It’s no coincidence that monogrammed pajamas feel a little more luxurious…dating back to 350 BC monograms were status symbols and dignified marks.
Greek and Roman rulers used monograms to identify currency and eventually work signatures. It wasn’t until the Victorian era that people expanded their use of monograms to jewelry and embroidered fabrics. As a sign of aristocracy, wealthy Victorian folk monogrammed any household goods they could.
And while monograms are still posh today, they act as more identity pieces than anything else. Monograms can be tied to families and passed down by generation, a staple of personalization, even symbolizing love and connection for married couples.
In the South, personalized gifts are the ultimate compliment. It’s no secret that our southern friends adore anything monogrammed (can’t you just picture the MarleyLilly rain poncho?)
Monograms feel special and important, something that is strictly yours. You can even trademark your monogram. Some courts call this complicated and weak but still, we associate our favorite brands with their initials. The letter ‘S’ is the most commonly trademarked letter in the alphabet.
Until the 1990s, Italian courts declared that letters, not accompanied by graphics or art, could not be trademarked. Now, Initials can be trademarked to distinguish one brand from another.
We know “LV” as Louis Vuitton’s famous initials and most would be wary of infringement on such an iconic letter combination.
The double “G”s we’ve grown to know and love famously belong to Gucci. Even The Court of Milan has set definitions for how Gucci may use “G” versus how Guess can.
In 2012, Gucci was awarded $4.7 million in a copyright suit against Guess, setting precedent everywhere for territory over monograms. (Petition to be the only one allowed to have JRR embroidery?)
So, in short, don’t come for my monogram or call me cheugy because I’m just on my peak Victorian luxury vibe.
Legally Beau Monde 