Data analysts have been decoding the “pink tax,” as it’s aptly named. Its cost disparities have affected countless female consumers.
In 2015, the NYC Consumer and Worker Protection Agency studied the cost difference between women’s and men’s products. They concluded that, on average, “women’s products cost 7 percent more than similar products for men.” Additionally, from their sample of 800 items from over 90 brands, “the women’s products cost more 42 percent of the time while men’s products cost more 18 percent of the time.”
To better understand this pink phenomenon, I photographed numerous pink products around my house to capture the prevalence of pink and how it ultimately follows women throughout life. I also interviewed a few girls from my school about their experiences and thoughts about this growing trend of gendered marketing.
Q: Do you remember any specific toys or clothes from your childhood that were pink?
Kamryn, age 16: A lot of my stuffed animals, dolls, pillows, and blankets were pink. My curtains were even pink!
Yasmen, age 17: I remember I used to have this big monster high castle, it wasn’t entirely pink but it had these pink rooms and classrooms.
Carlen, age 17: I had a Lalaloopsy doll that was pink, and I loved it a lot!
Q: If you had to give a number, what percentage of things you own or buy are pink?
Kamryn: Surprisingly, 18% of what I currently own is pink. However, I am actively searching for more pink things to wear.
Q: What emotions or feelings does the color pink evoke in you?
Anginelle, age 16: Pastel pinks make me feel a calm and feminine vibe.
Yasmen: It makes me think of girlhood; it really embodies feminism.
Q: Are you more influenced to buy a product if it’s pink?
Kamryn: Most of the things I have that are pink were only bought because they’re pink. For me, things automatically become prettier because it’s pink.
Q: Have you seen a trend of marketers charging more for women’s and pink products?
Carlen: Oh yeah the freaking pink tax? Women’s deodorant costs more, all because they know we’ll buy more.
Yasmen: I feel like some advertisers would market feminine stuff higher because they want us to buy it, like with the price difference with women’s and men’s razors. And it’s weird how there are “feminine” wipes for women and “masculine” wipes for men. They definitely use certain colors to advertise and almost hypnotize us.
Q: Do you think girls are conditioned to buy pink products?
Yasmen: I think from a young age, we have always been taught that pink is a girl color. You notice that even in kids’ shows like Mickey Mouse, the girl characters Minnie and Daisy wear pink and purple, but the guys don’t.
Carlen: I think in a way we are conditioned and have certain things pushed on us. Women would get shamed for wearing masculine colors when, at the end of the day, they’re just colors. It’s all about your perception, but in a way, things are already perceived for us.
