Thursday, February 25, 2010

Monogram Etiquette {Part 1}

About this time every year the Monogram Chick studio tele is buzzing off the hook with questions about appropriate monogram order.  It seems that lately the questions circle around the newer, more modern combined monogram.


Boy and girl meet, boy and girl get married, boy and girl have a new joint monogram.


Traditionally the male monogram (first, middle, last) goes on glass ware and the female monogram (first, last, middle) is adorned on linens.  We're in a new time, chickadees, and things are 'a changin'.  It is often common to add the married couples monogram to kitchen and bath towels, bar ware, stationery and just about anything else that looks fab with a monogram.

The joint monogram is new and different, a child of gen-x therefore, has no real rules.  Typically, the female's initial fits nicely on the left, with the male's on the right and their married last name initial situated perfectly in the center.  However, not one to conform, the combined monogram does not always follow these rules and the male initial often finds itself on the left with the female's initial on the right.  One thing remains constant, the married last name initial presents itself large and in charge in the center.

So really, the nuts and bolts of the combined monogram:  there are no rules...female initial on the left or right, it doesn't so much matter and is up to you.

Have other pressing monogram etiquette questions?  Leave a comment and we'll add your query to Part 2.

7 comments:

Nicole said...

Hi Girl!
Love your Blog! And speaking of DC Talk...I actually got on Amazon and ordered the Greatest Hits CD!! Yippee! :)

Love Being A Nonny said...

I have wondered this myself!! Thanks for the info!

meredith said...

this always confused me because of the lack of consistency... i've seen it done different ways, but i agree - the last name initial should always be front and center and large and in charge!

Sandra said...

I use this new monogram rule on gifts, etc., but I hate it. :-) I had to give in to it. It seems all the younger generation is using it. Ah me. xoxo

Kitchen Belleicious said...

Oh my gosh- i am so glad you found me so now i can find you. Love your stuff.You are one talanted southern lady. Love that you are soutehrn too? Just something about us huh? LOL! Have a great weekend and I wish i would have been here sooner to win that duffel bag- oh well maybe next time

Crawford Family said...

I think that the women's goes on the left and the man's on the right and of course last name big in the middle. So when it is said out loud....it reads Sarah and Mike Crawford. sCm I have always heard that you are to never split the man's first name from his last name. (not Mike and Sarah Crawford, his first and last names would be split) That's what I go by, but who knows.

Unknown said...

Help! I am doing monogrammed gifts for my wedding party. I have one gal who is married and hyphenated. Help! What do I do with her monogram? I would prefer to keep her as a three letter monogram, but I don't want to offend her by choosing one letter over another. What are the rules on this?