Resisting “Pinkification”

07/14/2010

I had a lovely interview with Slate.com's Brian Palmer yesterday about gender-specific children's clothing. We had a great talk talking about the history of it all, especially the pinkification of girls' -- well, everything. There are signs of change in recent years, with the coming-of –age of the children of the mid-1980s. The evidence is emerging from many directions. There playful reinterpretations of “traditional” feminine styling such as punk baby girl outfits in pink and black, and other colors – purple, turquoise, green -- are sharing rack place. Even more telling, older boys and men are reclaiming pink. Pink dress shirts and ties have enjoyed a revival, beginning around 2004. My son’s college Ultimate team’s colors are pink and black; until they actually ordered team shirts in 2008, they wore women’s pink t-shirts, hoodies and warm-up pants found in thrift stores. Hearing about this book, a colleague passed along her son’s favorite t-shirt from third grade, purchased in 2007 at a local J.C. Penny – a light pink shirt with these words:

10 REASONS I WEAR PINK

· It was my last clean shirt.
My Mom made me wear it.
I make this color look good.
My Dad did the laundry.
I wear this shirt to annoy you
Smart people wear pink.
It’s my party shirt.
Pink is the new black.
It’s a fashion statement.

And last but not least,
TOUGH GUYS WEAR PINK!

Comments

MbS

07/14/2010 09:06

I admit to these pinkie moves:

googles and swim cap in pink to KEEP TEEN BOY FROM BORROWING WITHOUT ASKING....but now, at 17+ he is less pink-adverse. And, he also manages his stuff better.

Shannon Drury link

07/14/2010 11:03

My ten-year-old son likes the color pink, if only because the announcement of this preference gets such a stunned reaction from his audience.

Jo Paoletti

07/14/2010 12:30

As far as I can tell from what I've read, Shannon, that's pretty much how exposure to gender binaries plays out as kids get older. Small wonder that so many of the "little ladies and gentlemen" of the late 40s and 50s turned into gender-bending hippies!

FeministJerk

08/08/2010 06:39

Perhaps a ten year old boy does love the color pink but understands it is not socially appropriate for him to express his true feelings. Isn’t it incredible the color of clothing can such invoke strong emotional reactions. Boys are taught to avoid pink which is some type of toxic and fatal substance. When I was growing up, a boy who would wear anything pink to school had a death wish. I think in the future, pink will evolve into a fashion symbol of power and status.

Jo Paoletti link

08/10/2010 12:33

As someone who mostly writes history, I dislike making predictions. But I believe, FJ, this future of which you speak is upon us!

FeministJerk

08/10/2010 14:04

I love history but I also love trying to make predictions. I’m still waiting for my flying car.

I’ll predict there are going to be profound fashion changes in the future resulting from the shift in gender roles and family structures. I also believe history evolves in cycles, fashion included.

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