Seeing Pink?

by Julia Lang - 11/07
NEIRAD enilno edition

Pink is all around these days in Darien. Even with men.  Guys are no longer shy about donning the pale color.
    Sales of menswear in pink rose from 11% to 16% from 2004 to 2006. At the moment, 36% of clothing purchases for men are in pink, bringing the color to the top of the charts.
            Why the sudden rise in pink for men in Darien? According to Dr. Veronica Koller from Lancaster University, “pink has more meaning than any other color.”
   The specific meaning reflects an affluent society according to one Darien business owner. “Pink is a preppy, status color...a wealthier, country club color,” Lucy Fiore, owner of Pink and Green, says.
     Therefore, it isn’t surprising that pink is weaving its way into this predominantly wealthy town.
     According to Peter Saverine of Darien Sport Shop, pink has spread to Darien based on “...places where people travel...for instance, Bermuda, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.” After all, Nantucket is the birthplace of “Nantucket red” and Martha’s Vineyard is home to the creators of the popular designer Vineyard Vines.  (See the article Peter Saverine wrote for Neirad in 1970)
     Saverine also says women are helping fuel the male pink rag rage.
“Often women like their men to wear pink. Women are there at the stores with their husbands, or sons which also translate into more men in pink.”
            In the past, the color has been associated with femininity, but recently men are thinking otherwise: “Real men wear pink” they say. According to pink enthusiast Amanjot Singh, “If you want to wear a color, you wear a color.”
            In Darien, many male teens and adults support the pretty cool in pink look. Wearing this signature Darien color now shows confidence and eagerness to standout from the pedestrian pack.   “Men who wear pink send out a clear message that they perceive themselves as being cutting edge, modern, out of the ordinary, and special,” Dr Koller said.
            Pink is no longer a symbol for femininity or someone’s sexuality; it is simply a social statement and a form of “fun expression”. According to DHS pink aficionado Tally Thorén. “In Darien it’s not weird to wear pink.” Thorén claims to have been wearing pink clothing ever since he can remember and has never thought of it being strange for a guy.
            DHS may be home to the Blue Wave, but pink has definitely won a coveted spot in Darien culture.