Of all the decisions new parents have to make, color is rarely ever one of them. There's pink for girls and blue for boys, and yellow if you're interested in something a little less stereotypical. At least that's what society tells us. It might be hard to imagine as you're looking through a catalog for your own children (or nieces, nephews and the like), but there was a time when the girls' department wasn't filled with pink merchandise ... but the boys' department was. And this wasn't so long ago: Think sixty-something years or so.
Before World War II ended in 1945, color rules operated in reverse, with boys donning pink gowns and blue being considered a "much more delicate and dainty tone," for girls, a departure from the gender norms we've come to know that's currently on display in an exhibit called "Think Pink" at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
Pink was recommended for boys as far back as the 1700s, "because it's a stronger and more passionate color, and because it's actually derived from red," curator Michelle Finamore told NPR.
Granted, a pink suit is one thing, but outfitting your baby boy's room in the rosy hue? We understand that might take a little more time (and a lot more shifting of our cultural norms). In the meantime, we're venturing over to other parts of the color wheel with these 9 rooms that do just that, along with decorating tricks that easily bridge the gender divide.
Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.
**
Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)
Related
Before You Go
