Written by: Emma Wiltfong and Caleb Moll

Photographed by: Britney Spangenberg

Modeled by: Courtney Skornia (@courtskornia), Koli Croy (@koli.vaughn), Sheny Delgado (@kneeshay5), Madison Clayburn (@madisonclayburn), and Lily Eclan (@lilian_elcan)

PINK- a four-letter word – and color – that has a current choke-hold on fashion in 2023. The color pink is seen globally in the fashion industry and this current fashion cycle. It is seen through statement pieces such as sunglasses, trucker hats, cargo pants, shirts, skirts, and shoes of all varieties. We have seen the color pink cycle back each year -not only in clothing- but in films, packaging, interior design, and accessories worn by celebrities. Celebrities that excel and wear the iconic color consists of Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls), Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde), Harry Styles (Singer-Songwriter), and Jackie Kennedy (Former 1st Lady of the White House). While the color pink is popular right now, the color has an interesting and complicated history.

The color pink, in modern times, is now considered genderless and flattering on everyone! The color pink can be seen on people that identify as male, female, non-binary, and worn by individuals outside the traditional binary system. Pink is a bold and vibracious color that allows for self-expression, and allows creatives to stand out in a crowd!

However, the color pink was not always a color that suited everyone. Pink originally was associated with gender, in the Western world, during the beginning of the 1900s. It  traditionally was associated with boys during this specific time period being that it is a hue of red,. This is because the color red was considered a “masculine” or  “strong” color. The color red emphasized the typical ideal of what it means to be “a man”. Babies during this time, who were male, were often seen in the color pink. It was also common to see little boys dressed in these colors to reinforce masculinity

In contrast, in modern times, the color blue is associated with masculinity. However, the color blue during the 1900s was associated with females. The color blue was considered to be a “gentle” and “calming” color. The color blue was associated with being female due to the idealized stereotype of what it means to be “feminine” or “female”. This leads us to wonder when did the shift in color association with masculinity and femininity occur? 

While there is no exact event or time that caused the shift in the color pink to become feminine. There are events that happened globally, and in the Western world, to cause a shift in who was associated with the color pink. Events that could have potentially shaped the new stigma of the color are wars, labeling gender-specific products, pop culture, and reinforcing gender stereotypes. Although the color pink is a timeless color, this color has impacted our lives, and our personal perceptions of what is deemed “masculine” or “feminine”.  

How do people now feel about this highly polarizing color? Our interviewees had this to say about the topic.

What is your personal history with the color pink?

Sheny: “My feelings on it have been pretty neutral, up and down.” Sheny mentioned having a “tomboy phase” where she “rebelled” against pink and, in a way, against society. 

Lily: “For a majority of my life, I was obsessed with the color pink.” Lily mentioned how they have always loved it. They explain having a monochrome pink room as a kid and how that love has stuck with them throughout life.

Madison: “For a really long time…I hated the color pink”

Madison’s experience varies from the others because her love for pink was a later in life development. She didn’t wear it, and “wasn’t interested” until college when she went through a phase of self-discovery.

Koli: Koli recalled memories of brightly colored Bratz dolls, and stated she gets a  “sense of nostalgia from when I was a kid” when enjoying pink. She also mentioned the “tomboy phase” where she rejected the color. 

Courtney: “It used to be my favorite color when I was little.” Courtney then had the dreaded “tomboy phase” in middle school before returning to the color again at fifteen.

Our lovely interviewees had many different experiences, so let’s break it down. Let's focus on  the “tomboy phase” shaped elephant in the room. A majority of our interviewees who were young people raised as feminine presenting said they had a period of time where they rejected pink. The color is often felt as if it is forced on young girls through toys, marketing, and even television shows. It’s more than common for these same girls to later reject pink during middle school and early puberty and embrace the “not like other girls” mindset that is also pushed on them by our misogynistic society. They are told that girls and feminine people are weak, and that liking pink makes you weaker and less than when compared to men. The cycle then completes itself with another journey of self-discovery and working through internalized misogyny to see that pink is just a color, and liking it doesn’t reflect on you as a person. 

Whether you’ve loved pink and never strayed, or were a late bloomer into the pink love, everyone deserves to wear and show their appreciation for it. It doesn’t matter what history says about pink being for certain genders, it doesn’t matter if you loved it and then hated it for years, it doesn’t matter if you are a 60-year-old man just discovering that he wants to wear monochrome pink outfits every day of the week. Pink is for everyone, no matter what your experience is.