The many meanings of the pink helmet

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Let’s talk about the pink helmet. It is something often joked about but also something that is actually worn in practice. Sometimes voluntarily and sometimes as a punishment. Sometimes there is a thought behind it and sometimes not. In today’s article, I will discuss the many meanings of the pink helmet.

Pink as a symbol of struggle and passion

The color pink is currently associated with girls in our society. We eat biscuits with pink sprinkles when a girl is born, and the clothing they wear is often pink. Although we find it very normal, this has not always been the case.

In the eighteenth century, young men often wore pink clothing with embroidered flowers. This color is derived from red, which stands for passion and combativeness. When women wore pink, they did so because it exuded youthfulness and health.

According to Jo Paoletti, professor of clothing history and author of the book “Pink and Blue,” pink only became popular with girls in the early 1900s. And since 1940, people have directly associated this color with the female gender.

Pink as punishment

The fact that people associate pink with girls seems innocent, but it has its consequences. Many men refuse to wear the color. In some environments, a man wearing pink is seen as feminine. It even goes so far that his sexuality is questioned. Because a man who wears pink cannot be attracted to women, right?

You also see this mindset in the workplace. A good example is the culture among people who work in construction. In many construction companies, it has been a long-standing tradition that the person who forgets to bring their helmet must wear a pink one. Sometimes this also happens when someone’s helmet breaks. As a kind of ‘punishment.’

Because wearing a pink helmet is apparently something no one on the construction site wants. The role does not seem to matter much. Whether you’re working as a laborer, carpenter, or mason: if you don’t have a helmet, you risk getting a pink one.

That doesn’t mean that a pink helmet on a construction site is always worn as a punishment. There are also people, often women, who actually enjoy wearing it. Because they find it pretty or also as a joke. Because pink on a construction site, that stands out.

Pink to draw attention

Another workplace where helmets are worn is in motorsport. This is, of course, a different kind of helmet, but here too, the image of pink plays a role. When racing driver Sebastian Vettel swapped his old helmet, featuring the German flag, for a pink one, the media jumped on it. Wouldn’t he mind wearing a pink helmet?

That turned out not to be the case. In fact, Vettel said he was proud of his new helmet. The pink color was the house color of his new sponsor BWT. This Austrian water purification company had the quote ‘change the world, sip by sip’ put on the helmet. The pink helmet turned out to be the launch of a new campaign where BWT provides clean drinking water worldwide through taps instead of plastic bottles.

“As a Formula 1 driver, I think it’s right to stand up and speak out on this issue. I’m also glad I’ve found a partner in BWT who shares the same vision,” said Vettel.

So the fact that the helmet was pink only brought more media attention to this sponsor. And let’s be honest, why would a driver worry about the color of his helmet? The world of motorsport is full of sponsors. These parties ensure that the driver can do his job. And with such a dangerous profession, a high-quality helmet seems more important than the color it has.