Men in Pink: A Fashion Evolution

Society’s aggressive marketing of pink as a color for girls, starting with the hue of balloons at a baby shower, has been endlessly railed against. But, while pink has been slowly but steadily finding its way back into male wardrobes and onto male runways over the past few decades, it remains stubbornly fixed in the “daring fashion” category. Which is strange, considering that, in the early 1900s, pink was actually the proscribed color for boys, while baby blue, seen as more “delicate and dainty,” was pushed on girls. There’s also plenty of evidence from earlier in history, particularly in the 18th century, that males of all ages wore various striking shades of pink. But at some point, certainly by the 1950s, the switch had been codified, a move that’s been party blamed on retail decisions. “Think Pink,” a new exhibit currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, explores the social history of the color, through portrait paintings, clothing and photography. Some of the most telling images from the show are here, with many others, for a delicious romp through hues from salmon to fuchsia. Click here to see the slide show.