What Is the History Behind the Color Pink?
Pink, widely thought of as a female color modern day, wasn't always thought of that way. Baby boys at one time wore pink, and preppy men in the 19th century made the color popular. Originally named after the hue of a flower, the phrase "in the pink" originated from the much in demand scarlet hue for men's jackets in the 18th century.
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Origins in Infant Clothing
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In the 1800s, both boys and girls wore long white dresses. Even as late as 1829, children were dressed in unisex dresses. In the 1920s, Macy's tried to distinguish a color for boys and girls to discourage hand-me-downs.
Christian Influence
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Red has always been a strong color in the Christian tradition, and associated with men. Pink became a boys' color as a lighter hue of red. Blue was associated with the Virgin Mary and therefore considered a girls' color.
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Blue for Boys, Pink for Girls
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After the World War I, and soldiers' uniforms made in blue, it became associated as a masculine color. After the 1940s, pink became more of a feminine color. The idea was later perpetuated by marketing groups that pushed the post-war consumer boom and the creation of the middle class in the 1950s. Barbie, introduced in 1951, solidified the feminization of the color pink.
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- Photo Credit girl in a pink dress image by Ramona smiers from Fotolia.com
