To monogram or not to monogram?

When it comes to monograms, there is a fine line between old-school glamour and tacky self-absorption. Here’s how to do a monogram well:

Do monogram: Bath towels (in a modern, stylized font or cool color—nothing predictable. I love the idea of tone-on-tone in huge block letters), robes, throw pillows, throw blankets, sheets, doormats, jewelry boxes or valets, fine jewelry (like this Tiffany & Co. pendant, right. I wear a very similar one, a gift from my boyfriend, almost every day), fine cufflinks, a significant photo frame such as one containing a wedding or baby photo, a tote bag (a classic) or diaper bag, coffee mugs, luggage tags, kids’ stuff, anything personal that goes in your purse, such as a keychain or silver compact, stationary. Not all at once, please.

Don’t monogram: Headboards, duvet covers, shower curtains, candles, shirt cuffs (unless white-on-white or another low-contrast color combination. My dad had this growing up and it is still so cool to me), barware, dish sets unless it's your grandmother's china, vases, trays (what’s the point?), luggage, wine glasses, anything mirrored, costume jewelry, sweaters (unless you are under 18 and the sweater is brightly-colored), belt buckles (!), license plates, rugs, floor tiles, doorknockers, table linens.

Go online to check out cool, fresh styles. But be careful--some styles are copyrighted.

Also, in lieu of monogramming, consider a signature insignia. Napoleon (and my best friend Kristin) adopted the bee, Marie Antoinette had the fleur-de-lis. Often, when retail stores come out with a pattern, they use it on many different items, from towels to glassware. If used in small doses and integrated differently in different rooms, a signature like this could be a sweet, surprising alternative to a letter. But beware of cluttered collection overload. Have a great, personalized week!

Tiffany & Co. diamond pendant (top): http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?sku=GRP00123&mcat=148204&cid=287465&search_params=s+5-p+8-c+287465-r+101323351-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+

Leontine Linens throw pillow (bottom): http://leontinelinens.com/content/springcollection/bed.html#3