How the King made wearing pink acceptable for men again

King Charles has always had a penchant for pink, writes Doig - PA

As Venn diagram overlaps go, it’s a niche one; the meeting point between King Charles and colour controversy. But in the same week that the King’s new official portrait was unveiled – a painting by Jonathan Yeo in a riot of splashy scarlet reds and vermillion (all rather regal if you ask me) – the Buckingham Palace garden party held for the creative industries on Wednesday saw the King wearing a cheerful pink waistcoat to greet the public on a sunny spring day.

Some have suggested the monarch’s ensemble was designed to match the Queen’s; actually, it’s more likely that the Queen’s outfit was chosen to match his, because King Charles has always had a penchant for pink. His Luxembourg counterpart might lay claim to a rose in delicate blush – the Prince Charles de Luxembourg bloom named after him – but our own monarch has never been shy about exploring that most feminine of shades.

A shot of cerise or jolt of magenta have long been part of His Majesty’s accessories roster – a silk Turnbull & Asser tie and pocket square in a distinctive shell-pink or lavender hue, for example – and in recent years he’s embraced pink in shirting and that handsome pastel waistcoat. The full regalia of morning dress, which he wore at the garden party, also happens to be the King’s Ascot attire – sticking vehemently to his “make do and mend” approach, although the pink waistcoat appears to be a new addition.

The King wore a cheerful pink waistcoat for the Buckingham Palace garden party - Getty

Doig: 'Some have suggested the monarch's ensemble was designed to match the Queen's; actually, it's more likely that the Queen's outfit was chosen to match his' - Getty

While they’d never be as indiscreet as to advertise or publicly confirm the fact, his morning suits come courtesy of his favourite tailor Anderson & Sheppard, and have been a key component of the King’s formal wardrobe. I have it on good authority from a British institution that’s known for dressing the King that he favours delicate pastel tones of pink and lilac when it comes to shirting and accessories, a softly-softly antidote in a very upright, regimented wardrobe befitting of his role.

In the politics of pink, the shade was historically associated with power and masculinity. The madder dyes to create the shade were so rare – this was pre-chemical dying process, and few things in nature are a bold pink colour – that only the top strata of society could afford them back in the 18th century; see Joshua Reynolds’ 1738 Portrait of Charles Coote in rose-hued robes for the ‘pink’ section of the V&A’s Fashioning Masculinities exhibition from 2022, or the Court of Versailles’ Comte d’Angiviller in fabulous carnation. Or drink in the jolting watermelon, corals and fuchsias so prevalent in the Renaissance’s Medici paintings.

A portrait of Comte d'Angiviller wearing a fabulous carnation hue - Getty

Pink has long had a place in blue-blood uniforms, from Hunting Pinks (not actually named after the colour, but rather a tailor named Pinks) or club shades of pink in rowing fraternities. Pink had presence and machismo, a sense of dandyish peacocking; it wasn’t until the dreary old Victorian era that more staid shades became prevalent for men (the Victorians having something of a knack for making things more conservative and downbeat). By the 20th century, pink for men was code for “effeminate”.

Which is a pity, because pink’s a great colour for men in myriad ways, as King Charles has long known. Let’s take him as an example; the King favours grey shades – certainly for morning dress, it’s regarded as the elite tier shade for men – and pastel tones work well with grey. Hence why they lend colour and a bit of vitality to the older gentleman; a sweep of grey hair with a soft pink linen shirt looks great.

Doig writes that pink is a great colour for men in myriad ways – especially older gentlemen, as it complements grey hair - Eddie Mulholland

Pink also looks pin-sharp alongside olive colours, so a green tweed jacket with a cheerful pair of pink corduroy trousers is rather jolly. My father-in-law sometimes wears an excellent yellow tweed jacket with a light salmon shirt and matching pink tie, often with bold red trousers, and looks entirely appropriate and joyous in doing so. Pink’s pleasingly non-corporate; it adds personality and vim in a sea of navy suiting, greige and identikit Next checked shirts (a personal bugbear of mine).

Not all shades are created equal obviously; in 2022, the then 69-year-old Pierce Brosnan wore a standout electric pink suit and looked the business, likewise Michael Portillo tends to wear bold pinks alongside vibrant colours, but for the uninitiated keep the sharper shades of pink to discreet accessories like pocket squares and ties, and opt for softer varieties for your shirts. Pink can also lend a touch of nuance to a traditional country sports jacket; look for nubbly tweeds with flecks of fuchsia in it, for example.

Pierce Brosnan 'looked the business' in his standout electric pink suit - Getty

Michael Portillo tends to wear bold pinks alongside vibrant colours - Getty

One small drawback to pink is the British man’s complexion in summer, which can occasionally turn a violent shade of raspberry, particularly after a couple of glasses of Pimm’s. If that applies to you, opt for pink trousers or a tie rather than a sweater or shirt that sits against the face and adds to the ruddy rosiness.

2023 was the Year of Pink, thanks to the candyfloss explosion that was the Greta Gerwig Barbie movie – Ryan Gosling, playing Ken, wore almost as much pink on the red carpet as Barbie’s Margot Robbie – but perhaps it’s time to reclaim it for the older generation. If it gets the regal stamp of approval, after all…

Think pink

pink

Linen shirt, £34.95, charlestyrwhitt.com; Cashmere sweater, £345, npeal.com

pink

Silk tie, £185, turnbullandasser.co.uk; Corduroy trousers, £119, hockerty.uk; Tweed jacket, £250, brocklehursts.com

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