The unknown story of how the color pink was introduced to girls

The age when boys wore pink and girls wore blue and how Hitler got involved in change

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For years now, various stereotypes have prevailed in society, some of which over the years tend to be demolished and others "strongly" resist, since they have taken root for good in the consciousness of the people. One of them has to do with colors: specifically with pink and blue.

The truth is that when you hear "pink" in your mind come the girls, while "blue" the boys. Pink clothes, ribbons, accessories and even girls' rooms are painted in this color. Respectively, and with the blue. It is difficult, for example, for someone to paint the boy's room pink, since this particular stereotype is one of the most prevalent.

However, this separation of colors between the two sexes it is not so old, while not many years ago, the opposite was true: pink for boys, blue for girls. Officially, until the early 50s, the color stereotypes of the time were just the opposite.

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Its industry fashionable has always created trends, which people - and with the help of marketing - follow faithfully. Or at least it is affected to some degree. It was in the 20s when the British first thought that the boys, the future "pillars" of the house, should be distinguished from the future young ladies.

And this separation in terms of clothing could be achieved through colors. The palette has many colors and each one has its own symbolism. However, two of them could be symbolically identified with the children, but also practically serve the mothers in relation to the washing.

So, they chose pink for the boys because it reminds of "raw" red, which was associated with passion, determination, dynamism and masculinity. Respectively, for the girls, the blue was chosen, which as a color is considered more gentle.

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In fact, in June 1918 an article published in the Earnshaw's Infants Department in the United States read:The generally accepted rule is pink for boys and light blue for girls. The reason is that pink, which is a more decisive and powerful color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is thinner and more elegant, is suitable for the girl.».

In 1927 the magazine Time published a chart depicting gender-appropriate colors for girls and boys, according to top US department stores. "Filene's" in Boston urged parents to dress boys in pink. The same goes for "Best & Co." of New York, but also the "Marshall Field" of Chicago.

The years have passed, then, with fashion somehow requiring this separation. Until we reached the early 50's, when the colors were reversed for both sexes. In the meantime there was the Second World War and according to one theory the Nazi played an important role in this change.

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As stated in the book, "Men and Women: Dressing the Part, pink-for-girls and blue-for-boysPink was introduced as a "girly shade" by Hitler. Not directly from him, but on the occasion of a humiliating method he followed for homosexuals.

In the concentration camps, the guards marked them homosexuals with a pink triangle, to humiliate them but also to distinguish the prisoners. Thus, pink soon became associated with femininity and thus passed into the consciousness of the world.

In fact, according to esquireme.com, in an experiment performed on 3-year-old girls and boys, they painted the weapons pink and the ponies black to look wilder. The children thought that the weapons due to color were intended for girls.

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World War II had other effects on colors. After that, there was a consumer boom in America, and in it - either in clothing or in objects and appliances - colors such as khaki, dark green and gray were low on consumer preferences, as they reminded him of war.

On the contrary, bright and vibrant colors are promoted by both fashion houses and companies. For example, in the '50s USA Pink kitchens were in vogue, which reinforced the theory that pink is for girls. In 1959, a baby clothing store owner told The New York Times"A mother will allow her daughter to wear blue, but the father will never allow his son to wear pink."

There is, of course, another view on the introduction of the two colors, which argues that gender segregation is a product of capitalism and globalization.

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This is at least what the author of the book "Pink and Blue: Telling the boys from the girls in AmericaJoe Paoletti. The advent of television, the evolution of advertising, and the economic growth and cultural expansion of the United States have led to the gradual homogenization of Western standards.

Famous designers decided that the floral designs and the intense pink shades suited the women, while the more "more serious" and neutral blue suited the men. And because fashion is what imposes trends, the view "pink for girls, blue for boysPrevailed for the next several years.

In fact, in the 80's this color separation became even more intense. Science has evolved and parents can now know the sex of the baby. Thus, the couples no longer bought things in neutral colors, but made targeted purchases: pink for the daughter, blue / light blue for the son.

And on top of that, clothing companies, footwear, baby dowry items etc. promoted campaigns and products in these two colors, which were made mainly for children, with the markets launching.

In recent years, of course, things have changed somewhat. However, without stereotypes being completely demolished. Because older boys and men can wear pink t-shirts or shirts, but it is difficult for the baby to wear a pink bodysuit. And even more difficult will the parents paint the son's room pink.

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