Analyst swipes at MAGA's 'fragile' sweater meltdown

[tblue37]

A columnist for The Guardian argued on Sunday that the meltdown inspired by a new pink J.Crew sweater caused among many fans of the MAGA movement reveals how "fragile" its "sense of masculinity" truly is.

Last week, J.Crew announced the release of a pink "Fair Isle" sweater that The Guardian columnist Ellie Violet Bramley described in a new column as a traditional preppy piece that seems to align with the fashion sensibilities of the conservative right. However, the backlash the sweater received from several prominent MAGA figures, such as Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and pundit Juanita Broaddrick, revealed a stark contradiction about the movement's views of masculinity.

Masculinity is one of the key tenets of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, which promotes an uncompromising view of manhood often imagined by teenage boys, according to an article by Jill Filipovic, an author and contributor to The Atlantic. That version has been described by experts as "performative hypermasculinity," which rejects anything that appears to be feminine.

From a fashion point of view, it couldn’t be more innocuous," Bramley wrote. "It’s got a crew neck. It’s made from wool. It has a Fair Isle pattern at the upper yoke. There’s nothing asymmetric about it, no fringing or tassels, no slogan blasted across the front; no 'Make America Kind Again.' So what’s the big deal? Reader, the jumper is pink."

Snip

https://www.rawstory.com/maga-2674335751/?cx_testId=6&cx_testVariant=cx_undefined&cx_artPos=4&cx_experienceId=EXC93HV4HK4I&cx_experienceActionId=showRecommendationsVP9S9ZC8WNR522#cxrecs_s

The Guardian article, with a picture of the sweater: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/23/maga-meltdown-pink-sweater-men-masculinity-fragile

[niyad]

1. It is pink!!! My personal view is that pink belongs in flowers. Now, I grant

that part of my aversion to pink clothing stems from marabel morgan's "every woman should have a little pink dress in her wardrobe". (from "Total Woman&quot The other, far deeper one, is about the whole pink/blue, female/male stereotyping., which has annoyed me since I was a kid.
To each their own!

[tblue37]

6. In the past pink was considered the "boy" color (from 1918 until the 1940s):

Snip

In fact, it was not always so. Pink and blue were not gender signifiers in this country until shortly after World War I, according to Wilchins. In the centuries prior to that, all babies were dressed in white gowns, which allowed easy access for diaper changes and could be bleached after wearing. Clothing for children up to the age of six or seven was treated as unisex (which allowed parents to use the same clothes for every baby born). It was a matter of home economics and didn’t change much even when pastel colors (including pink and blue but also others such as yellow) were introduced in the mid-1800s, presumably because commercial dyes became widely available. Here are some things your outfit color says about you.

Things only began to change, in fact, in June 1918, when Ladies’ Home Journal published an article claiming that “the generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls.” That’s right: pink for boys and blue for girls because, at least at the time, pink, which is associated with red, was considered too harsh for girls. Girls were therefore assigned a color associated with sky and daylight.

But the fact that the media had begun promoting the notion of one color or another being associated with one gender or another was likely the brainchild of marketing strategists, says Wilchins. Essentially, clothing manufacturers and retailers had realized that they could double the amount of clothing sold. By 1927, department stores had jumped on board such that Time magazine printed a chart showing sex-appropriate colors for girls and boys according to leading U.S. stores: In Boston, Filene’s told parents to dress boys in pink. So did Best & Co. in New York City, Halle’s in Cleveland, and Marshall Field in Chicago. Today, that might sound downright outrageous—it’s one of the history facts that sound fake but aren’t.

It wasn’t until the 1940s that manufacturers went in the opposite direction and decided that pink was for girls, and blue was for boys. But then, just one generation later, the women’s liberation movement ushered in unisex baby clothing once again, which remained in vogue until the mid-1980s. That was when medical science allowed parents to learn the gender of their not-yet-born babies.

Snip

Much more: https://www.rd.com/article/pink-for-boys/

[niyad]

45. I remember hearing this a very long time ago. Thank you for posting

this most informtive article.

[COL Mustard]

8. I have a pink sweater that gets a lot of wear

This time of year. It’s cashmere, one of several I have, and they are one of the little luxuries that I allow myself. And I’m a dude, happily wearing any of them. Guess I’ll be rotating the pins one a lot more often! Aggravate a MAGAt every day!

[niyad]

48. GOOD FOR YOU!!! Cashmere is wonderful in almost any colour. And

feeling, and looking, great when one annoys magats is always a bonus!

[PatSeg]

33. I agree

I love pink flowers, but other than that, I am not a huge fan of pink. Maybe it is all those years of living with Barbie-pink when my daughter was young. Then the color took over girls' clothing lines as well.

[niyad]

47. Not just the clothing. . things meant as girls' or women's . .whatever. toys. .

tools. .hell, even guns. I remember walking into a toy store years ago to purchase a gift for a friend's grandchild, and was confronted by an entire aisle of barbie-pink in every "girl's" toy imaginable. Instant migraine, which was exacerbated when I saw the uzi commando kit for boys. I registered a very horrified complaint with the manager. I also registered a complaint with my local hardware store about all the pink tools, kits, etc.,.. which, by the way, always seem to cost more than the "manly" version.

