I believe in pink . . .

March 20, 2014

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and . . . I believe in miracles.
-- Audrey Hepburn

Pink is associated with compassion, love, tenderness, and caring. Studies show that people exposed to pink exhibit less stress, violence, and aggression. Some sports teams have even painted the visiting team's locker rooms pink because of this! And the pinks we see in beautiful sunrises and sunsets give us a wonderful feeling of serenity.

For a while, pink in fashion has been relegated to little girls' bedrooms and princess dolls. So, I was quite happy to learn that it is experiencing a revival. Glamour magazine even declared pink to be the new black (in winter coats). How could it have ever been "out?"

All the big names are into pink right now.
Prada Calf Saffiano Leather Handbag BN2274 - Pink

Prada bag in pink. Buy it here . Reduced from $2250 to $550. Somebody should buy this, and loan it to me.

Christian Louboutin, here  . . . 



 


Cate Blanchett in a beautiful pink dress, SAG Awards, January 2014
Some random facts about pink . . . 

The term "in the pink" was first coined by Shakespeare in 1597 in his play Romeo and Juliet. Although today the expression means in perfect condition, especially regarding health, back then it meant the very pinnacle of something, not necessarily limited to health. In the play, Mercurio says, "Why, I am the very pinke of curtesie."

An old verb form of pink meant "to cut or pierce;" hence, the pinking shears, scissors which leave a pinked edge. In fact, the dianthus flowers, also known as "pinks," may have gotten the name not from their pink color, but because their edges appear to be "pinked." In any case, pink flowers are some of the most beautiful . . .



Did you know that flamingos are born gray, but become pink from eating so many shrimp? Shrimp contains carotine, the same substance in carrots. I have first-hand knowledge of how food can affect your color. As a new mom, I thought the jarred peas and green beans and meats looked awful, so my first baby got a steady diet of squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes. I had to back off after she actually started to turn orange!


What would tea be without pink?




How could we do our makeup without pink? 


Or our nails?


Pink jewelry, scarves, and clutches all have a place in our wardrobe  . . . 




Pink is perfect when channeling your inner diva . . . 


Reading a pink book is always enjoyable . . . 


by the light of a pink lamp . . . 


Pink candles smell delicious . . . 


Vintage needlework in pink is lovely . . . 


How about a pink Turbie Twist hair towel?


 Wouldn't life be sad without pink presents?



When I was growing up, no boy would be caught dead in pink! But look how culturally conditioned we can become just because of clever marketing . . . 

Pink only recently (1950s) became associated with femininity. Pink was actually traditionally a man's color. Really. Red was considered strong and active, and pink is simply red plus white. Blue was seen as soft and calming. In the Christian tradition, Jesus is often pictured in red (strength), while Mary is pictured in blue (serenity). 

We've all seen Thomas Gainsborough's Blue Boy, but did you know there's The Pink Boy? Current color stereotypes had not yet emerged.

Thomas Gainsborough, Master Nicholls (The Pink Boy), 1782

Infants, both boys and girls, were dressed in long white dresses until the 1900s. No one seemed concerned about what color to paint the baby's room. Apparently, in the 1920s, Macy's tried to distinguish a boys' color and a girls' color to discourage hand-me-downs, and thus, encourage more buying! Soldiers' uniforms in WWI were blue, so blue began to be associated with men. And the introduction of Barbie in the 50s really solidified pink as a feminine color. Marketers pushed this idea so hard that pink became a prissy, little girl color.

I think we should just choose colors that we like and forget about the marketers.
Do you, like Audrey, believe in pink?


Linking with . . .

Pink Saturday (of course!)

20 comments

  1. Lovely combination of pinks! Love the teacups, the macarons and flamingos!
    Ruth

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  2. Pink makes me feel very feminine....lovely teacups! I'd enjoy a macaron and a cup of tea at your home Deborah! You must be a wonderful and elegant hostess. Everything looks so beautiful.
    Spring blossoms on the cherry and plum trees are popping up all over our city. When the wind blows the petals fall and look like pink confetti.

