Pink has been a difficult colour in my life. When I was little and had to choose a dress, I recall conscientiously staying away from pink because it had too many princess connotations and I did not want a princess persona. I was 8. I remember shunning pink when I first began my professional life, thinking that it would be considered "too feminine" or rather "too girly". I was 28. I choose yellow or white instead of either pink or blue for baby gifts. Ongoing from my 20's to my . . . not yet but probably until my 80's. However, pink is evolving in my life as simply a colour, a colour that I don't mind anymore. I still do not have many, actually just one pink item in my closet.
When I asked Brian, this blog's ballet flats expert, about pink in his flats collection, he too was hesitant, for exactly the same socio-cultural reasons.
It was 2012 when Brian wrote,
YET! has come. After four years Brian is wearing pink in public and I bought a pink sweater. Never say never. I guess that is why I chose "no thanks" as a sub-category rather than "never" since it does really mean "no thanks for the moment".
Brian now tells us,
Here are a few of Brian's pink choices in and out of his closet. I won't bother showing you my pink sweater since it's just a pink sweater and not nearly as interesting as Brian's flats collection in pink.
When I asked Brian, this blog's ballet flats expert, about pink in his flats collection, he too was hesitant, for exactly the same socio-cultural reasons.
It was 2012 when Brian wrote,
I love pink flats but as a guy I just can't get through what it takes to wear them out in public. Maybe some guys can pull them off but I'm not one of the (yet!). I've bought lots over the years only to return them later on. Don't get me wrong they are high quality flats but not quite right for me, so - NO THANKS.
YET! has come. After four years Brian is wearing pink in public and I bought a pink sweater. Never say never. I guess that is why I chose "no thanks" as a sub-category rather than "never" since it does really mean "no thanks for the moment".
Brian now tells us,
I guess in the four years since I said, "No Thanks" about pink, my answer has obviously changed to "Yes, please". I'm not sure if I felt I had enough other coloured flats that pink was the next obvious colour to get or if it's more that I think pink is a good colour for me.
Here are a few of Brian's pink choices in and out of his closet. I won't bother showing you my pink sweater since it's just a pink sweater and not nearly as interesting as Brian's flats collection in pink.
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| A sampling of Brian's Pink Flats Collection Collage created by befunky.com |
First I want to say I like how when you started your blog you chose your subtitles. One in particular. Using "No Thanks" instead of "Never" has proven to be a great decision. Never is "forever" but No Thanks is "just not now." I think over the past 4 years we proved that.
ReplyDeleteThe stereo type for pink and blue for our generation have been pretty cut and dried. Pink is a feminine and girly colour meant only for girls (women) not boys (men). But you're a girl and you avoided it. I'm a boy and was drawn to it. Pink is not just one colour. Pink is a variety of shades, tints and hues. It can be bright or dark, shiny or dull and it can be put on any type of material.
Back to our original post where talking about pink flats I said "Maybe some guys can pull them off but I'm not one of them (yet)" and that I had already bought several pink flats but ended up returned them. In my mind the pairs I returned weren't the perfect shade, tint or brightness of pink that I was looking for. Shortly after my "No Thanks" comments "Yet" had come. I'd found the perfect pair of flats. They were a bright magenta pink, they had a shiny patent finish and they were made by Tory Burch. All that was left is can I pull off these feminine girly pink flats. So I gave them a try :)) Although they were very bright and didn't go unnoticed I'm view it as a victory, I can pull off a pair of pink flats.
I'm the past 4 years I've purchased several pairs of various shades and tints of pink flats. None are as bright like me magenta flats but all are equally as easy to wear.
Opinions or thoughts can change, "No Thanks" about your pink sweater and my pink flats prove that.
Thanks for sharing these pink thoughts
But of course. That makes perfect sense . . . the tone, the shade, the tint was not right. The colour is not so much the "given", there are variations that influence our choices. Whatever the process, the consequence is that both of us have incorporated pink in our closets and our lives.
DeleteTrue enough, we've both broken past our barriers and incorporated pink into our wardrobes. I like the collage picture, nicely done. The funny thing looking at it is the pink MK flats I'm wearing with the white pant and the quilted pink MK flats at the top were two of the pink pairs of flats I returned.
DeleteNever mind . . . now here's a comment completely off topic. Did you deliberately take the photo with the pink flamingo in the background? It had to have been orchestrated! You were playing weren't you?
DeleteHaha, it's funny how it worked out with the flamingo. Back in March 2012 I had just stopped by Browns Shoes to pick up my pink Michael Kors City flats that were ordered in for me. When I got home my neighbours two doors down had two of these pink flamingos on their front lawn. They matched the colour of my new pink flats and you know I like to take pictures so snap snap, click click I went.
DeleteThat it explains everything - you don't seem to be the pink flamingo type; although it was a great photo op!
DeleteI don't seem to be the Pink Flamingo Type? That's funny. I've only ever seen pink flamingos while at the zoo. They're not native to my part of the world but I will say they're not my favourite animal.
DeleteDo I seem to be just a Pink Type instead? The reason I ask is cuz many years ago my Browns Shoes sales girl and I were looking at those newly released Michael Kors City flats in black. I thought the black was pretty nice but she also informed me they were available in pink but would have to be ordered in for me. The day my pink flats arrived was the same day the flamingos were on the lawn. Now lets jump to the present. You know I have a large collection of the TB Minnie flats. A few weeks ago my Tory Burch sales girl mentioned the Minnie's have some new colours and there's one that she thought would be good for me. The colour is called Dark Peony, which is basically a bright pink. So there's two sales girls from different time periods both who would likely never buy pink flats for themselves but both think pink flats are good for me.
What do you suppose this means? Or how do you explain that?
My friend Gloria is a "pink flamingo type". She's the one with the Carmen Miranda fruit turban on her head at the cue in Safeway. She spends as much time as she can in Palm Springs and when I asked her to come visit me in France - she responded, "Why on earth would I want to do that?" She's a "pink flamingo type."
DeleteNow, your penchant with pink on the other hand is not so much "a pink flamingo type" but rather a "willing to push the limits type" although I suppose there is an inherent underlying desire. Ah well, if you want psychoanalysis you will go to someone who has a few other letters behind her name.
Suffice it to say, you're willing to push the limits so why not push them in all directions? And that's what I think the sales personnel saw.
I have to agree with your statement, "pushing the limits so why not push them in all directions." The inherent "pink" desire and everything associated with the colour pink has always been inside, now with the encouragement and support of you, my sales people and many others it's reaching the surface. Smiles all around :))
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