FOR MORE GREAT STORIES, VISIT COSMO.IN SEPTEMBER 2017 COSMOPOLITAN 87by men and women in starched
shirts and navy trousers—and I fit in
just fine.
That is, until now. When I decided
that the only way to test the true
power of a colour that has come
to define my entire generation of
hardworking, hustling young women
was to immerse myself in it. To wear
it head-to-toe for 10 days, and see if
the world—in particular the serious,corporate world of news journalism—
treated me any differently. That
colour? Millennial pink, of course.
For anyone who is yet to encounter
it, it’s a cutesy, almost edible-looking
shade of pink that has bedecked our
stores, shelves and sportswear for the
past 12 months.
Born out of the growing popularity
of K-Pop (kitsch, colourful pop
music from South Korea), it’s also
influenced by the ironic return of ’90s
and Noughties fashion (Juicy Couture
tracksuits and Clueless). Acne studios,
Gucci and even cookware range Le
Creuset have all been launching
the ‘hibiscus’ hue, and then the
high street followed suit. Unicorn
everything and that damn flamingo
obsession? All part of the trend.
Dig a little deeper, though, and
you’ll find pink’s popularity among
Generation Y could be a subconscious
nod to the world we find ourselves
battling for a place in.
A plethora of research, from
as far back as the ’70s right up to
the present day, shows that being
surrounded by the colour pink can do
everything from calm stress or anger,
to helping you earn more. After a
summer of political upheaval and
tragic terror attacks, it makes sense
that people would be attracted to the
tranquility and instant mood-lifting
effects of pink.
Despite my reservations about
looking like a life-sized Peppa Pig,
millennial pink has managed to
transcend gender stereotypes in a
way other generations have never
seen. Previously a colour used to
define femininity, this year, men
from Drake to Tom Hiddleston
proudly sport the peachy hue,
while women like Michelle Obama
and Miley Cyrus are helping to
diminish the colour’s stereotypically
‘girlie’ connotations.
Unfortunately, none of this
lessens the dread I feel at having to
wear post-ironic pink for a whole
week. A week in which I was off to
Birmingham to report on the general
election, among many other things.“I HAVE MY OWN
RECIPE FOR BLENDING
IN: MONOCHROME.”there would be no more awkward-
length skirts, no more shiny lip
gloss, and absolutely no more bright
colours—especially pink.
I made that vow in the heat of
the moment 15 years ago, and I’ve
never deviated. I have come up with
my own recipe for blending into the
background: well-fitted monochrome
basics and cool, sophisticated denim.
Friends and family have tried to
lure me over to the bright side, but
their attempts have always failed.
I prefer my clothing to be a blank
canvas. I work in the newsroom of
The Daily Telegraph—surrounded
Drinking white
during her rosé
week was a mini
win for Radhika