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.

I'm laying low in blog land

Because it is all I can do to stay sane.....I had no idea building Dr. Chick's orthodontic office would be such an undertaking. Life is a flurry of activity as we make decision after decision in anticipation of being open for business in October! Dr. Chick is updating his blog {almost} daily with the 'reno' progress, check it out.


I am quite happy with the way our sign turned out. Our great friend, Wes, cut the sign into that spiffy shape and Dr. Chick sanded and slathered it with many coats of white paint (in our living room; which another story for another day!) and then we applied the vinyl lettering to both sides.

Monogram Chick continues to chirp along behind the scenes & into the wee hours of the night. I simply have little energy for anything else these days! Thanks for hanging in there with me as posts are sporatic, I'll be more frequent--pinkie swear--when the "Operation Ortho Office" is complete! In the meantime, visit Sister Chick's blog--I am totally blown away by what an awesome blogger she is! And keep up with our office progress via Dr. Chick's blog.

PS: The fan-tab-u-lous, Nina, hooked us up with an awesome logo {as seen on our t-shirts}...more to come on that topic later, but wanted to thank Nina again for a job so well done!

Rules of Monogramming

Monogram (noun) sign of identity usually formed of the combined initials of a name.

According to Webster, a monogram is a sign of identity. What better way is there to identify yourself? I am often asked about the appropriate order of a person’s or couple’s initials when creating a monogram. With this post I hope to shed some light on traditional and modern monograms.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries the rules for monogramming were simple. Sarah Riching Woodall would easily recognize her monogram as

The earliest female monograms had the first name initial on the left, middle name initial on the right and last name initial larger in the center. This monogram is still used most often today. As monograms began to cross gender lines the traditional male monogram emerged as having the letters of equal size in order of first initial, middle initial, and last initial. This monogram is still used today by both males and females. The monogram for Steven Niles Woodall would read

As times have changed so have the traditional monogramming rules. It is quite common to see a “joint monogram” for couples. The join monogram for Sarah & Niles Woodall would read.

Typically, the female’s first initial is on the left, the male’s first initial is on the right and their last name initial is larger in the center. Another common, more modern monogram is the Block Monogram in which the first initial and middle initial are stacked on top of each other to the left of a larger last name initial. Of course, the block monogram can also be used as a joint monogram as well with either all lowercase or all uppercase letters.

It is also quite common to embroider names. The name can be in a countless number of fonts, adorned by a variety of different designs, the creativity is endless!