The Monogram Shop

At Signature Style shop Personalizing gifts with flair

“Sure, many people monogram their silver and cocktail glasses, but true preppies monogram their wastebaskets as well,” wrote Lisa Birnbach in The Official Preppy Handbook.

At Signature Style, a newly expanded gift shop at 134 Old Ridgefield Road, wastebaskets are monogrammed — along with baby bibs, yoga mat shoulder bags, pillows, glass bowls, picture frames, jewelry, sweaters, candles, pajamas, cell phones, laptops and more.

But the preppy style popularized by Ms. Birnbach has broken through its pink and green bubble, according to Mary Logan and Ann Nash, the shop’s owners. “We have so many colors and styles to chose from,” said Ms. Logan.

For example, there are turquoise pompon blankets, black and red vinyl embossed plates, and leopard print make-up cases among the 1,134 items of apparel, accessory and home decor that line the shelves. “It’s updated preppy style,” said Ms. Logan.

In fact, Signature Style is currently selling True Prep, Ms. Birnbach’s sequel to The Official Preppy Handbook.

The shop has been thriving since Signature Style first opened last September at 94 Old Ridgefield Road. The move to the new store expands the space from 212 square feet to 1,200, Ms. Nash said. “Business has been wonderful,” she said.

Along with monograms, Signature Style will design customized “embellishments” on-site for the items they sell, according to Ms. Nash. For example, a customer imprinted a pillow with the names of “Grandma’s gang,” in birth order, as a special gift.

Also, items have been emblazoned with “dragonflies, sailboats, elephants or lacrosse sticks” to reflect individual preferences and styles, Ms. Logan said. “Every day customers create something new — something we never heard of before. People take pride in what they make.”

With the expanded space, Signature Style has added a leather embosser, for a new leather line.

Ms. Logan and Ms. Nash, both Wiltonians, first met at the Wilton Youth Council’s Volunteer Program Project 2012 at Wilton High School, which helps promote drug- and alcohol-free events for high school students. “We are both craft people and we just clicked and the business came together,” said Ms. Nash.

Prices range from $10 to $159, Ms. Logan said, and the shop also features items such as key fobs from independent vendors like Smathers and Branson, based in Bethesda, Md. Jewel-colored boa scarves are also available, which Oprah selected for her “favorite things.

The Monogram Shop | The Charlotte Moms

If you’re like me… you love to get things personalized! And again if you’re like me, you have chosen names for your kids that you cannot buy already monogrammed in stores! When I was growing up, my name is spelled Kell e y. I was always known as “Kelley with ‘E’” and could never get things with my name on them.

Charlotte has lots of great places to get monogrammed items. You can bring in items from other places or buy items in store and get anything you want printed on them. But, again… if you’re like me, you tend to do things very last minute. Sometimes waiting for something to get monogrammed isn’t an option, and if you like a deal like me, you don’t want to pay to rush it either.

While shopping for a baby gift for a friend a few weeks ago at the Carolina Place Mall in Pineville, I came across The Monogram Shop . I have browsed in their store before, but never bought anything, so I have fun looking around all the cute items they had! From baby items to luggage to backpacks and more, I was in monogramming heaven! I instantly fell in love with a stuffed animal I was hoping to get a name put on it, but I knew I didn’t have time (dinner in 20 minutes? I never thought I would be able to get something custom made!)

I was about to settle for a bib with the letter on it I was looking for when I asked the sweet lady at the front how long it normally takes to get monogramming items back. She told me she could have it done in 10 minutes! I was shocked! They have the monogramming machine right there in store! I purchased the stuffed animal I wanted, wrote down what I wanted on it and by the time I was done shopping, I came back to my beautifully monogrammed animal and she even gift wrapped it for me! How awesome is that!?

There are many other monogramming shops here in Charlotte, but I was definitely impressed with the on the spot monogramming offered at The Monogram Shop. If you have a local shop and do monogramming in Charlotte, send me an e-mail so I can check you out too!