To begin with, as a child I was never a fan of the color pink. From ages five to nine I was such a big tom-boy that I did not allow myself to be associated with pink. I had grown to despise pink and purple since I had been taught that they would give away that I was a girl. My parents were mostly always supportive and allowed me to choose which colors I wanted to wear and have in my room. After years of reflection, I now know that my dislike for the color pink was not really about the color, but the societal connection made between the color and being āgirlyā. Directly following my research came to the realization that pink had not always been linked with the feminine qualities I ran away from as a child.
The color pink had a huge switch in societal meaning in the mid 20th century; but prior to its reign as a girl's color, the color pink was not accredited to a certain gender. A famous mistress of Louis XV enjoyed the color so much that the SĆØvres porcelain company named and created a shade of pink after her. At this point in time porcelain was a status symbol and only the financially stable could splurge on the delicate pottery. The color was often associated with the royal court.
It was not until the 20th century that the meaning behind the color pink started to shift. An article in the 1927 issue of Time Magazine included a survey done with multiple U.S based stores on what were considered gender-appropriate colors. The results were astonishing. Nearly 60% of participants described pink as being a āboy colorā. They argued that pink was a shade of red, and therefore masculine and best suited for boys. On the other hand, the color blue was ascribed to being a gentle color best suited for girls.
Nazi Germany used the color pink to identify homosexual men, bisexual men, and transgender women. Shortly after World War II, many advertisements sought to refeminize women and reestablish traditional gender roles. They did this by depicting women in pink-colored frilly clothing and as the ideal housewife. It was not until the 1980ās when it became possible for the sex of a baby to be identified via ultrasound, that pink began to be accredited to baby girls.
If I had, as a child, understood that it was society forcing a gender onto a color and that wearing pink did not āmake me girlyā, then I may have been more open to the color. The history of the color pink has put into perspective that just because society has labeled something a certain way, does not mean it's right or that it will always be labeled that way. As an adult, I do not have a favorite color, but I do not avoid the color pink like I did years ago.
https://blog.hunterlab.com/blog/color-and-appearance-theory/the-color-pink/#:~:text=The%20color%20pink%20was%20recognized,symbol%20of%20class%20and%20luxury.
https://blog.hunterlab.com/blog/color-and-appearance-theory/the-color-pink/#:~:text=The%20color%20pink%20was%20recognized,symbol%20of%20class%20and%20luxury.