Thursday, February 10, 2011

Emily Post Post

As I gather addresses to start writing my own letters, my thoughts have turned to the stationery that I want to use. The problem is that I have no stationery, at least none that is fine enough for ITAM. You always see nice stationery folded in half in old movies. I like that look. For this particular social grace I needed some expert advice. Emily to the rescue:


Whew! Thank goodness Emily was there. I was considering some comically large paper, or something decidedly liberal, but she has talked me down off that ledge. The Age of Innocence plays over and over in my mind as I look at all these rules. (Good movie from a greater book.) Without the internet, I suppose that people had more time for social rules and propriety. I particularly love that these paper sizes are nothing like American Letter sized paper. 8 1/2 x 11 is too cold and impersonal a size for a letter. I don't want to be reminded of a bill or my City of Phoenix water statement; I want a letter from a friend.

From my research only Crane offers paper in something similar to these traditional sizes. The hand-bordered Regent Blue Ecruwhite letter sheets are a perfectly respectable 6 3/8 x 8 1/2. The Ecruwhite Letter Sheets are in a similar vein.

Crane also offers a Monarch sheet (7 1/4 x 10 1/2). That size paper is intended to be folded in thirds. I don't like paper folded in thirds. If there is another company that offers paper and envelopes in matching paper I would be interested, but this seems to be an expensive, all-cotton, niche product.