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Khoff Posted 18 years ago
Culture

Pink and Blue

In the U.S., pink is considered a "girls' color," and light blue is the corresponding "boys' color." Specifically, this means that if you see a baby all dressed in pink you can pretty safely assume it's a girl, and if it's in blue it's probably a boy. Pink is the more strictly interpreted of the two -- once kids are old enough to have a say in their own wardrobe choices, girls might very well wear blue, but most little boys would not want to wear pink. (My husband just read somewhere that in the early 19th centruy in the U.S., these "code" colors were reversed -- pink was for boys, and blue was for girls -- which got me thinking about the whole subject.) I'm wondering if the curent "pink is for girls, blue is for boys" standard is unique to the U.S., or is it the same in Britain? How about Europe, Asia, and so on? Does your culture have specific girl and boy colors?
  

Top answer

) I'm sure they date back to the early 19th Century. - A. Edit.

— Avangi

  • ) I'm sure they date back to the early 19th Century.
  • - A.
  • Edit.
  • Blue Boy - Thomas Gainsborough 1727 - 1788 Pinkie - Thomas Lawrence 1769 - 1830 Both British.
  • These are the "nicknames" for the portraits.
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12 Answers
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There are two famous paintings which are currently on display at a museum in Pasadena, one called "Blue Boy," the other called "Pinkie." (I should have looked them up before posting.) I'm sure they date back to the early 19th Century.

- A.

Edit. Blue Boy - Thomas Gainsborough 1727 - 1788
Pinkie - Thomas Lawrence 1769 - 1830

Both British.
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Interesting. Actually, I had the time frame wrong -- the thing my husband read claimed that the colors were reversed in the U.S. until after W.W.II -- which seems unlikely to me. My mother, who is 90, couldn't remember any time when it was not pink=girls, blue=boys.

Correction -- the source said World War I, not II., which would explain why my mother didn't remember the colors ever bei
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It is exactly the same here in Italy, khoff ! Pink for girls, light blue for boys, and grown-up girls wear blue, but grown-up boys hardly like wearing pink!
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The same happens in Spain Emotion: smile

But now things are changing, aren't they? At least here, if a boy (of my age more or less) doesn
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You're right Pucca, pink is "a la mode" for young boys lately, but I assure you that some boys (maybe older) would never wear it
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Do you know something? I don't know if it happened to you but when I was about 9 years old, I started to "hate" pink colour because between us (the kids), pink was considered to be for precocius girls..

Cesca, admit it! They look great in pink! [L]
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Really? Emotion: surprise No, never happened to me!

It depends on the guy who wears it
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In Vietnam, boys would rather die than have to dress in pink Emotion: love
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khoffIn the U.S., pink is considered a "girls' color," and light blue is the corresponding "boys' color."

The same in Finland.
CB
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Also the same in Turkey.
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