Meaningful Monograms

Classic Imprints Are Still Relevant at Resort and Gift Stores

By Hilary Larson

For 55 years, Port Canvas has been stitching initials and first names onto traditional canvas bags for its Kennebunkport, Maine clientele. “It’s not fashion-forward, but there’s a following for a traditional product,” noted Co-Owner Scott Phillip s. Sporty totes and duffels are always his best-sellers, with blue the most popular color.

Preppy New Englanders are well known for slapping monograms on everything from beach bags to bed linens — but such merchandise has broad appeal, especially in an era when many customers are looking for a personalized shopping experience. “Whatever the gift, a monogram makes it more special,” explained Owner Amy Minasyan , of Best Monogram in Washington Depot, Conn.

Best Monogram, a 10-yearold boutique, can stitch or engrave monograms onto virtually everything it sells — from bed sheets to bracelets, shower curtains to picture frames. Towels embroidered with initials are the store’s top seller, Minasyan said, along with $99 plush baby blankets and bathrobes for all ages.

Many retailers report monogramming children’s items with full first names, while adults prefer initials only. In resort areas, house and boat names are also in demand. “Here in Nantucket, most people name their houses,” noted Owner Brooke Boothe of Nantucket Monogram, which in addition to that Massachusetts island also has a store in New Canaan, Conn. Many of Boothe’s clients stamp their home’s name or address onto linens and towels, drinkware and cocktail napkins.

Housewares have been more of a focus for shoppers this year at the 1,200-square-foot store, as the pandemic has kept many Americans at home. Gifts will always sell, but “people are buying for themselves more,” Boothe noted. Best-sellers include customized pillows — including college pillows for graduates — along with bed skirts, coverlets, and lamps. “Customers will monogram a throw to drape over the back of a chair,” the retailer explained. “We also do a lot of backgammon boards for people to take to the beach. And robes, of course, are a classic.” At Nantucket Monogram, personalization goes beyond initials: Boothe said sailors like adding nautical flag decals to boats, cars, and other items.

But tote bags are the store’s perennial favorite. In straw, neoprene or boat-and-tote canvas, a mainly female clientele favors traditional block fonts and sailboat motifs. “It’s always more of a challenge to find things for men,” said Boothe. “We make sure to have plenty of options, including new fonts with a bit of flair, and a quick turnaround time.” town, so we do a lot of totes,” said Owner Jennifer Falvey . “But we basically can put a monogram on anything.”

At Pretty Poppy in Newburyport, Mass., day trippers can order a monogrammed bag, go down the street for lunch, and come back to pick it up — all in a matter of hours. Manager Breanna Alexander speculated that demand for purses, the store’s top-seller, is part of a larger trend: Women looking for a new wardrobe after a year spent mostly at home. “They’re getting out of their leggings and buying new things for themselves right now,” Alexander observed.

In-house monogramming is favored not only for bags, but also for glassware at the resort-town boutique. “We’ll personalize champagne flutes for weddings — for the bride and groom, or for anniversaries,” Alexander said. Fittingly, Tuxedo is the most-requested font at Pretty Poppy.

The Fishtail monogram font, a serif classic, is the favorite of Chatham shoppers, though many opt for the letter-in-a-circle style. Falvey said names and initials are equally popular, depending more

“It’s always more of a challenge to find things for men. We make sure to have plenty of options, including new fonts with a bit of flair, and a quick turnaround time.”

Brooke Boothe, Nantucket Monogram, Nantucket, Mass., and New Canaan, Conn.

Old-school Century is the top font at Port Canvas, which does a brisk business in monogrammed gifts for graduates like $65 sailor duffels. Local schools will sometimes order custom grad gifts, such as laundry bags, in the school colors. And lately, Phillips carries a lot of merchandise featuring the 1901 Maine State Flag, with a fir tree and a navy-blue star. “It’s kind of a cult thing right now,” he observed. “Several of our products feature that embroidery on natural, which is to say off-white, canvas.”

Canvas beach bags with different colored handles are also favorites at Chatham Thread Works, a 700-square-foot store on Cape Cod. “This is a seaside

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Seen at The Philadelphia Gift Show

on the item than the age group: Children’s wares traditionally use full names, but women may do the same to personalize a makeup bag. Monograms are more commonly found on towels, totes and bathrobes. For housewares, said Falvey, “a lot of people put the names of their boats or houses” on vinyl or acrylic serving trays, drinkware, pillows and cushions.

With more people staying home during the pandemic, Chatham Thread Works’ best-sellers this year have been throws and blankets in luxe fabrics like fleece and cashmere. Few people will actually see these monograms…but that’s not really the point. Having your name on something, Falvey explained, just makes it all the more meaningful. ❖