Kate Moss did it for Versace in 1999. So did Alex Consani for her Marshall Columbia campaign. Kim Petras did it. Meghan Fox just did it. Even I did it. I dyed my hair pink because it is a color I feel most represented by. And the trend has really escalated since Kylie Jenner posted a selfie on January 16 with pink hair, giving fans flashbacks to the King Kylie era.
Pink is a color that has been admired for centuries, but dyeing one’s natural hair pink began in 1914 after a United Press release on the matter and is now seeing a resurgence due to the long-awaited global appreciation of femininity through many major icons and celebrities. So if you thought you were inside of a Pinkalicious book, you aren’t! Pink is really just everywhere.
In the 18th century, pink as a color became extremely popular throughout Europe and was considered fashionable among male and female aristocrats, even visible in wigs. Then after 1914, the trend continued to rise due to Bridgett Bardot wearing a light rose-colored bob for Two Weeks in September and has been in and out of fashion since. Barbie being one of the most (if not the most) influential movies of today, unveiled to the world a popular thought that had (has) not been touched upon enough; being in touch with femininity is a beautiful thing.
Pink has been a gendered color for too long, that it is almost freeing for women and others to actually choose to love the color. Specifically with so many LGBTQ+ icons dyeing their hair pink, it is becoming more of a statement and less of a stereotype. “I think I’ve really downplayed my femininity in the past few years but the second I saw myself with pink hair I knew this was it (…) because I want everything feminine” Emma Zetterberg, well known for her social media content and the reason I dyed my hair, chimes in on the trend.
However, people like to judge, and pink hair still unfortunately comes with glances. “Half of the time I can’t tell if people know me from social media when they stare or if it’s because my hair is so vibrant,” says Zetterberg. Many people today consider colored hair to be unprofessional, but they say the same about tattoos which 32% of Americans have. “[Due to pink hair] anything I wear…is put into a category that is not so classy or businesslike.” The majority of people who feel this way were not allowed to dye their hair as children and are stuck in traditional values and appearances. Hair is an extension of oneself and is not permanent, so it should be experimented with. “I think it is such a great expression of one’s gender and identity to be able to play with our appearance and bodies as long as we stay kind and nice on the inside.”
“Pink is [the] 2024 color.” From fiery magenta to pale blush, pink hair is to dye for.
Special thanks to Emma Zetterberg!
Words by Elisabeth Edwards
Graphic by Anca Dubalaru