It’s time for another installment of Monogram Monday! This particular post is one I’ve been meaning to write for ages. Get ready to delve into the often confusing world of monogram etiquette, where rules are meant to be broken.
I am guilty of assuming that all of my customers are familiar with monogram etiquette. Having grown up in the south and running this little hobby business for several years, I often forget that this is not necessarily common knowledge for everyone. So, in an effort to make designing a monogram less daunting, I’m sharing some basic monogram guidelines today.
Monograms are fun because they make a gift feel extra special. However, you want to make sure you’re choosing the correct initials in the proper order depending on the gift. Let’s start with newlyweds (wedding gifts) as couples’ monograms are the most confusing. Traditionally, monograms for married couples consist of the first initial of one partner (small, left), the shared last name initial (big, center) and the first initial of the other partner (small, right). Here’s where things get complicated: sometimes the bride’s initial goes first and sometimes the groom’s initial is on the left. Here’s my rule of thumb: gents get top billing on barware, but everything else (towels, linens, etc.) belongs to the ladies. So, our wine and martini glasses are engraved with bSa for Ben and Ashley Slagel.
Barware
Our towels and napkins are stitched with aSb, for Ashley and Ben Slagel.
Moving on to simpler designs: monograms for women (both big and small). I really cannot think of a situation where a woman would not follow the basic rule of thumb, which is fLm (first, LAST, middle). Emery’s hat, pictured below, shows her initials in the correct order. Emery Catherine Slagel.
Monograms For Girls
The only hiccup is some women, once married, drop their middle name and use their maiden name in its place. For example, my monogram transitioned from aHj (Ashley Jane Heinz) to aSh (Ashley Heinz Slagel) when I got married. Always double check! As the saying goes, “measure twice, cut once.”
Monogram (Maiden Name)
Typically, monograms for men and boys follow the same guidelines as monograms for women in that they are fLm. Since men rarely change their initials, they have the same monogram for life.
fLm Monograms
But, since every rule has an exception, I frequently choose to monogram items for the fellas in all one size and in FML order. I have no real reason for this other than I think it looks more masculine on certain items. Exhibit A: I almost always embellish Dopp kits/toiletry bags in FML sequence.
Dopp Kits
Double first names, two middle names, hyphenated last names….plenty of situations arise that prove monograms are not a “one size fits all” formula. Thankfully, the rules are more relaxed than ever to accommodate changing dynamics. I love the challenge of creating monograms for customers who do not fit into cookie cutter molds. I’m unable to recall the specific names associated with this particular order, but the Yetis pictured below are perfect examples of making four letter monograms work. The pink monogram went to a lady with two middle names. The gray decal went to a gent with a double first name. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Remember, if it’s not monogrammed is it really even yours?
