Girls Are Taught To 'Think Pink,' But That Wasn't Always So

[jakeXT]

...

Before Gatsby, a 1918 trade catalog for children's clothing recommended blue for girls. The reasoning at the time was that it's a "much more delicate and dainty tone," Finamore says. Pink was recommended for boys "because it's a stronger and more passionate color, and because it's actually derived from red."

To our 21st century ears, all this men in pink stuff may sound a bit blushy. "It's so deeply entrenched in us and our culture," says Finamore. "We think of pink as such a girlish color, but it's really a post-World War II phenomenon."

When the war ended and the men came home, Rosie the Riveter traded in her factory blues for June Cleaver's pink apron. In the postwar ideal, men reclaimed the workplace, and women stayed home with babies and shiny appliances. Femininity got wrapped in pink, and so did products — from shampoos to fancy fashion.

In 1947, after the shortages and rationing, and straight skirts of war, Christian Dior introduced the New Look. "It is this overtly feminine silhouette," Finamore explains. "You have soft shoulders, a bust line, a wasp waist and voluminous skirts."

...

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/01/297159948/girls-are-taught-to-think-pink-but-that-wasnt-always-so

I have never thought of the factory blue angle

[Louisiana1976]

1. Sometime during the 80's, my dad had a pink shirt.

Mom and I thought he looked good in it.

[CTyankee]

3. Brooks Brothers! A classic!

A pink button down shirt, khaki pants and navy blazer...the ultimate preppie look...

[seabeyond]

8. my oldest son, pink is his color and he knows it, he owns it. lol. nt

[CrispyQ]

10. Years ago I worked with a man who was a tall, dark & handsome dude.

But on days when he wore his pink shirt, he was downright gorgeous. It looked fab on him & I think he knew it, too. He looked great in his pale lilac shirt, too.

[Sheldon Cooper]

12. Yep. Men with dark hair, eyes, and skin look great in pink.

[TDale313]

2. Yeah, there's nothing inate in "pink is for girls"

It's cultural. It's deeply ingrained at this point, but I think it's pretty clearly nurture, not nature.

[Warpy]

4. I loathe pink, always have

I guess it's because every 1950s-1960s 2 bedroom house came with a pink room and a blue room and I always got stuck in the pink one. It was like growing up in some monster's stomach.

And those women who stayed home with babies and shiny appliances? They drank or took Miltown, sometimes both.

That New Look was especially cruel to women with children. Childbirth changes your body permanently away from that wasp waist.

[seabeyond]

7. i look good in pink. it pisses me off

[BichonFreeze]

5. Color significance is interesting

AH so this is where I read that!! I always tell this to people and they never believe me. Isn't that wild? It's just a relatively recent development that 'it's a girl' reads INUNDATION OF PIIINK!
It makes me think of how while black is used in most of the Western world as a color of death and mourning, in China the color associated with death is white. And instead of white wedding dresses, both the groom and the bride wear red.

[CrispyQ]

11. Some sci fi author speculated that we use red as an 'alarm' color cuz it's the color of our blood.

So I guess for Vulcan's it's green.

[seabeyond]

6. and i had men on du swear it was the little wimminz gathering berries way back when. wonder why

i think evo psych is such bullshit.

yes.

this is what they feed us. evo psych. women, girls are innately drawn to pink because they were the gathers.

facts, history (recent history) do not factor in. it is about story telling to make today fit in with the beginning of time. when ever they choose that to be.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

9. Check out this pic from Disney's Lady and the Tramp...

...set in Victorian times:



Nice pink bow on the crib and, in another scene, the baby wears a soft pink one piece outfit:



He was dressed in both colors in this 1955 animated classic.

[CrispyQ]

14. I hope it doesn't turn him gay.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

16. ~~~

[CrispyQ]

13. Because we gathered berries? Really?

Because you know, I've never seen a blue berry.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

15. The term = psychobabble comes to mind. That is some of the stupidest shit I have read today but,

keep the faith, the day is young yet

[MadrasT]

17. I shit you not, I had a man tell me in total seriousness

That pink was for girls because vaginas are pink.

I burst out laughing.

(In person, in real life, someone I know well, NOT an internet troll!!!)

[seabeyond]

18. I have heard that one, too. The berries was here in hof. Lol. That ole evo psych. Brilliant

Science, dontcha know.