I just love this.
I found Pioneer Woman's website a few days ago (courtesy of Mark O. at Stones Cry Out) and stayed up way too late reading the gripping account of her courtship with "Marlboro Man" (about which I could say quite a bit but I won't -- read it for yourself).
But the reason I had to post this link is because I saw, on a blog somewhere, a list of things that "men just don't do." One of those was "wear a pink shirt." The very next day, at youth orchestra rehearsal with my son, what did I see but a father, your basic middle-aged engineer, wearing, of all things, a dark pink polo shirt. (Not vivid, bright-hot pink, but a healthy, full-bodied pink.)
This man usually wears average-type clothing: polo shirts, plaid shirts, even flannel shirts. He's the farthest from, you know, flaming that I could imagine, although he is somewhat epicurean, well-traveled, culturally sophisticated in an old-English sort of way, and appreciative of the arts. Yeah, that must be it.
Anyway, this also brought back memories of a master class given long ago by Mel Broiles, may he rest in peace. Broiles was a big, dark-haired, Mack truck of a trumpet player, and guess what he was wearing? That's right -- a bright, hot-hot pink sweater. Over his broad shoulders and even broader paunch. I mean, this was PINK. You needed sunglasses. (I think he might have had a pair hanging on the neck of his sweater.) And he looked great. He sounded blisteringly great. He was no-nonsense. I loved it.
And I'll say this: hot pink is historically not one of my own wardrobe colors, although I ended up with a nice magenta top this winter because the color I ordered was out-of-stock so they sent me my alternate choice, which was the only other one. And it's not bad, really, though not "my" color (not perfectly compatible with my natural coloring -- hair, skin tone, eyes). But "regular" pink or pale pink definitely don't work, so I never, ever, ever wear them. (In other words, pink looks a lot better on some men than it does on me. And actually, now that I think of it, my husband had a pale-pink button-down Oxford shirt once, that looked quite well on him.)
Anyway, I, like Pioneer Woman, admire the strength of a man who's secure enough in his masculinity to wear pink! (Not that I have anything against a man who doesn't.) :-)
