Thread: Why is pink associated with femininity?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink#Pink_in_gender

Hmm so you could walk around in the 1800s with pink clothes and not be considered a flaming metrosexual? lol

Originally Posted by Wavefunction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink#Pink_in_gender

That tells that it's been the appropriate color since the 1940's, but it doesn't explain anything.

I'd say it has to do with what girls are known for... it's pink after all...

As with any color, think about where it exists in nature... and you'll have your answer as to why we associate certain things with certain colors...

Newborn mammals... flowers...

Originally Posted by SolSkye

As with any color, think about where it exists in nature... and you'll have your answer as to why we associate certain things with certain colors...

Newborn mammals... flowers...

While I generally agree with the notion that our interpretation of colors has something to do with natural occurences, this doesn't really explain why the sex-color links were reversed somewhere after 1940. It seems to me that some underlying force is driving our associations, and we just pick out a few natural color examples to justify the current whims of society as they change.

Men were associated with pink? That's odd...

Originally Posted by SolSkye

Men were associated with pink?

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

In Western culture, the practice of assigning pink to an individual gender began in the 1920s. From then until the 1940s, pink was considered appropriate for boys because it was the more masculine and decided color while blue was considered appropriate for girls because it was the more delicate and dainty color. Since the 1940s, the societal norm apparently inverted so that pink became appropriate for girls and blue appropriate for boys, a practice that has continued into the 21st century.

Apparently.

We're so used to women being associated with pink, that it seems odd for it to be the other way around.

I'm still hoping someone has an explanation for this...

I agree with gnome that it's just something society cooked up, and any sort of things found in nature are used to (quite randomly, really) justify it. There are blue flowers, after all. And babies can have a nicely sickening blue hue to them as well.

Hmm. I've never thought of pink as strong. Maybe it was thought of as more intense than blue because it's a toned down version of red?

True, mes. However, I would say that blue exists more naturally in things that give an impression of dreamy and cool (ie. sky, water). Not to say women can't be those things but, pink just doesn't seem to exist naturally in anything other than things relating to the female. You don't see too many male florists.

Originally Posted by Grod

We're so used to women being associated with pink, that it seems odd for it to be the other way around.

I'm still hoping someone has an explanation for this...

What do you mean, an explanation?

Why do you associate pink with females? Because everyone else does? Well, there you go. Pink is feminine for the same reason popped collars are no longer cool and rhinestone shirts are generally looked down upon in our society. The whim of the people.

Originally Posted by thegnome54

What do you mean, an explanation?

Why do you associate pink with females? Because everyone else does? Well, there you go. Pink is feminine for the same reason popped collars are no longer cool and rhinestone shirts are generally looked down upon in our society. The whim of the people.

You must not know many Douche bags. They definitely think popped collars are cool. Have a look.

I agree society plays a minor role. Although, I think a lot of our association with colors come more from nature.

Originally Posted by thegnome54

What do you mean, an explanation?

I'm hoping there is some cause as to why it's generally thought of how women are associated with pink, other then because everyone looks at it that way.

Originally Posted by thegnome54

Why do you associate pink with females? Because everyone else does? Well, there you go. Pink is feminine for the same reason popped collars are no longer cool and rhinestone shirts are generally looked down upon in our society. The whim of the people.

Yes. I'm not going to associate blue or green, or some other colour with women, simply because pink is how it is generally looked upon. I'm hoping someone knows how this originated, but that seems unlikely.

Originally Posted by Xaqaria

You must not know many Douche bags. They definitely think popped collars are cool. Have a look.

lulz at that pic.

Originally Posted by SolSkye

I agree society plays a minor role. Although, I think a lot of our association with colors come more from nature.

I think in this case, its pretty clear cut that that isn't the case though. A lot of times we look for justification in nature for arbitrary social norms and I'd say that is more likely what happens with pink.

^^ I agree. I mean, you could go around and collect samples from nature that are pink and reflect femininity... but I bet you would find just as many samples that reflect femininity that are blue or green or whatever other "masculine" color.

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

^^ I agree. I mean, you could go around and collect samples from nature that are pink and reflect femininity... but I bet you would find just as many samples that reflect femininity that are blue or green or whatever other "masculine" color.

Good point Xaqaria...

One could look at the electromagnetic spectrum and notice, that red is at the bottom and blue/violet is at the top;



I believe that has something to do with it. Red is generally a "lighter" light, fx. it's the only light that won't expose and screw up the colours on photo-negatives, if handled correctly that is.

Originally Posted by Marvo

One could look at the electromagnetic spectrum and notice, that red is at the bottom and blue/violet is at the top;

I believe that has something to do with it. Red is generally a "lighter" light, fx. it's the only light that won't expose and screw up the colours on photo-negatives, if handled correctly that is.

Red light is used in dark rooms because black and white film is only sensitive to blue and green light, and so it doesn't pick up the red light at all. Photo developing actually needs to be done in complete darkness.

I don't know what it would mean to be a "lighter" light. Red has the lowest frequency, and so the spectrum is usually oriented with low frequency at the bottom.