Due to my rocky relationship with my mother, I would rebel and despise things that were too girly and pink. This led me to disliking the color pink and everything it represented. Now that I’m no longer under my mother’s roof and have started to regain freedom of my person, I’ve taken more control of my womanhood and with the help of Barbie: The Movie, started to wear more pink and embrace my feminine side through clothing and other accessories.
Blue has been my favorite color since I was 12 years old. Not only was it the easiest color you could find clothes in, but it reminded me of the ocean water which I loved (As a Pisces, a water sign, I don’t find that surprising). Growing up as the only daughter in my household, I found trying to embrace my femininity a rough patch that stunted my growth as a young lady. What made it worse, was my mother trying to force stereotypical girly things like makeup, bras (I loved sports bras at the time), acrylic nails and skirts on me when I wasn’t comfortable with these accessories at that time.
After graduating high school, I slowly started to move my possessions out of my mothers house and into my grandmothers house (who I still live with today). Though my grandmother is a bit religious, she gives me space to make my own decisions as a young woman still adjusting to adult life. Now that I have a healthy distance from my mother, I can peacefully grow in my body and how to style myself. I’ve found myself wearing more dresses, skirts, and even buying my first set of makeup on my 22nd birthday! All I needed was a safe space to figure out what I liked, what feels comfortable on my skin and how I want to be viewed in the public.
When Barbie: The Movie was released last year July, that’s when my wardrobe and taste in clothing did a full spin. I went into the theater (fashionably dressed in pink of course!), and walked out afterward with a sense of self I’ve never felt before.
What really changed how I felt about the color pink and womanhood was America Ferrera’s monologue on being a woman. “It is literally impossible to be a woman. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.” (America Ferrera, Barbie: The Movie). Growing up, I deemed womanhood as something I could never really achieve. It was a relief to know that I wasn’t the only one that felt that way. The Barbie movies pink filled wardrobe and accessories inspired me to incorporate more shades of pink in my clothing and assured that it’s ok to wear pink and still be a powerful, confident woman.
The specific shade of pink can affect associations and meanings. A light pink is often viewed as soft, healing, and peaceful, whereas a hot pink might be seen as bold, exciting, and alarming.
Kendra Cherry, MSEd. “Why Do We like the Color Pink?” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 18 Sept. 2024, www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-pink.
Though I still have my days where I slip into a regular t-shirt with jeans and some sneakers, I’m growing and learning to feel great in my femininity and live in my pink, soft girl era! I’ve found a strong liking to pink stoned jewelry and all things Hello Kitty (yes I know, EVERYONE’S been obsessed with Hello Kitty this year; it’s starting to become a problem). But I can’t wait to see where my journey to womanhood takes me and the adult woman I’m growing up to be!