Q: I was contemplating getting some stationery. I like to keep small cards around, suitable for thank you's and condolences. Something masculine and techie. Do you have any thoughts?
Excellent question. While there are paper options galore for gals, finding a sophisticated box of stationery for men that isn't yawn-inducing is a challenge. Before we get to the goods, we have to think about size. On paper, it matters.
Personal stationery typically comes in three sizes:
Informal Cards: fold-over notes, which may include a personalized name on the outside. Perfect for thank yous because they're elegant and space is limited - a major plus when you have heaps of thank you notes to write. (Informal cards are often purchased by brides and grooms for wedding thank yous.)
Shown below: Ecruwhite Notes with Bisque and Navy Border from Crane.
Correspondence Cards: flat, rectangular cards that also make sense for shorter notes. These cards don't allow for a lot of in-depth writing, and there are no folds in the paper to hide more personal messages, so they're better suited for more casual notes.
Shown below: Monarch Personalized Correspondence Card with Lizard Liner from Crane.
Executive Sheets: Also known as traditional letterhead, these 8.5x11" sheets mean business. This is classic stationery - but be warned - filling up the sheet (without the very useful guidance of lines) can be tricky. Handwriting gets too big and you can look like a sloppy 5th grader. Handwriting is too small and you have miles to go before you fold and send.
Shown below: Moonstone Grey Wove 32 lb. Executive Sheets from Crane.
Now we have the structural elements of stationery under wraps. Next we have to find paper that makes the heart flutter. I'm not sure how you feel about these options above, but they certainly don't make me reach for the pen.
The kicker is finding paper that's techie and modern when so many new paper designers and letterpress junkies are picking up on old themes, like these typewriter cards from
Farouche:
Or the classic globe trotting cards from
Is a Virtue:
Nautical themes are big for men, too, like these Sailor Silhouette cards from
Montserrat:
But none of these scream techie to me.
The best place to start in our hunt for modern men's stationery is over at
Forgetful Gentleman, founded by two MBA grads in 2008 who felt that now it is "more necessary than ever, yet perhaps harder than ever, to be a gentleman." So they started up a paper shop that's heavy in masculine undertones and complete with personalized
calling cards,
letterpress correspondence cards and even
Thank You Note Writing Kits (which includes 10 cards and a book about how to say thanks).
Here's a sample of their classic correspondence cards:
Forgetful Gentleman uses 100% cotton paper from the same 15th century Italian paper mill that produced Napoleon’s wedding invitations. It doesn't get much manlier than that. Beautiful paper, but not super techie. Onward we march.
If you're looking for a monogram and want something a little different, consider these
Italian Vintage Typography informals from Luxe Paperie. The paper features
deckle (tattered) edging and the card
s are "generously sized" to European dimensions.
The liner on the envelopes makes these cards stand out. But it might be too whimsical for more serious notes.
This may be the winner. For something a little more modern, check out Modern Circle Personalized Note Cards from Portland's
Ruby Press. If it were me and I were he, I'd order these in "
sage and stone."
Photo courtesy of Etsy Blog
