Why is Pink for Girls and Blue for Boys?

Blue is for boys and pink is for girls. This is what we have been told. Always! But have you ever wondered why these specific colors are connected to the genders? It is an undeniable truth that we dress our babies in these specific colors only. Even though there are gender neutral clothes available, we still prefer to dress up our girls in pink and boys in blue.

Before there were pink and blue, babies were dressed in whites! This was way before consumerism came into the picture. After this came the pastels. This happened around the 19th Century. Even pink was a color that boys could wear. It was only after the end of the World War II that the gender divide started creating its roots. And soon followed the stereotypical trend where girls and boys started to prefer pink and blue, respectively.

Let’s find out why these genders prefer these specific colors.

#Why Girls Like Pink

Chances are when infants are surrounded by similar colored things, they tend to form a liking towards that color. If girls like pink, chances are that their parents introduced them to this color. Studies show that children develop gender-stereotyped color preferences between the ages of 2-3 years and this is highly dependent on one’s understanding of their gender and the accepted behavior and social norms. It is also a marketing gimmick. Most brands stick to the “pink is for girls and blue is for boys” adage as a marketing tool, in order to increase sales because it is now a socially ingrained idea that the two genders couldn’t possibly want any other color, especially not as kids!

(Image Courtesy: Quora)

#Why Guys Like Blue

The same reason as for why girls like pink! Just like girls are inclined towards pink, boys also grow an affinity towards blue and darker side of the spectrum. They are taught to like colors that are neutral and dark. Interestingly, in the Victorian era, the colors were precisely reversed. The designated color for boys was pink (because it was a derivative of red, which was regarded as a bolder, more manly color), and the Designated Color for girls was the softer-seeming blue. It is all because of the changing time and consumerism.

(Image Courtesy: Pinterest)

#Pink Vs. Blue

As humans, we always create classifications in order for us to understand things that are surrounding us and have better communication with one another. The color is one of those things that just help us to relate and categorize. For example, banana-yellow, orange-orange, girl-pink, boy-blue. We consider pink as a weak feminine color, while blue is seen as masculine. This sexual classification never took place in our society before the 20th century; it was recently created to generate inequality. Especially after WWII where women became more empowered by taking the men’s place at work and earning a bread for the family. The society realized that equality is not an option. The idea behind this was to continue male superiority and make sure it’s not tainted by anything slightly feminine. The division continued to grow to the point where we stand today. The fight for equality goes on and all the credit goes to- Pink vs. Blue.

(Image  Courtesy: YouTube)

The answer to the question- why is pink for girls and blue for boys lies in the evolution. With changing times, the preferences have shifted due to society, and its people, and the fact that consumerism has been increasing at high rates. It is a matter of choice what one prefers as a color. But the association of these two colors with specific genders can only be justified as a marketing gimmick!

Do you agree that girls prefer pink and boys prefer blue? Let us know in the comments section below what you think.