“Pink makes everything fabulous.” BARBIE
Sunrise. Sunset. Coral. Pig. Flamingo. Cherry blossom. All of these are identified with the color pink, a combination of red and white. Pink symbolizes charm, politeness, sensitivity, tenderness, sweetness, femininity and romance. When we consider phrases like “tickled pink” (happy), “in the pink” (healthy) or “everything is rosy” (hopeful), it’s easy to see that pink is an overwhelmingly positive color.
In Europe, the first recorded reference to pink is in Homer’s Odyssey (8th century BC) when he referred to pink as the rosy color of dawn. It wasn’t until 18th-century France, with developments in dye-making, that pink became the latest craze in the Court of Versailles, when it emerged as a fashion staple for both men and women.
Through the 19th century, most babies and young children wore white, because clothing of any other color would quickly fade when washed in boiling water. With the invention of chemical dyes, pink ribbons or decorations were often added to the clothing of young boys. Men in England wore red uniforms, and boys were considered small men, so they wore pink.
The idea of pink for boys and blue for girls was codified in a 1918 article in America’s Ladies Home Journal, which stated, “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.”Notwithstanding this sage advice, manufacturers hedged their bets by making blue and pink clothing for boys and girls, and letting customers choose. By the 1950s, a gradual shift occurred, and pink became associated with girls when advertisers sold parents on the idea that people should be able to distinguish a child’s gender on sight. Thus, they began creating narratives around why each color was right for each gender, and pink became associated with female frivolity, emotionalism and, of course, Barbie.
At one time, boys wore pink, and girls wore blue.
Why is bubble gum pink?
Chewing gum has a history that spans back to the ancient Greeks, who chewed the resin from mastic trees, but it wasn't until 1928 that Walter Diemer happened upon the right recipe to make the first bubble gum. At the time, 23-year-old Diemer was an accountant for Fleer Chewing Gum Company and experimented with gum recipes in his spare time. To test a less sticky, more flexible formula, Diemer took 100 samples to a nearby store, selling it for a penny apiece. It sold out in a single day. Recognizing its instant popularity, Fleer marketed Diemer's new gum as “Dubble Bubble,” and sales reached $1.5 million the first year. (That’s $27 million today!) So, why is bubble gum pink? It was the only color available at the Fleer Chewing Gum Company. Almost 100 years later, pink remains the industry standard.
