Pretty in Pink x Cyclicity

“Pink. The sweetest of all colors. Every woman should have something pink in her wardrobe. It is the color of happiness and of femininity.

I like it for blouses and scarves; I like it for a young girl’s frock; it can be charming for suits and coats; and it is wonderful for evening frocks.” -Christian Dior

Pink is one of my absolute favorite colors; it creates a bright and engaging aesthetic that immediately brings me joy. Thus, I think it should come as no surprise, that the rose gold hue of “millennial pink” has become one of my favorite fashion trends.

Photos courtesy of Tawni Eakman Photography and Fitcode

 

The color pink has been around since ancient times, but it was not a prominent feature in clothing until the Rococo Period of the 18th century. Pink had found its golden age in the new and fashionable Rococo trend of pastel colors, which swiftly swept through all the courts of Europe.

As you can see in these paintings by the famous Rococo painter Jean-Antoine Watteau, pink was a gender neutral color enjoyed by both the sexes.

“The Scale of Love (detail) Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1715-1718” by dvdbramhall. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Pastoral Gathering by Jean-Antoine Watteau” by mookiefl. CC BY-NC 2.0

 

Pink remained a pale pastel color until the 20th century, when famed designer Elsa Schiaparelli transformed the color into a brighter, bolder, and more assertive hue. As one of the leading fashion designers of the 1930s (and a rival to my beloved Coco Chanel), Schiaparelli embraced the new developments in the arts and technology and worked closely with Dadaist and Surrealist artists like Dalí and Cocteau. In 1931 she created a new bold and intense shade of pink named “Shocking Pink,” which takes its name from the perfume she launched called “Shocking.”

“Elsa Schiaparelli” by rocor. CC BY-NC 2.0

“Vogue on Elsa Schiaparelli” by Roxanne.pl. CC BY-SA 2.0

 

In the early decades of its fashion history, pink had defied a general gender assignment. It wasn’t until the 1950s that pink became strongly associated with girls and femininity. I believe the reasoning behind this follows the general trend of that postwar decade that saw the emergence of Dior’s New Look – a profound need for a transition from the more masculine wartime styles to an ultrafeminine and romantic silhouette. The 1950s was a decade that called out for a strict adherence to traditional gender roles – the women were to be women and the men to be men!  (Thank goodness I wasn’t alive then!)

“Bettina Graziani, Christian Dior 1950” by fervent-adepte-de-la-mode. CC BY-NC 2.0

“1950s Christian Dior floral gowns” by Bess Georgette. CC BY-SA 2.0

 

Now – back to pink! The turmoil of the 1960s and 70s and the questioning of traditional gender roles saw a large rejection of the color pink for more unisex and masculine styles. Fortunately for all of us (because who could live in a world where people didn’t dress in pink!?) the 1980s saw a resurgence of pink – especially that brilliant hot pink and “shocking pink” shades that I love!

“I Want Candy!” by Charles Rodstrom. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Little girls were no longer the only ones wearing pink. In 1992, the pink ribbon became the official symbol of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The 1990s and 2000s brought about a new appropriation of pink as strong, fierce, and powerful. I know that I definitely feel my most fierce and powerful when I’m wearing pink!

 

Sources: Christian Dior, The Little Dictionary of Fashion (1954); Eva Heller Psychologie de la couleur, effets et symboliques (2009); Akiko Fukai (ed.), Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century (2015); Bonnie English, A Cultural History of Fashion In The 20th and 21st Centuries (2013); Anna Broadway, “Pink Wasn’t Always Girly” (2013).

 

Check out some of my favorite pink looks below!