In fact, pink was even considered to be a masculine color. In old catalogs and books, pink was the color for little boys, said Leatrice Eiseman, a color expert and executive director of the
The colors change
It wasn't until the 1940s that manufacturers went in the opposite direction and decided that pink was for girls, and blue was for boys.
It wasn't until the 1950s that the color pink became a "girly" color. Many historians point to Dwight Eisenhower's presidential inauguration as a pivotal moment in the history of pink. Mamie Eisenhower, the new first lady, arrived at the inaugural ball in a stunning pink ball gown studded with 2,000 rhinestones.
Not only can men wear pink, pink has a rich history in men's fashion. The age old misconception of pink being femanine is fading into the background and you don't want to get left behind.
Originating as a trend in the mid-19th century and applying primarily to clothing, gendered associations with pink and blue became more widespread from the 1950s onward. Since the 1990s, these gendered associations have also increasingly applied to toys as well, especially in the case of pink toys for girls.
Steele believes that the acquisition of two 18th-century paintings by American millionaire Henry Huntington started turning the tide in favor of pink being a girls' color. “The Blue Boy” depicted a boy dressed in blue, and “Pinkie” portrayed a girl in pink attire.
The reason for this was that blue was a more delicate color–deemed suitable for girls–and pink was a stronger color–more suitable for boys. However, In 1927 Time Magazine released a survey chart showing what colors different department stores across the country displayed for boys and girls, and the results were mixed.
That's because it wasn't until after World War II that pink came to be equated with femininity. People formed that association largely because it was first lady Mamie Eisenhower's favorite color. Not for any special reason, though; she supposedly just liked the way it set off her skin tone and pretty blue eyes.
The short answer is no. Pastel colors for baby clothing—including blue and pink—were introduced in the mid-19th century, and they didn't become sex-specific colors until the 20th century. A couple of different aspects affected the ultimate designation of pink for girls.
Blue in parts of Europe, at least, had long been associated as a feminine colour because of the supposed colour of the Virgin Mary's outfit."
In the 1920s, some groups had described pink as a masculine color, an equivalent to red, which was considered for men but lighter for boys. But stores nonetheless found that people were increasingly choosing to buy pink for girls, and blue for boys, until this became an accepted norm in the 1940s.
In contemporary Japanese culture, says Nemitz, pink is perceived as a masculine and mournful color that represents “young warriors who fall in battle while in the full bloom of life.” In Germany, pink is “rosa”—a hue that's “bright, soft, peaceful, sweet, and harmless,” she explains.
Pink looks good on any skin tone. Men with darker complexions look good in lighter shades such as carnation pink, cherry blossom and lavender-pink. Meanwhile, guys on the fair side can go with deeper shades like Persian rose and hot pink.
Since at least the 19th century, the colors pink and blue have been used as gender signifiers, particularly for infants and young children. The current tradition in the United States (and an unknown number of other countries) is "pink for girls, blue for boys".
Did you know boys used to be called girls? Until the late 15th century, the word girl was used to refer to a child. of any gender. Maiden child is used for a little boy, and gay girl was used for a girl.
Masculine colours tend to lean towards dark, heavy hues such as greys, charcoals, blacks and browns. When you mix in elements such as steel, leather, dark wood, wool, stripes and plaids, you begin to create a space that would typically be thought of as masculine.
The associations of colour have changed over time – In the 1700s European men wore pink, for example, as a sign of wealth and power, rather than gender. Today the spectrum of colours has become symbolic of both liberation and visibility in menswear.
By adulthood, the pink/blue color preference shows less of a sex difference. Though women, compared to men, still show a marginally greater preference for pink, both male and female adults prefer blue to pink. This suggests a female preference for pink is not hardwired or sculpted by evolution.
Girls Like Pink: It's Encoded in Their Genes
According to a study published in Current Biology, women are biologically programmed to like the colour pink more than men, and the reason can be traced right back to prehistoric times!
Another masculine color par excellence is red, the color of strength and activity that is associated with fire and blood. But there is also a typically feminine red in religions close to nature: dark red, a color symbolizing the state of fertility in women.
Gender-neutral colours like yellow, white, brown, green and orange are great choices for boys and girls alike. Even better, all of these colours can be paired with various shades of blue or pink if desired.
Results suggest that red, orange, blue, black, and white are perceived as more masculine (than feminine), and that high levels of brightness tend to increase femininity—a result that was significant for the hue purple.
It wasn't until the 1940s that retailers and manufacturers decided on pink for girls and blue for boys. Then the women's lib movement of the '70s actually pushed retailers back to gender neutrality.
Is purple a “girl color” or “boy color?” Purple is traditionally a “girl” color. In fact, women often pick purple as their favorite color while only a tiny percentage of men do. It makes sense then, that purple is seen in women's attire all the time, yet is practically non-existent in men's clothing.
From the mid-16th century until the late 19th or early 20th century, young boys in the Western world were unbreeched and wore gowns or dresses until an age that varied between two and eight.