Hi friends! You might have noticed that one of my favorite colors to decorate with is pink. I actually get a lot of questions about it. Although looking into it, the meaning of pink has changed a lot over time. So, I thought it would be fun to dive into the history of pink.
The History of Pink
Oh, pink! A color I’ve always loved. But I get questions from my readers about it pretty often. How can you decorate with such a bright color? Doesn’t your husband hate all that pink?
Honestly, this always confuses me that it’s so shocking (haha!). From my perspective, color is just color! And it doesn’t necessarily need to be restricted to a certain gender.
And honestly, when I hear that someone feels bad that my husband lives in a pink house, it makes me a little crazy. He doesn’t mind and is super supportive of my decorating! We’re a team and I’m so lucky that he lets me do my thing in our house.
While pink is more widely known to be a feminine color, it actually didn’t start off like that…
The origins of pink are mixed. But in the 1700s, European aristocrats, both male and female, wore softer, powdery colors as a symbol of luxury. At that point it wasn’t about gender, it was about class.
Also, pink was actually considered to be more masculine. Since it was a lighter shade of red, it was associated with war and the military. When I found this out, I was surprised! I guess it makes sense, though.
Later in the 19th century (think Victorian times), men started wearing darker more “serious” colors. That left women with the bright and pastel options. From there, it started being seen as delicate and feminine.
Pink in Modern Times
Then at the turn of the 20th century, pink entered the mainstream! Because of industrialization, it went from luxury to working class. This is when the rest of us got access to it.
And around the 1950s is when department stores realized they could make a lot of money by color coding children’s clothes. This is when America decided to label that pink was for girls and blue was for boys.
After that, pink started making a lot of pop culture appearances. Elvis had his iconic pink Cadillac. Then Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe started wearing it as a symbol of sophisticated femininity. In the 80s, punk bands made pink a mark of rebelliousness.
More recently, pink has become a symbol of feminine power. Like in one of my favorite movies, Legally Blonde. Elle Woods is powerful, smart and girly. Even her resume is pink!
It’s also very well-known as the sign for breast cancer awareness. And nowadays female activists wear pink to signify ownership of their bodies.
On the other hand, men are also starting to wear pink more and more. It’s not necessarily a feminine color, but it always makes a statement!
pink in homes
If you’re interested in decorating with pink, I have a lot of resources for you! Here are some posts that will help you get started.
How to decorate with pink in a subtle way. Blush and rose quartz are super popular and they can be brought in your home in a subtle way. I'll show you how to layer pink easily and products you can use to get the look you want!Decorating with Pink
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[…] friends! I’ve been talking a lot lately about the color pink because I love it so much. And having pink kitchen appliances is pure fun. So, […]