March18,2015Dress&Grooming,Style

HowtoWearPink,LikeaMan

Outofoneofthedrawersheliftedafinelywovenbroadclothshirt,carefullycut,andverypink.Whatsthatthing?Thisisatablecloth,hesaidoutofthesideofhismouth.No,cutitout.Whatisit?This,hethenansweredwithsomepride,isgoingtobemyemblem.Masentituplastweek.Didyoueverseestufflikethis,andacolorlikethis?Itdoesntevenbuttonallthewaydown.Youhavetopullitoveryourhead,likethis.Overyourhead?Pink!Itmakesyoulooklikeafairy!

InthisscenefeaturingoneofmyfavoritecharactersfromoneofmyfavoritebooksASeparatePeacePhineas,astudentataneliteprepschool,donsapinkpoloshirtinpreparationforattendingaformalteahostedbytheheadmaster.Hisconservative-minded,rule-abidingbestfriend,Gene,looksonaghast,worriedthatPhineaspeerswillthinkhimgay,andthathellbepunishedforbreakingthedresscode.Themorecarefree,self-assuredFinnyisntworriedwhatothersthinkthough;secureinhissexuality,theideaofothersfindinghimfruitymerelyamuseshim.Andhehashisreasonsfordonningthepinkshirt;havingheardthattheAlliesbombedCentralEurope(thestoryissetatthebeginningofWWII),Finnywishestocelebrate.Ashedoesnthaveaflagtofly,hedecideshispinkshirtwillserveasanemblemofhispatriotism.WhileGenestillhasmisgivingsabouthisfriendssartorialchoice,truetoform,Phineasmanagestocharmtheheadmaster,andhispeers,withhisdelightfullyillogicalyetquintessentiallygenuinereasonsforbendingtherules.Geneenvieshisfriendsconfidence;Nooneelseintheschool,hemuses,couldhavewornsuchashirt,withoutsomeriskofhavingittornfromhisback.Thepotentialshockofseeingayoungmaninapinkshirtwasduenotonlytotheparticularrulesoftheschoolstraditionaldresscode,butthefactthatitwasquiteoutoftheordinaryinanysettingatthetime.WhenBrooksBrothersintroducedthecountrysfirstpinkpolo(whichisalmostassuredlytheshirtPhineasdonsinASeparatePeace)intheearly1940s,itcausedsuchastirthatitmadethecoverofVoguemagazine.Apinkshirtformenwasnewsworthyatthetimebecauseofthecolorsassociationswithfemininity.Butthisconnectionbetweenladiesandthecolorpinkisofratherrecentorigin.Todaywellexplainhowpinkbecamethoughtofasaladies-onlycolor,andwhyyoushouldconsiderignoringtheruleanddonningpinkfromtimetotimeyourself.

TheHistoryofPink-Is-For-Girls/Blue-Is-For-Boys

BrothersJohnB.TrevorandBronsonTrevor,1912Pinkorblue?Whichisintendedforboysandwhichforgirls?Thisquestioncomesfromoneofourreadersthismonth,andthediscussionmaybeofinteresttoothers.Therehasbeenagreatdiversityofopiniononthissubject,butthegenerallyacceptedruleispinkfortheboyandblueforthegirl.Thereasonisthatpink,beingamoredecidedandstrongercolor,ismoresuitablefortheboy,whileblue,whichismoredelicateanddainty,isprettierforthegirl.EarnshawsInfantsDepartment(atradepublication),1918

Whilethepink-for-girls/blue-for-boyscolorcodenowseemstobeanirrevocableandtimelesslaw,itsactuallyarathermodernconcept.

Inthe19thcentury,allbabiesandtoddlers,regardlessofsex,weretypicallydressedin

unisexall-whitedresses.AsJoB.PaolettidetailsinPinkandBlue:TellingtheBoysfromtheGirlsinAmerica,pinkandbluewerenotconsideredgender-specificcolors,andwereusedinterchangeably(andoftentogether)ininfantsnurseriesandchildrensclothingaccessories.Infact,thedividinglinefordonningpinkwasntbetweenwomenandmen,buttheyoungandold;asthecolorwasassociatedwithhealth,newness,andinnocence(pinknewborns,flushedcheeks,rosy-huedsunrises,etc.),itwasconsideredmoreappropriateforchildrenthanadults.