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  3. I LOVE the name of your blog! I also believe that the beautiful matters. My blog is named BeautyObserved :)

    I enjoyed seeing all of your pink items.

    I followed your link-up from Home and Garden Thursday.

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  4. This is a great and fun post about pink! I'm finding I have a lot of pink accents in my home this spring and I'm loving them!
    Mary Alice

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  5. I love all your pinks! I actually learned a bit about the color, too! If I could pick, I would take the Louboutins...or the tulips! :) I'm pretty easy to please!

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  6. How fun is this? Learned some new facts today. Did know that about flamingos, but did not know that's how pinking shears or 'pinks' got their name. Always fun to get a little education. lol! Yes, I do love a bit of pink and I love it mixed with pops of red! Loved all of your pinks. Thanks for sharing this with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  7. I do believe in Pink everyday!! Love all your fun facts too... My favorite Pink, flowers:-)
    Hugs,
    Bella

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  8. After reading this post, I believe in pink even more than I did five minutes ago! I didn't think that was possible. Love all the little facts about pink in this. I have always been a fan of pink and it is a color that works well with my coloring--but I don't wear it as often as I should. I used to have a pink herringbone winter coat--got compliments on it all the time--but I got rid of it because I didn't think it was chic enough anymore. Should have hung on to it!

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  9. This was a terrific post! I love your facts about "pink": the "Macy's fact" was really interesting! Your photos are lovely and all in all, it was a great way to start my day. Thank you so very much for sharing! Rosie

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  10. I pick up the occasional pink shirt for my husband - and he WEARS them!! I ADORED the beautiful pink dress Matthew McConaughey's wife wore to the Academy Awards. Hope you're "in the pink" this weekend - slowly making my way around to blog favorites, and catching up on reading. Happy Friday - Tanya

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  11. All these are amazing images in PINK, sweet lady! I bought hubby a pink shirt a couple of years ago and he likes it! My fav for me are pink dishes, but I love pink cloths too and those lovely diva shoes are my cuppa tea too! Thanks for the lovely iamges.
    Thank you so much, I can't wait to receive your gift and have some tea in the sweet teacup and saucer, plus, I will immediately post about it...with tea and all, lol! I loved your visit, you made my day too!
    Wishing you a lovely spring weekend.
    FABBY

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  12. I agree totally with Ms. Hepburn. Those are words to live by. I'm a big fan of the color pink. I redecorated my office at work and accented it with pink. I got my assistant to order pink files, pens, and legal pads to match. It might sound silly, but it feels more cheerful and I don't think we sacrificed our professional image at all. Thanks for the great post.

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  13. Delightful post . And oh! love the pink cow creamer!!! Happy Pink Saturday!

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  14. Hi Deborah, thank you for stopping by the table. You know I'm with you and Audrey on this one. ;)
    I tend to swim against fads and popular opinions, so ignoring the marketers will be my pleasure.
    I love your images, especially the pale tone of the Louboutin. That shade paired with black is gorgeous. Coral is another pink tone that has made a comeback more recently, and I love to pair it off with turquoise. So many colors, so little time, right?
    Have a lovely Sunday.
    xoxo's

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  15. Here in South Carolina pink is always in style for both men and women, boys and girls. I was tickled pink by this post. You knew someone would say it!

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  16. I love pink! It is my absolute favourite colour and I definitely couldn't live without it :) Thankyou for your beautiful pink inspiration!
    Jennelise

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  17. Yes, I love pink. It's my favorite color.
    Sherry

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  18. Yes, I do believe in pink too - that's fascinating about the flamingos! I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  19. Love pink! Thanks so much for sharing at Amaze Me Monday...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  20. Deborah, I am in love with every single gorgeous pink in this post. Each one is a definite winner. Thank you for sharing such beauty and joy.

    I have been meaning to come by and welcome you to Pink Saturday. I am so glad you are participating, and I hope you will continue. I apologize that I cam so very late, but more and more of my time is being used in the care of my mother.

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