Millennial Pink

The titration of actual pinkness varies a little, but its still a fairly narrow spectrum from salmon mousse to gravlax, to extend the metaphor. Call it millennial pinkits ironic pink, pink without the sugary prettiness. Its a non-color that doesnt commit, whose semi-ugliness is proof of its sophistication. Vronique Hyland, 2016 When I revisit my original story, the whole phenomenon feels more insidious than I once thought, especially as I consider how the past few years have unfolded. I wonder if this period in fashion history, with its toothless pastels and sweet, ruffled, Regency-style minidressesthe sartorial version of millennial pinkwill come to be seen as analogous to the 80s fashion backlash against strong-shouldered power suits worn with sneakers. One of the most confounding things about the pink-tinted economy is the way its selling back existing things to us and making them new, painting them as essentials of self-actualization and empowerment. An elite womens club isnt new. Nor is makeup. Nor is a modest floral garment. Nor is pink. What we have here is a rebranding of the reactionary. Vronique Hyland in Dress Code, 2022 A shimmering, noncommittal pastel: ruby chocolate enveloped in white musk