Pink Aesthetic

Technically just a very light shade of red, the color pink is actually named after a flower, dianthus plumarius – it was first used as a color named back in the 17th century. A pink aesthetic comes in a lot of tones and shades from bright pastel to dusky rose, with varying saturations and tints depending on desired mood. It is generally seen as a hyper-feminine color these days, which is quite funny as in the 1920s it was considered a masculine shade!

“My parents told me I’d point to a bed of flowers and say ‘Pink. Pretty,’ before I knew any other words.”

Joni Mitchell

Pink aesthetic themes and meanings

• charm and innocence
• politeness
• cuteness
• childhood and playfulness
• femininity
• romance (mostly chaste romance)
• politeness, empathy and sensitivity
• sweetness (both in manner and taste, for example cakes and pastries)
• nurturing (especially maternal femininity)
• youth and good health
• bolder and brighter pinks can create a sense of urgency
• darker pinks can be a symbol of lust, especially when paired with black or purple

Pink aesthetic things in nature

More pink aesthetic things

Example shades of pink

Example accent colors for a pink aesthetic

Do you have a pink aesthetic?

From a lot of little touches to a big Barbiecore life of all pink, all the time, you might have a pink aesthetic if you’re always applying those rosy filters to your pics, or just adding a pink accent to your style – everything from a colored stone in your jewelery to the charms on your phone case!

A pink aesthetic is most commonly associated with softness and femininity. Delicate or floaty fabrics like tulle are popular, while more vintage or cottagecore overlaps might come in with desaturated roses or other floral prints. Don’t assume it’s all pastels though – with the right bold variations on the color, you can rock pink in plenty of other vibes like gothic, grunge, and even punk!

A short history of pink

Even if the word pink didn’t come into regular use until the 1600s, the color has been referenced since ancient times, with Greek and Roman poets frequently using it to describe the dawn sky; in fact the Latin term roseus literally means “rosy” or “pink.” It wasn’t very popular color in the Middle Ages, with the nobility preferring bolder shades of red to show off their wealth, but it did show up in some religious art. Pink really took off when pastels became popular in 18th century Europe, and was unisex until the marketplace made pink a “girly” color around the 1940s. A mainly pink aesthetic is still considered inherently charming, soft, and sweet, but while combining it with white symbolises innocence and chastity, pink and black is generally seen as an erotic combination (ooh la la).