Pinkwasonceconsideredaboyscolorbecauseitwasavariationofred,whichhaswar-likeconnotations.Blue,ontheotherhand,wasassociatedwiththeVirginMary,andthusthoughttobeafemininehue.Duringthelatterpartofthe1800s,pinkandbluedidbegintobeassociatedwithsex,buttherewaslittleagreementastowhichcolorsymbolizedwhichgender.Opinionsonthematterdifferedfromcountrytocountry(pinkforgirlswasthetrendinFrance),andfromregiontoregionintheUnitedStates(pinkforboyswaspopularintheMidwest),asthequoteabove,andtheseexcerptsdemonstrate:

Purewhiteisusedforallbabies.Blueisforgirlsandpinkisforboys,whenacoloriswished.-LadiesHomeJournal,1890

Amyputablueribbonontheboyandapinkonthegirl,Frenchfashion,soyoucanalwaystell.-LittleWomen,1880

Aroundtheturnofthecentury,booksoninfantdevelopmentencouragedparentstodistinguishtheirchildrensgenderfromanearlierage,andmanufacturerssawthattherewasmoremoneytobemadeinproducingsex-specificclothing;ifparentshadagirlandthenaboy,theycouldnthanddownthefirstchildsclothingtothesecond,andwouldinsteadhavetopurchaseawholenewwardrobe.Inthemidstofthesetwocurrents,andforreasonsthatarententirelyclear,adoptionofthepink-for-girls/blue-for-boysrulebecamemoreuniversal.

JayGatsbyfamouslywearsapinksuitinTheGreatGatsby,whichsymbolizeshissocialclass.NotethathisrivalTomBuchanandoesntderidethesuitscolorforitseffeminacy,butforthefactthatitcastsdoubtonGatsbyssupposededucationandbackground.AnOxfordman!Buchananbellows.Likehellheis!Hewearsapinksuit.Indeed,pinkformenatthetimewasassociatedwiththeworkingclass,andservantsoftenworkedinpinkseersuckersuitsduringthesummer.Bythe1950s,pinkhadbecomestronglyassociatedwithgirls,thoughtherulestillwasntasrigidasitisperceivedtoday,andpinkclothingforgrownmenactuallybecameaverypopulartrend.Whilestripedandcoloreddressshirtshadbeenaroundsincethe19thcentury,menhadlargelystuckwithtwosolidvarieties:white(typicallywornbyofficeworkers)andblue(usuallywornbytradesmen).(Hence,whywestillrefertodifferenttypesofworkaswhitecollarorbluecollar.)BrooksBrothershadinfactcreatedthefirstpinkdressshirtin1900,butithadlargelygoneunnoticedbythepublic.Afterlanguishingsinceitsintroduction,thecompanytriedmarketingtheirpinkbutton-upasapieceforcollegewomen,whohadstarteddabblinginmensfashions.Theladieslikedit,butitreallycaughtonwithuniversitymen,especiallythosewhosportedtheIvyLeaguelook.

AccordingtoLifeMagazine,1955markedthePeakYearforPinkformenandwomenalike.AcrosstheUS,thearticletellsus,apinkpeakinmaleclothinghasbeenreachedasmanufacturershavesaturatedmoreandmoreoftheiroutputwiththeprettypastelpinkisshownhereinalmosteverythingshortofatrenchcoateveninagolfjacketandadinnerjacket.Nowmoreofastaplethanaluxury,thecolorisevenacceptabletoteen-ageboys.Inthe60sand70s,pinkwentoutofstylealtogetherasaresultofthecounterculturalandfeministmovements.Liberatedmothersattemptedtogivetheirgirlsagender-neutralupbringing;infact,from1976-1978,pinkclothingfortoddlerswasentirelyabsentfromtheSears,Roebuck,&Co.catalog.Thus,whileweoftenassumethepink/bluedivideextendsbackintothedistantmistsoftime,itreallydidntgetintofullswinguntilthe80sand90s.Thiswaspartlytheresultoftheinventionofprenataltesting.Beforeitsadvent,motherswereapttobuygender-neutralclothesfortheirbaby-to-be,sothatthedudswouldworkwhethertheyhadaboyoragirl.Nowthatmomsknowthesexoftheirbabyaheadoftime,theyreconfidentininvestingingender-specificonesiesandaccessories.Atthesametime,somewomenwhohadbeenraisedastomboysbyhippiemothersswungtheotherway(aschildrenarewonttodo),andwantedtheirowndaughterstohaveamorefrillyandfeminineupbringing.Cuethepinkeverything.Therecentwidespreadpinkifcationofgirlsclothesandtoysmayalsosimplybeduetoinnatepreference.Researchhasshownthatwhilemalesandfemalesbothpreferthecolorblue,menleantowardsthegreenish-yellowendofthespectrum,whilewomengravitatetowardsreddish-purplehues.Theneuroscientistswhomadethisdiscoveryspeculatethatthedifferencemayberootedinourevolutionarydivisionoflabor.Menhuntedandwomengathered,andthusbeingabletopickoutripe,redfruitamongstagreenleafybackgroundwouldbeadvantageoustothefemalesex.

