Man enough to wear Pink?

Pink has made a comeback in men's style. Only for a while we have seen an increase in the popularity of the pink palette in menswear. Although Pink is the most masculine colour there is, it's a pity you don't see many men wear it any time soon. Pink is a statement colour that does requite certain confidence to be worn. For many, many years pink is seen to be specifically worn by females.

"PINK FOR GIRLS, BLUE FOR BOYS"

Pink is nothing more than a colour and a colour cannot define anybodies masculinity or femininity just by wearing the usual tickled pink garment. So a man wearing pink means that he is comfortable to wear whatever he pleases.

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The famous pink suit, The Great Gatsby.

Pink for men is an easy colour to wear which should simply be worn in confidence. You could say the more confidence a man has, the more attractive he may seem. Pink is very stylish and attractive it's just a shame that a typical man shall never be seen in the typical rose polo shirt.

However Pink wasn't always girly! It was considered pink was slightly masculine as a diminutive of red, which was thought to be a 'warlike' colour meaning pink was pretty powerful for a short run and associated with blood and fighting. A June 1918 article reads "The generally accepted rule is pink for boys and blue for girls. The reason that is pink, being a more decided and stronger, Is more suitable for a boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for a girl."

So how was this structure demolished by femininity? During the late 19th Century child development gained hold by Freud and other psychologist's theories meaning that parents began to differentiate their children's sex earlier on. Parents favoured the idea of pink for girls and blue for boys since then this continued after several decades beginning the typical fashion statement for young boys & girls. The idea of 'gender coding' made it easier to identify new born babies however it may seem we have ended up with 'two teams.' This started in the 1940's when manufactures and retailers settled on the idea of wearing two colours and pink was established as the female gender signifier. Pink became standard in female fashion after World War Two. Femininity got wrapped in pink and so did products. With Men back in the workplace and women at home everything was fuelled with pretty pink marketing. Everything from dollhouses to washing machines was packaged in the sweet, pastel shade. During the 50's it happened to be full of pink moments and was strongly associated with femininity. Most families bought clothing from retail stores that helped to shape the idea of gendered clothing 'pink and blue.' This made a final farewell to 'masculine' pink and it's sweet shades of femininity took over.

Style influences during the 60's included the Pink Chanel Suit worn by Jacqueline Kennedy. The First Lady supposedly worn this six times before the fateful day of John F Kennedy's death. Fashion brands like Chanel and Dior had a big involvement with the tickled pink for 'innocent' females.

It Is only to this day men are reclaiming back the pink in their own personalised way. Popular fashion brands are surging pink back through the usual male garment. Louis Vuitton jumped on the trend and showed pink curban-collard shirts at its Spring/Summer 2016 show. Men everywhere are now becoming uplifted to wearing the colour pink which has been associated with womenswear for several decades. But then again this has only been spotted and confined to shirts, the casual jumper, shorts and the odd trousers. Why is this though? Men should be able to wear pink without feeling ashamed because it is simply one of the most flattering colours a man can wear.

What works most? Deep shades of pink look greater on men with deep skin tones whereas men with light skin tones delicate and 'pastel' shades are more flattering against the skin. The outfit combinations are endless. It so happens that the casual pink shirt on a man has been shown to seem better educated, make more money and receive more compliments around the office. So I guess pink is definitely a colour that needs a place or a few places in your closet!