A pink J Crew jumper with a Fair Isle pattern has sent countless Americans into apoplexy. Why? Because it's pink, and they can't be seen wearing anything pink.
After a social media commentator voiced her aversion, thousands of her followers rushed to agree with her.
"No man in my family would wear it" wrote one. "My husband wouldn't use a pink bathroom towel" said another. Others responded in similar vein.
The irony is that pink hasn't been seen as feminine for all that long. If you go back to the 18th century, boys happily wore pink (and girls happily wore blue). Pink was considered a masculine colour right up to the mid 1940s, when the roles of pink and blue were gradually reversed (it's not clear how it happened - something to do with marketing strategies).
I don't have any pink clothing myself, but that's mainly because men's clothing shops often don't stock anything pink. I would cheerfully wear the J Crew jumper, though I might get some funny looks from traditional males).
Pic: Not the J Crew jumper, which I was unable to copy.
My husband has a few violet colored dress shirts. I’ve seen plenty of men wearing pink, yellow, and purple in Florida. It might be more of a locale issue.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Oh well, in Florida they'll wear anything!
DeleteI hate pink but I will wear salmon
ReplyDeleteJohn: But salmon is virtually the same as pink!
Deletenot even close, Nick! I wear pink but never salmon
DeleteKylie: I stand corrected!
DeleteWhen I said, "Real men don't wear pink shirts" my younger female flatmates said, "Sean, we forget that you are older until you say something like that."
ReplyDeleteI do own a light pink T-shirt, which I like to think I am liberated enough to wear, but the reality is I went all summer without wearing it. ... next year!
Anon: As you say, there's always next year...
DeleteTo be honest I probably wouldn't buy a pink jumper for Mr Blue - the colour really wouldn't suit him - too much of an olive skin. He looks great in red though.
ReplyDeletePink doesn't suit me either. I think you have to be a natural blonde of either sex to get away with it.
Sx
Ms Scarlet: I agree, pink does look best on blondes.
DeleteI never understood men being so against wearing or using something pink.
ReplyDeleteMary: Men who blindly conform to what's "masculine" rather than doing what comes naturally.
DeleteI think men can do very well in pink and my son got married in a pink suit but if they prefer not to, well that's their choice.
ReplyDeleteAs for not using a pink bathtowel, that's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard
Kylie: Married in a pink suit, what a wonderful idea! And yes, not using a pink bath towel, that's crazy.
DeleteI like to see men wearing colours.
ReplyDelete