarious and very well written book. It also looks like a handbook and is quite at home next to my dog eared copy of The Official Preppy Handbook. One of the enduring charms of the OPH is the fine line it treads between satire and real-world guide. If you so chose, you could very well live your life according to the OPH. The same can be said of The Official Filthy Rich Handbook – assuming you have several hundred million dollars. Make that a billion.

The book is romp through the many aspects of living the life of the super rich; from where to live to the nuances of owning your own Boeing 767. Where to vacation (Ibiza and Formentera), how many polo ponies should you own (at least eight), and which hangers-on are most important to have in your retinue (therapist and life coach top that list). The insightful commentary is clever and witty as it is biting.

While not a realistic guide, per se, it offers a wonderful primer on living well and what, exactly, constitutes “well.” To wit, the chapter “Buying a Better You” covers both the ridiculous, like a clip-and-save Non Disclosure Agreement for your staff, and the interesting, such as which once Blue Chip luxury names are now considered a bit too pedestrian (think Burberry and Tiffany & Co.).

A la Preppy Handbook, there is a tongue-in-cheek schematic of the typical billionaire closet on which one might wish to model their own. From the rack of Kiton “K-50” custom suits which start at about $50,000 each, to the custom stingray John Lobb lace ups, it is a tour de force in over the top branding. Caring for one’s clothing is also touched upon: drop everything on the floor. Your domestic help will eventually pick it up and put it where it needs to be.

The sections on heirs and child-rearing are a hoot. And it is here that the book is closest to its Official Preppy Handbook muse; updating readers on the proper prep schools and which colleges are acceptable back-ups for your less than brilliant offspring.

All in all, The Filthy Rich Handbook is a worthy and guffaw-inducing successor to that paragon of parody, The Official Preppy Handbook. Buy up some extras and give them to your household staff for Christmas.

The basic idea behind this publication, the first for a new magazine division of the venerable Evening Post Company, is a celebration of the sporting lifestyle and cultural heritage of the “21st Century Southern America.”

With a feeling somewhere along the lines of Town & Country, it is more garden than gun. The fall issue offers a hunt-country fashion spread at the decidedly elegant Greenbrier, an intriguing article on Louisiana marsh fishing, a travelogue of Memphis, TN – including the Peabody Hotel’s famous duck walk – and my favorite, a spread on the opening day of the famed Belle Meade hunt. It’s not a traditional hunt by the way, no foxes are harmed. Read about a garden tour on Roanoke Island, the living legends of jazz, and an interview with Andrea Nutt, a talented young classical painter now living in Puerto Rico.

Though not a “style” magazine per se, it is very much a lifestyle magazine devoted to the romantic hunt clubby-ness of the South. In many ways I felt I was reading about the English landed gentry, just a more humid climate. But with ads touting secluded custom built estates, complete with yacht clubs and golf courses, Hickory Chair furniture and upscale hunt country outfitters, this is magazine is clearly targeted to the aspirational estate owner who likes sporting clays.

Overall, it’s an interesting magazine that I will keep an eye on; not too hard as the photography and layout are extremely well done. You know, I’m suddenly in the mood to visit Charleston again.

At the other end of the spectrum from Classic Style is Fantastic Man (FM), a trade publication out of Amsterdam.

Now, I’ll tell you up front that this is a very flamboyant magazine and it took some getting used to. But once I opened it up and started reading, my hesitation was set aside. FM bills itself as “A Gentleman’s Style Journal” and that it is. A broad mixture of art, clothing, style, interviews and photo shoots, it covers more of what I call “classic intellectual avant garde.” The format includes very minimal advertising, mostly black and white photos and untreated, almost industrial paper. Overall, the look is pleasingly functional.

In the Spring/Summer issue, you can find an interview with hotelier Andre Balazs (owner of, among others, Chateau Marmont in LA and The Mercer in NYC), a photo spread of Lanvin’s menswear designer showing off this season’s collection, and a remarkably artistic presentation of white dress shirts.

What really sets FM apart is the excellent writing; it is so detailed and thoughtfully presented that this bi-annual magazine could pass for a literally review that happens to focus on men’s fashion.

Hard to find, expensive and definitely worth the effort.

The article,” Polo’s High-Stakes Balancing Act,” breaks apart the myriad brands and labels that fill Ralph Lauren’s empire and explains how they all fit together and form a solid though diversified portfolio of income streams. All of the brands at all price points carry the cache’ of the mother ship’s clubby, exclusive, and Ivy League image. That said, each market is carefully maintained and targeted to avoid crossover and brand dilution.

While the ultra-exclusive “Purple Label” and “Black Label” collections set the standard for Polo’s aspirational devotees, it’s the mass-market brands like Chaps that bring in the bulk of company revenue. It really is an interesting read and a great lesson on how to not paint yourself into a corner.