I hate the color pink. I hate the way people perceive me when I wear pink. I am not taken seriously when I wear pink. Pink is seen as a childish and immature color, pink is a “pick me” color, and wearing pink means you’re trying hard to be different and a wannabe Barbie. Or that’s how society wants you to feel…

From a young age, I always felt the pressure to grow up quickly, which included all my pink, pastel and feminine clothes being thrown out. The more I wanted to fit in, the less pink I could wear. Boys wouldn’t play with girls who wore pink, they would yell out “ewww,” and rant about how much they disliked the color. No one would play basketball with a girl wearing pink and she would automatically be assumed to suck at sports. Other girls who already changed their wardrobe to fit in would call those wearing pink a “pick me,” and would feel threatened by the color. 

My favorite color used to be pink, but for as long as I can remember, it’s become blue. My room was painted pink and I threw a fit over it because it wasn’t blue and I couldn’t be “cool” like my friends who had blue-colored walls. The thin layered paint on my wall declared which social group I belonged to. Blue walls were for cool girls who could hang out with the boys, and pink walls were for the girls who were “too girly.”

Boys who liked the color pink were seen as “not manly enough” and girls who liked pink were deemed unfit to hang out with guys, leading the color to be hated by both genders. Pink was the forbidden color, no one was allowed to like it after kindergarten. Even as they grow older, females, have to hide all the traits that make them different from men physically to receive the same opportunities as men.

I remember an instance when I was playing with a Barbie doll and my cousin’s grandma scolded me and told me it was time to grow up and that I was no longer a kid. She told me I was way too old to be playing with Barbies, despite only being seven years old. She insisted I put down the doll and help my mom in the kitchen and serve food. No one ever bought me a Barbie after that. Whereas cars, soccer and “manly” colors are seen as timeless. Boys grow up playing with cars and as they age, their hobbies of playing with Hotwheels become an interest in Formula 1, playing with soccer balls turns into watching the Soccer World Cup and unlike pink, when a boy wears blue he is not perceived as childish and immature. 

Society has expectations of us, when girls are young they are expected to wear pink, pastel and  light colors, which look cute with bows in their hair. But as soon as they begin to grow older, they’re pressured to conform. I remember noticing that after a certain age, girls stopped wearing certain clothes or playing with Barbies—just because those things were considered childish or overly feminine, and the boys didn’t want to hang out with them because of it. From a young age, boys were told they couldn’t like Barbies, pink, pastels, unicorns, hearts and more. They were always forced to like trucks, cars, spiders and dark colors. They had no choice. When a girl is born, she is given pink toys and clothes, and when a boy is born they are given blue possessions. This starts the stereotypes and boundaries from a young age.

In the early 20th century, pink was considered a strong, bold color often associated with boys, while blue was seen as delicate and suited for girls. Over time, especially by the 1940s, marketing trends and cultural shifts reversed these associations, branding pink as feminine and blue as masculine. Pink was once seen as a “manly” color, but after women started embracing the color more, it shifted and blue became the new dominantly male color. Pink started being viewed as a gentle and warm color, those traits are societally only acceptable in women. Pink was for girls. Pink became the symbol and barrier of femininity. 

However, as I got older, trends on TikTok and other social media platforms changed my perception of pink; coquette trends helped me love the color again. Finally being girly wasn’t seen as a bad thing anymore. Girls were now allowed to embrace the color pink, again. Pink Stanley’s, pink Jellycats, pink UGGS, pink Porsches and pink Sonny Angels were now all the rage.

With girls finding their love for pink, boys are also now seen more openly embracing the color due to the increase in pink unisex clothing. With the rise of social media, we are connected with people from all over the world, each with a different life and a different fashion style. Boys now find masculinity in pink Bape jackets, Jordans and pink Spyder hoodies. Such trends show there truly is no perfect way to be “manly” or “girly”, you can like whatever your heart desires.

As society evolves and changes, so does our understanding and appreciation of colors beyond traditional stereotypes. With increasing maturity and a willingness to challenge societal norms, we have begun to see pink not just as a color but as a symbol of self-expression and individuality. No longer confined to outdated gender associations, pink is now embraced by people of all identities, proving that beauty and personal preference should never be limited by societal expectations. This shift allows us to recognize pink as a vibrant and versatile color that transcends gender boundaries, embodying confidence, creativity and freedom.

Pink went from being my favorite color to being the color I hated the most, but through time, reflection, maturity and a deeper understanding of its significance, I’ve come to appreciate it once again. For me, pink is not just a color but it also represents strength, individuality and the breaking of societal norms. 

But most importantly, I love the color pink!