Exploring the Color Pink - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pink

"We are all pink on the inside", quote by the singer PINK.

The color pink gets its name from the the beautiful flowering plant (shown above) called pinks of the genus Dianthus dating back to the 17th century. The verb "to pink" denotes the frilled edges of the plant.    

Gender affiliation to color dates back to the 1920's, or possibly earlier. From 1920-1940 pink was a color favored for boys because it was related to the color red which was thought to be a masculine color. Blue, on the other hand, was considered to be a more dainty color and was reserved for girls. Then in the 1940's the societal color norm did a flip flop and pink became associated with girls and blue with boys.

The world of entertainment has numerous "Pink" celebrities.

Pincus Leff, better known as PINKY LEE, a burlesque comic who hosted his own TV show in the early 1950's turned his given name into his stage nickname. Although his show did not have a link to the color pink, some marketing did include the color PINK as shown by the Pinky Lee pink shoelaces that sold for $.25.

PINK FLOYD the infamous rock bank actually got their name from borrowing from two blues musicians Pink Anderson and Floyd Council which had nothing to do with the color PINK.

But another famous rocker PINK and the cartoon character THE PINK PANTHER do have a link to the color or PINK.

Pink, Alecia Beth Moore born in Doylestown, PA, got her stage name from the shade of pink her cheeks turned when she got embarrassed. She died her hair to match and the name stuck. She records on the labels LeFace and Artista.

The adorable animated character the PINK PANTHER, obviously very much indebted to the color pink, originated in film in 1963. The Pink Panther series of films were written by Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards and the Pink Panther theme was written by Henry Mancini. In later years the PANTHER was portrayed in cartoons and animated shorts. This little pink fellow obviously does not get his color from nature, but pink creatures do exist in the animal kingdom.

Examples of pink in the animal kingdom.

• The pink iguana is a native of the northern Isabela Island of the Galapagos Islands. The pink iguana was first discovered in 1986 and was recognized as a species in 2009.
• The Pink Dolphin is a freshwater endangered species living in Orinco, Amazon and Araguaia/Tocantins River systems of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.
• The White Elephant is not actually white but takes on more of a pink hue. This is a rare albino elephant and is held in reverence in several countries in Southeast Asia.
• Flamingos get their pink color from the pink pigments in their diet which consists of blue, green, and red algae, crustaceans, mollusks and small fishes.

Feng Shui

Pink is known as the universal color of love making it the perfect feng shui color for soothing energy in a room. Pink has proven to have a soothing effect on behavior with its delicate and gentle vibrations. Various shades of pink have different connotations and project a different feel according to where they are placed in a room.

If placed in the Southwest area of the living space the color pink is connected to love and marriage. Gentle pink is used most often in feng shui; however magenta, which is more of a hot color of pink, is becoming more widely used, particularly when paired with orange.

Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) a prominent Italian fashion designer was known for introduction of pink into the fashion market. She used shocking pink, which is a fuchsia and red combination, to form her hallmark color which she used as the Schiaparelli trademark. The House of Schiaparelli operated from 1928 - 1954.

A homage to Schiaparelli is the Schiaparelli Suite of the May Fair Hotel in London.

Pink provides an uplifting calming appeal to the garden. Many flower varieties are available in the color pink. The summer garden zinnias in pale and bright shades of pink and the perennial flowering hibiscus in a luscious shade of fuchsia serve as a welcome mat for bees, butterflies, and an occasional hummingbird.

"A white sports coat and a pink carnation

I'm all dressed up for the dance

A white sports coat and a pink carnation

I'm all alone in romance"

by Marty Robbins, Songwriter