Fashion Feature Friday: The Origin of Pink and Blue
One of the biggest factors of design is color. Colors are often linked with emotions and moods. This helps us decide what colors to use so we can send a certain message or create a specific feeling. For example, yellow is bright, happy, and cheerful. Black is dark, moody, and serious. But what else do we associate colors with? How does it affect how we design things? And finally, why are pink and blue such a big deal?
Many people refer to certain colors as either "boy" colors or "girl" colors. This is especially true when it comes to products for babies and children. For example, think of paint for a child's bedroom, or onesies for a newborn. "Boy" colors are blue and red, while "girl" colors are pink and purple. However, while this may seem innocent at first, it can be a harmful mindset. It reinforces sex and gender stereotypes at an early age. It can also limit children's autonomy and their freedom to choose how to express themselves. So, how exactly did pink become a "girl" color, and blue become a "boy" color?
THE HISTORY OF PINK AND BLUE
The idea of "boy" and "girl" colors is not as old as you may think. Up until the 1950s, children mostly wore white because it was easy to clean. There was also no such thing as "boy" or "girl" clothes. Boys used to wear dresses until the age of six or seven. This made changing diapers and underwear easier for parents.
Originally, pink and blue were actually the other way around. Manufacturers started distinguishing "sex-appropriate colors" so they could sell more products. In 1918, Earnshaw's Infants' Department stated that "pink [is] for the boys, and blue [is] for the girls". They believed pink was strong and blue was delicate. Other publications like Time magazine ran similar stories, telling parents how to dress their children. It took a few decades before things started to change.
Mamie Einsenhower, 1953. (National Archives)
The History of Pink
In 1953, Dwight Eisenhower became president of the United States. At his inauguration, his wife, Mamie, wore a beautiful pink ballgown with thousands of pink rhinestones. Mamie loved using pink in everything, from her clothes to her decor. People even gave the White House the nickname "Pink Palace" at the time because of her interior design choices.
The post-World War II era was a time of prosperity and domesticity. After their significant contributions to the war effort, women were now expected to take care of the home. People quickly began to link Mamie's traditional femininity with her favorite color. Mamie or First Lady Pink became popular to use in clothes, accessories, even bathroom and kitchen design.
Many other notable women in the 1950s and 1960s were also associated with the color. Some examples include Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, even Barbie.
Pinkie (Thomas Lawrence, 1794) and The Blue Boy (Thomas Gainsborough, 1770).
The History of Blue
The origin of blue for boys is not as clear-cut. Instead, blue seemed to naturally evolve beside pink. When pink made the "switch" from boys to girls, blue did the reverse. However, some people point to Henry E. Huntington as the potential source.
Huntington was an American railroad tycoon and art collector, whose collection became available to the public after his death. In 1921, he purchased the famous painting, The Blue Boy, by Thomas Gainsborough. This sale gained a lot of attention because people didn't want an iconic piece of British art history to leave England. Then, in 1927, Huntington also purchased Pinkie by Thomas Lawrence. With the two paintings hanging side-by-side in the Huntington Art Museum, people started to think blue was for boys and pink was for girls.
WHAT PINK AND BLUE MEAN TODAY
In the 1960s, the women's liberation movement led to the rejection of fashion and feminity. Women started dressing in more masculine clothes. They no longer wanted to wear lace or dresses or, of course, pink. Unisex and gender-neutral clothing became very popular in the 1970s for both adults and children.
Things started to change yet again by the 1980s. More and more parents were doing prenatal tests to learn the sex of their baby. Then, they would go shopping for clothes and decor. From there, pink came back in full force. Manufacturers used it in everything, from diapers to car seats, toys to strollers. They wanted parents to spend more, and separating boys' and girls' products was the best way to encourage this practice. Gender-reveal parties also became very popular during this time.
Today, people are less and less likely to emphasize or stereotype sex and gender based on colors. However, some women have developed a strong aversion to pink because of its association with traditional femininity. Some men still refuse to wear the color despite it being for boys several decades ago. It may take a long, long time before colors are truly considered neutral.
The Transgender Pride Flag
In 1999, Monica Helms, a transgender woman and activist, designed what would become the pride flag for the trans community. She had been encouraged by Michael Page, an activist who had designed the bisexual pride flag in 1998, to create something of her own. Helms first used the flag in a Pride parade in 2000. It quickly spread across the United States, then became widely used on an international scale. The design is simple, yet significant: pink and blue stripes, with white in the middle. Helms has said the white is for people who are intersex, transitioning, or nonbinary.
REFERENCES
15 Things You Might Not Know About The Blue Boy | Mental Floss
Has Pink Always Been a “Girly” Color? | Encyclopedia Britannica
Here’s Why We Think of Pink as a Color for Girls | Apartment Therapy
"Pinkie": The Story Behind the Painting | Jane Austen Centre