Whilethisseeminglyinnatepreferenceforreddishtonesmightseemtobeproofofpinkclothingsinherentgirlishness,onemustrememberthatwedonotdresssimplyforourselves.Whenwomenareoutlookingfornutsandberries,amaninpinkwillattracttheirpositiveattention.Unsurprisingly,Ihavemetmanyawomanwhoenthusiasticallydeclared,Iloveamaninpink!

HowtoWearPinkWithStyleSopinkhasntalwaysbeenoutofstyleformen,butthesedays,outsideofsituationswhereoneiscompelledtowearittoshowsupportforbreastcancer,itstilltakesanextraounceofPhineas-esqueconfidencetosport.Thatextraswaggerisperhapswhymenwhodonpinkdressshirtshavebeenshowntobebettereducated,makemoremoney,andreceivemorecomplimentsfromtheladiesaroundtheofficethantheirwhite-shirtedpeers.Ifyouwanttostandoutinaseaofblueandwhite,hereareafewtipsonhowtowearpinkwithstyle:

Hypotheticallyspeaking,menofanyskintonecanwearpink.Ifyouhaveadarkercomplexion,youlltypicallylookbetterinalighter,pastelpink.Ifyouhavealightercomplexion,youlllookbetterinadarkerpink.But,darkerpinkdoesntreallylookthatgreatonanymanitcomesoffasmorefeminine(relativelyspeaking),andlessclassiclooking.Sopinkisgenerallyabetterbetfordarker-skinmen,whichiswhyithaslongbeenapopularcolorchoiceforAfrican-Americans.

Ifyourenotreadytosportasolidpinkitemofclothing,experimentwithpinkaccessorieslikeatieand/orpocketsquare.

Theeasiestwaytogetstartedwearingsomethingsolidpinkiswithabutton-downdressshirt.Theyrehardtodowrong,andareoftenquitehandsome.Pinkpoloshirtsareanothereasyoption,butkeepinmindthattheyareuniversallyassociatedwithpreppiness.Pinkt-shirtsandsweatersshouldgenerallybeavoided,astheytendtolooklikeyouveraidedyourgirlfriendscloset.

Ifatraditionalpinkdressshirtstillfeelsliketoomuchofaleap,tryapinkchambray.Theshirtsmasculinestylebalancesthecolorandharkensbacktopinksworkingclassroots.

Anotherbutton-downstylewithbuilt-in,pink-balancingmasculinefeaturesisBallandBucksHuntersShirt.Withareinforcedshootingshoulderandelbowpatches,itsbothpinkandrugged.Iownthisshirtandgetmany

complimentsonit.

Youcanalsobalancepinkwithtraditionallymasculineaccessorieslikesuspendersoravest.

Pinkspairswellwithjustabouteverycolorwhite,khaki,cream,black,orbrown.Itunarguablylookstheverybestwithcharcoalgray.Blueisanotherparticularlygoodchoice.

Takingthejumpfrompinkshirtstoapinkjacket(orpants),takesanadditionalamountofconfidenceandadesiretostandout.

Ifyouregoingtogoallthewayandgetyourselfafull-on,Gatsby-esquepinksuit,youcouldhardlydobetterthantomakeitaseersucker.Perfectforspringweddings,Easterservice,andadayatthehorseraces.

Doyouwearpink?Wouldyouwearpink?Soundoffinthecomments!BrettandKateMcKay68Comments

PreviousPostNextPost