Pink was a colour for Men. In fact, not so long ago this colour was considered a sign of masculinity. Since it was seen as a diminutive of the colour red. The colour Red already had its strong association in wartime. So the pastel shade of Red evoked youthfulness and was universally accepted as a masculine colour.
So, then what attributed to the present-day assumption that pink is a feminine colour. Let’s find out.
The director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute Technology, author of several books and fashion scholar Valerie Steele, once said “In the 18th-century, it was perfectly masculine for a man to wear a Pink silk suit with floral embroidery,”.
Men wore pink, dressed in Pink silk suits which were embroidered with flowers back in the 18th-century. Those men were very powerful and highly respected.
In the early 1900s, young men would confidently sport Pink dress shirts (the first of which was made by Brooks Brothers) as part of their Ivy League wardrobe. So then what caused such a dramatic shift in perception?
Clothing companies in the 1960’s introduced baby clothes that were gender-specific. Their intent was to force parents to buy new clothes for their second child if it was a boy and the first child was a girl. They assigned blue for males and pink for females. Soon after, the colour Pink is for girls became a trend.
People’s perception saw a drastic change over a few years. This change in the perception in the minds of people brought the change. So, today the colour that once stood to depict masculinity suddenly changed to become and feminine hue.
Tell us what do you think about this story. Do share more insights if we’ve missed any. Also, follow me on Facebook and Instagram if you like to know more such insights. Have Fun :-)!
Fashionmostwanted.com is India’s premier online fashion & lifestyle webazine, which vividly scouts, explores and zooms in on all essential aspects of Indian fashion. Fashion Most Wanted (FMW) captures the changing nature of fashion and lifestyle segments be it local and international fashion drifts, culinary aspects, travel options and trends in the beauty industry.
India has matured into a grooming ground for the latest and most daring fashion trends making giant and determined strides to catch up with the contemporary fashion which, not many years ago, was dictated by the fashion capitals of the West such as London, New York, Paris and Milan.
Keeping all this in mind, FMW is keen to catch up with the contemporary fashion and lifestyle trends that define us as individuals. Whether you nurture a casual interest or want a career in fashion and lifestyle, FMW envisages this mysterious world by being your definitive friend, philosopher and guide on your exciting journey.
View all posts by Fashionmostwanted.com