I often get asked about this, probably because I monogram everything (my mother always did it for us when we were little), so I figured I'd put my advice in writing so others can read too!
Monogramming is a sign of personal identity. My motto has always been everything looks better monogrammed! It makes most clothing, household items and gifts seem more put together. Women appear poised when sporting a monogram and men convey that they are traditional and classic. Monogramming will never go out of style in the preppy world! Here are the rules, although they may seem obvious:
1) The woman's monogram is typically in a cursive circle with the left inital being the first letter of her first name, the middle initial (slightly larger font) being the first letter of her last name, and the right initial being the first letter of her middle name. Since the 1900s monograms have become more modern so many types of non cursive fonts are now used for women.
2) Male monograms are usually always in basic arial font with all of the initials being the same size in the order of (first name, middle name, last name)
3) If a woman chooses a male style monogram where the font size is the same the same rules apply to her (first name, middle name, last name) However most female monograms have a larger font for the middle letter. If that is the case the rule is (first name, last name, middle name). Men also do this now too.
4) Couple monograms: Ladies first! The couple monogram goes (womans first name initial, last name initial, man's first name initial) The couple monogram should have the last name initial in a larger font. This is helpful for bridal gifts and a lot of people mess this up!
Some wonderful non traditional items to monogram include, soaps, candles, blankets, slippers, walls, glassware, car doors, upholstered seating and more! Monogrammed items make fabulous hostess gifts so think ahead when you are heading to a party or lodging at someone's home. My favorite monogram site is The Pink Monogram. Monica's items are reasonable and darling!
