For the Well-Suited Hostess

Is there anything better than receiving a handwritten note? The ease of email, social media, and text messages just can’t replace the written word. And with that, comes the perfect stationery wardrobe.

Having the right stationery for every occasion is just as important as having the right pair of shoes. My mother has always said that your stationery is like a lasting impression. The suite you choose says a lot about you – your style, taste, and personality. The process can be a bit daunting with all the options that are out there today. That’s why I’m breaking it down here.

The first thing you’ll need to do is pick out your colors and printing type. I’m pulling from Crane & Co.’s Blue Book of Stationery, which is a great resource for all things socially written. They note that almost all of the higher quality stationery is made from cotton. And they’re right. You really can tell a difference in the quality of the paper just by feeling it.

Colors

I love having fun with my informal stationery. I’ll often opt for something brightly colored and patterned. I love this silk stationery, this fun pink and green chinoiserie design, and these blue and white pagodas. Informal note cards are like salad plates to me. I have my beautiful set of classic white plates as my base (see this post). Then, I buy up sets of salad plates in bright colors and patterns to mix in with those great, classic white plates to keep my tables interesting and lighthearted. I operate the same way with my stationery wardrobe.

My base wardrobe colors are ecru or white for the paper, then I use a traditional black or navy for the printing. Pro tip: solid hunter green, navy, or black are good lettering colors for the men in your life.

Printing

There are many different printing methods that you can use for your stationery. It all depends on what your personal style is and how much you’d like to spend.

Engraving is the most beautiful printing, in my opinion. It is one of the oldest methods and also the priciest. Have you ever felt an indentation on the back of a note? It’s absolutely lovely and is the product of the copper plate (letters are etched onto the plate) pressing into the paper. The bulk of the cost here is in creating the initial plate. Once they have been created, the process of ordering more is much simpler and a bit less costly.

Embossing is similar to engraving in that a copper plate is also used, but there is no ink. Here is an example. This is my second-favorite kind of stationery. You still have an indentation and I love how return addresses look embossed. It’s all in the details when it comes to stationery.

Letterpress is an art in and of itself. I visited a small letterpress studio three years ago and was just in awe of the painstaking effort required to achieve that easy, pretty look. The process involves a giant press. The type must be set in reverse on the letterpress plate, the ink is applied to the plate, and then the plate is pressed onto the paper. Watching the owner create the final product was such a delight. It’s hard to duplicate that warm feel. This is a good example of letterpress.

Thermography is also an elegant option. The photos you see in this post are from my thermographed stationery suite. The look is closest to engraving though there is no indentation. According to Crane, this “raised printing” is created by “a resinous powder melted over the flat-printed ink.” It  has a slight sheen to it that I just love.

Lithography is the process of printing ink onto paper. This type of printing is commonly used when printing books, newspapers, etc.

The Wardrobe

You’ll next have to decide what pieces you need, as in any wardrobe. I’ve found that I use folded notes, correspondence cards, and calling cards the most out of everything in my stationery suite.

Letter sheets are the most formal pieces in your stationery wardrobe and are also the most versatile. I haven’t been able to find a good example of these online, but if you were to enlarge a folded note and stand it on its end, you essentially have one. These typically have a monogram or full name on the top of the note. As Crane suggests, the first page and the third page are normally the ones that are written on.

Correspondence sheets, also known as “half sheets,” are similar to letter sheets except that they are single sheets of stationery. They typically will fold in half to fit their envelope and have a monogram or name on the top.

Monarch sheets are a bit larger and are used for social and business correspondence. These fold into thirds to fit into their envelopes and typically have a name only, or a name and address on the top.

Folded notes are my favorite pieces for everyday correspondence, especially thank you notes. They are the ones pictured with my monogram in this post. I use them for friends, family, and casual occasions (a close friend’s dinner party). Fun, informal folded notes like the brightly-colored ones I mentioned at the beginning of this post also fall into this category. You can include your monogram, name, or “Mr. and Mrs. (married name)” on these pieces.

Correspondence cards are flat, heavy cards that are smaller than the sheets mentioned above. A small monogram or name is typically included on them. I have my full name on mine. I use them both casually and for informal professional correspondence (a dinner party thrown by your superior), or for settings where the recipient may not recognize my monogram.

Calling cards are also some of the most versatile pieces in a good stationery suite. They are flat, heavy, and a bit larger than a standard business card. I use mine most often as gift enclosure cards. They are the perfect size, are personalized, and have just enough room to pen a brief note on the back. Following my mother’s advice, I ordered them both in the “Mr. and Mrs. (married name)” format and in my full name. The latter is perfect for bridal showers, baby showers, and other ladies’ events that I attend and purchase a gift for alone. The former is wonderful taped to a box of china for the new Mr. and Mrs. for a couples shower, or on their wedding day, that Hubby and I attend together.

My Favorites

There are so many stationery shops around the country, and there are always your staples like Paper Source. My thermographed stationery suite pictured in this post came from Reaves Engraving. They were referred to me by a friend who used them for her wedding papers. I used them for ours and have loved them ever since.

Haute Papier and The Dandelion Patch have some wonderful papers if you’re in the Washington, D.C. area. I recommend a quick online search to find shops near you that offer custom stationery services. Remember that you can always place custom orders online, too. I’ve done it many times before.

I love the more personal, fabulous designs that aren’t big box printed, but sometimes you just have to go that route. Stationery Studio is a great resource that I’ve found and they almost always have their pieces on sale. They carry Crane & Co. and a wide variety of other brands. I ordered from them when I had a boatload of thank you notes to write from bridal showers to our wedding. Pro tip: I highly recommend ordering a set in your current monogram with your maiden name and then an additional set with your married name if you are a bride. You cannot send out your married set until you say “I do,” but no one ever said that you can’t pre-write those thank you notes to send out after the fact.

Crane & Co. is by far my standby for non-personalized notes. I love the topiary ones I found at Caspari in Charlottesville. I also love some of the stationery shops on Etsy. A fabulous friend of mine swears by Smythson for her notes. As with their planners and notebooks, Smythson’s notes are just delicious.

Either way you go, you really can’t go wrong with a handwritten note. Cheers, y’all, and happy writing!