Did You Know Pink Was Once A Manly Colour?

 By Ayoade Divine

Image credit: OppoSuits

If you walked into a store today, you’d probably find baby girl clothes in pink and baby boy clothes in blue with no questions asked. But what if we told you that, just over a century ago, it was the exact opposite? Pink, now seen as delicate and feminine, was once celebrated as a bold and strong color fit for little boys. In a world where colors have been coded and recoded through history, pink has had one of the most surprising journeys of all. Let’s walk you through it:

Long before pink adorned the covers of girls’ toys and lunchboxes, it held a very different reputation. In the early 20th century, pink was actually seen as a color more appropriate for boys. It was considered a paler version of red; a color associated with power, energy, and masculinity. Blue, by contrast, was viewed as soft, calm, and delicate traits that society at the time linked to femininity.

In a 1918 article by Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department (a prominent trade magazine), it was advised that, "pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." The logic seemed sound back then but times were changing.

By the 1940s, the color-gender code began to shift, not because of science or necessity, but largely due to fashion trends and marketing strategies. As clothing manufacturers and department stores grew in influence, they began assigning colors to specific genders to make shopping easier and more profitable for parents.

Hollywood and pop culture played their part too. Female movie stars began to wear pink in romantic or glamorous roles. Pink grew to symbolize softness, charm, and femininity, especially in the post-WWII era when traditional gender roles were re-emphasized.

Then came the 1950s and pink exploded. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was famously fond of pink, even wearing a pink gown to the presidential inauguration. Her love for the color popularized it further, with designers and advertisers linking pink to idealized womanhood. From that point on, pink’s identity was sealed; not by nature, but by nurture.

Also, In recent decades, pink has taken on new, powerful meanings. For Campaigns like Breast Cancer Awareness, the pink ribbon has become the universal symbol of breast cancer, illustrating the cause, raising awareness and bringing together women in solidarity.