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| Calling Cards |
| Whether they are meant to convey congratulations,
condolences, or "Call me," personalized cards always imply
thoughtfulness and attention to detail -- the epitome of etiquette |
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While silver or ceramic trays hold mail these days,
in the past they often kept calling cards that friends left to indicate
they had stopped by for a visit.
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An assortment of new and old calling cards reveals
the variety available today as well as in the past. While some of
today's cards adhere to traditional styles, others feature colors,
sizes, scripts, or graphics that reflect the individual's
personality.
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by Beaty Evans Coleman
Photos by Erica George Dines
I send mountains of e-mail and leave countless voice
messages: "Thanks for dinner last night." "Good luck with
your interview tomorrow." "Can Eleanor meet us for a play date
on Tuesday?" All are genuine and heartfelt, lacking only the
conviction of actually taking a pen to paper (not to mention paper with an
engraved monogram neatly centered at the top).
I'm even guilty of
handing out generic business cards with scribbled information, such as my
personal e-mail address or cell phone number, to new acquaintances (how
terribly unchic). And, I must confess, I've more than once filled out
the stock gift enclosure card conveniently situated by the register when
making a last-minute purchase.
But there is the all-too-rare occasion --
usually an upcoming wedding or the birth of a child -- when I indulge.
I'll sit down and write a meaningful message, enclose it in a
handsomely wrapped package, and whisk it off to the receiver. How good it
feels to behave properly.
Though calling cards are no longer a social
necessity, they are making a comeback of sorts, mostly in the form of
personal cards, used by women who don't want to use business cards in
a social situation but want to provide information, such as cell phone
numbers and e-mail addresses. Until World War I, the social set left their
more formal calling cards in a silver butler's tray by the door when
they made a personal visit but found the lady of the house not at home. The
game was to run around town leaving the cards for everyone, whether for
welcoming, congratulating, condoling, thanking, or saying farewell.
Aside from personal cards, calling cards have come to
be used as gift enclosures and, of course, business cards. Though some
argue that the calling card can also play the role of the gift enclosure in
one's stationery repertoire, Jackye Adams of Smythson, the famed
maker of fine paper and leather products, considers them completely
different: "A gift enclosure card is something you write a note on --
the format of a calling card doesn't allow space for that," she
says. "Gift cards tend to be more feminine with tissue-lined
envelopes."
Such details might seem an unnecessary luxury, but
even in a society spoiled with technological conveniences, there is a
desire to get the important things on paper. My father recently came across
my own childhood calling cards and those of my grandmother before she was
married. I'm always humbled by the nature of things "back
then," when seemingly quirky formalities mattered not only for a girl
in her early youth but also for a young woman coming into adulthood. I
wondered how she had used her cards. Maybe she'd neatly tucked one
into a special gift for a friend and sent another with a bouquet of flowers
to someone in need of cheer. I do know that from now on, I'll think
twice before I find myself defaulting to the gift card on the counter.
| CALLING CARD ETIQUETTE |
Consider the size. According to The Amy Vanderbilt
Complete Book of Etiquette, a woman's card is squarer than a
man's (27Ú8 by 2 inches if single; 31Ú8 by 21Ú4 inches if married),
and a man's card is longer than a woman's (33Ú8 by 11Ú2 inches
or 31Ú2 by 2 inches). However, by today's standards, larger,
custom-size cards are completely appropriate. "I like calling cards
to be an unusual shape, such as an oversize square or something with
rounded edges," says New Orleans stationery designer Alexa Pulitzer.
Choose an appropriate script. Engraved black script
on white or ecru paper is customary. "Your calling card makes a
statement," says Jackye Adams of Smythson, who encourages clients to
follow tradition by using a simple typeface.
Play the name game. Formal etiquette dictates that a
couple use the husband's full name (Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas
Smith). Titles, such as "The Reverend" or "Doctor,"
should be spelled out in full (save M.D., Ph.D., etc., for business cards).
A married woman is typically "Mrs. William Thomas Smith" or can
use her own name, "Mrs. Mary Davis Smith." Single women use
their full names preceded by "Miss" or no title; a
divorcée uses "Mrs." followed by her maiden name then
her married name, or reverts to her maiden name with no title. It's
considered appropriate for a woman to keep using her calling cards after
her husband dies. When you send the card with a gift, write a personal note
and draw a line through the engraved name.
Use them often. "Who doesn't love pulling
out something glamorous?" says Melissa Hill, owner of Weddings Etc in
Birmingham. If your card has any information other than your name, it
should not be used as a gift enclosure, which should include the name only,
along with a brief handwritten message. "Most of my clients have a
more formal calling card to enclose with gifts, and a more stylish card
with phone numbers for everyday use," says Debbie Lewis, owner of La
Paperie in Savannah.
Get creative. "We're letterpressing paper
with ladybugs, pineapples, or any sort of small graphic that
people
feel connected to," says Paul Rubenstein, owner of The Written Word
in Washington, D.C. Adding a green border or printing your name in orange
is another way to get a customized look. Unusual shapes and sizes are also
in demand and are acceptable for more casual cards.
Don't forget the children. "People are
more whimsical with their child's card," says Pulitzer.
"I'm seeing cornets as opposed to monkeys and rabbits. Someone
recently requested an octopus wearing a crown," she says. Hill prints
cards that read, "Call my mom for a play date," followed by a
phone number. If you opt for a more formal card, use it as a birth
announcement. Attach the small card with the baby's name to your
formal card with a colored ribbon. |
RESOURCES: Smythson, 212/265-4573, www.smythson.com;
Alexa Pulitzer, LLC, 504/945-4843, www.alexapulitzer.com; Weddings Etc,
205/870-5299; La Paperie, 912/443-9349, www.lapaperie.net; The Written
Word, 202/223-1400, www.writtenwordstudio.com; Village Press, 205/871-5498,
village@hiwaay.net; Marguerite Peele Papers, 404/841-7645.
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