May 21st, 2010

Modern Etiquette

My Smythson stationery

My dear friend hosted a birthday lunch for me yesterday. The food was yummy, the weather divine and the group gathered was terrific. I love when it is a collection of people I know well with new interesting future friends mixed in.

The hostess who is an eco warrior invited us by email. She used a company called Paperless Post and created beautiful virtual invitations. I read a piece in T Magazine on the “correctness” of this practice recently and have been wondering whether it’s chic. I think it is not only chic, but conscientious as well. Granted, I love the presentation of an engraved invitation on heavy card stock, but I am equally saddened when it is tossed out destined for a landfill. That is definitely not chic!

Considering that I am an editor for an online entity, I found the evite to be thoughtful. But what about the thank you note? This time I will write them on my stationery and mail them the old fashioned way. But I hope that in the near future it will be as acceptable to create them virtually. An email is just not the same thing. However, I do like the immediacy of thanking by email. I will investigate if I can simulate my personalized stationery online and will let you know.