Pink and blue

'Pink and Blue - telling the boys from girls in America'

'The Fauntleroy suit'

Before 1900, toddler and preschooler clothing (up to age of 6) hues were assigned according to complexion, season or fashion, not sex.

Blue has never been as powerful symbolically as pink.

From the 1960s, pastel clothing and pink in general were disfavoured - 'babies found strong contrasts more interesting' / 'women's liberation movement.'

History of pink

'Pinking shears to trim cloth - gave rise to the popular name Dianthus'

For most of the 19th Century, the dominant colour for baby clothing was white (due to the introduction of bleaching and inexpensive cotton)

'Pure and innocent', 'withstand frequent laundering with boiling water.'

A July 1856 news item in Godey's Magazine and Lady's book about the preparations for the first child of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie of France noted that the layette featured lots of white dresses with blue trim. This was because their firstborn baby "voue au blanc" (dedicated to the Virgin) and would wear white and blue for its first seven years. This, the author explained "symbolizes special protection."

'Pure white is used for all babies' Blue is for girls and pink is for boys, when a colour is wished.' (Ladies' Home Journal 1890)