Do you remember when you were little and you saw your name everywhere? Everything was labeled: your backpack, your lunchbox, your jacket label, your underwear.
In a sea of Jansport backpacks and lunchboxes that pretty much look the same and zip-hoodies that would inevitably make their way to the lost and found, these labels saved our stuff. We were young, stupid and forgetful, but apparently, that hasn’t changed much.
Monograms are the new sharpie-written initials, and they are everywhere. No longer hidden on the size tag inside of the shirt, the monogram is now plastered, first, last, middle, in some bright pastel color on everything we own.
The monogram used to be special. It used to be a sign of importance or sophistication. On important occasions such as marriage, graduation or housewarming festivities, women, in particular, would receive monogrammed towels or wine glasses. Men would maybe receive an engraved flask or fountain pen. They were keepsakes; mementos never meant for everyday use. The towels only came out when your parents were visiting and the flask was up on a shelf in the office, gathering dust right next to the pen.
Via: Crystal Images
But somewhere along the line, things changed. We are monogramming our necklaces, household items, hoodies and key chains. It’s as if we need help remembering our own initials. Or at least, we want other people to know what they are too.
Before knowing someone’s name, you could start guessing by their initials. The question is why is this happening now?
On the bus just the other day, I noticed a girl wearing a white, business-style button-up shirt with her initials stitched in pink cursive lettering. Looking at her monogram really got me thinking about this whole idea of monogramming.
My first thought is that this craze is some throwback to our adolescent years of Jansports and lost-and-found. But she couldn’t have been afraid of losing it, and there wasn’t a phone number or address to return them, even if the three letters were recognizable. So I had to rethink my hypothesis.
Via: Society Bride
Maybe the whole monogramming thing is some intense form of narcissism. Like dogs that have to sniff and pee on everything, we have decided we need to stake our claim on everything we own and touch. In some deep psychological way, your name, which no one cared about (and probably still doesn’t) is out in the world for everyone to see like a Lily Pulitzer billboard. In a small way, you’re famous.
I guess I’m just content with being Kathryn Danielle Williams, the last name at the end, the rest of the name behind the initial. I still want to understand the monogram craze though. Maybe one day I too will wear button-downs with my initials on them. But, until that day comes, I’m cool with just my plain button-down with no fancy writing on them.
I’m cool with being unknown.
Feature photo courtesy of: Polka Dots and Sailor Stripes