[PatSeg]

55. I can totally relate to that

I think I eventually developed an allergic reaction to Barbie-pink. I really hate the sameness of all of it. Young girls everywhere wore pink jackets, shoes, boots, pants, shirts, etc., and everyone looked pretty much the same.

Pink tools? Yuck! I always preferred more realistic toys and definitely diverse colors.

[Intractable]

2. The sweater is hideous. The collar looks like it'll be stretched after the first wash.

[Haggard Celine]

3. I agree.

It looks like someone took a tablecloth and made a sweater out of it. And it doesn't really fit the model all that well either. I don't like pink, but that's the least of my problems with that sweater.

[COL Mustard]

9. It's definitely not my style

And at $168, it’s definitely not in my desired price range. But if I had one, I wouldn’t wash it, I’d dry clean it.

[Intractable]

17. "I'd dry clean it. "

So, you'd have to pay to buy it, then pay to wear it.

It's like renting the thing, not owning it.

It seems to be styled like a country-style table cloth.

[COL Mustard]

18. I've not had good luck

With trying to wash wool clothing. It shrinks, then I have to replace it. Or give it to the neighborhood kids. I dry clean everything that is wool or cashmere.

[niyad]

50. I handwash my wool and silk items in cool water , blot them in towels,

then either lay them out on towels, or hang them up to finish drying. I once had a gorgeous two-piece raw silk outfit. The two times I had it dry-cleaned, I had to sign a waiver about not being able to hold the cleaners responsible for any damage. They told me you cannot wash silk (which is not true!). After that, I figured I couldn't do a worse job, and certainly at far less cost. I wore that outfit for almost 15 years, loved it.

[Raine]

13. Yes it's totally butt-ugly. 😱 nt

[PatSeg]

35. That is pretty awful

[SamKnause]

4. The sweater is ugly, extremely ugly !!!

Last edited Mon Nov 24, 2025, 06:48 AM - Edit history (1)

I don't have an issue with a man wearing the color pink.

But I think of summer clothes being pink, not winter.

Shorts and tank tops etc.

I like men who dress in all colors.

Anything that gets men out of suits and ties I'm all for.

Suits and ties remind me of a strait jacket.

The tie will go down in history and the most useless piece of clothing ever invented.

I like the way Jon Batiste dresses.

I have always like anything that is shiny, sparkles, lights up, glitters, or shimmers etc.

That is my taste in decorating and in clothes.

Glass, mirrors, chrome, dramatic lighting, black lacquer furniture, etc.

My mother hated taking me clothes shopping for back to school.

[niyad]

51. Linda Ellerbee's comment on ties, "If men can run the worrld,why can't

they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck?"

[multigraincracker]

5. It's not pink, it's salmon.

[Grokenstein]

7. Okay, King Candy.

[COL Mustard]

10. It's actually

“Heather Peony”.

[TheBlackAdder]

23. Back in the 80s , everyone had one.

[Happy Hoosier]

24. It was a fairly common dress item...

.. as were pink oxford cloth shirts. I had several. I was in college then, and it was very fashioable at the time,

[pansypoo53219]

11. that is really cotton candy pink + the fair isle is rather slim. that is a bad sweater.

color me macho didn't address pink. princess pink.

[Layzeebeaver]

12. Wow, at first glance, seems like folks here can be just as triggered any anyone else.

People... It's only a colour. It's only a sweater.

I'd be more concerned if I found out it was made in a sweatshop (can't prove it, didn't look, got other things to do).

Meanwhile... don't like it? Then don't buy it or wear it. Just be kind, and don't stomp on other people down if they do.

On an (not the) other hand, If J. Crew was looking for a signature piece that would bounce their brand awareness and traffic, then looks like they smashed it. Well done!

Anyway, sorry to disturb. Please carry on...

[Raine]

14. I'd wear it ... but I'm a gal. It looks like it's for a woman with that neck detail. nt

[Layzeebeaver]

16. As generic Man, I have and wear pink, sweaters (jumpers, thank you!), polo, Tee shirts, etc.

I also wear a lot of other colours.

... but I hate the Faire Isle knit patterns. (OK Hate is a bit over the top)

I tolerate my wife wearing them, but when she is shopping and it's a toss up between her buying ANYTHING and a Faire Isle something, I always chose the ANYTHING else. It's an inside joke now.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

30. I think some of these posters should consider the Army Navy Store

?si=2-wmNiegqKNy_RMX

[obamanut2012]

44. People even in this thread don't know what a Fair Isle sweater is

That yoke piece isn't "weird," it's what a Fair Isle sweater looks like.

[Celerity]

49. DU, on balance, is a far less than stellar source for fashion/design commentary.

By far the most consistently hostile (some were horridly and dismayingly personal in mode of attack) and negative replies I have recieved to my OPs over the years are the ones about clothing and/or design/architecture.

[Puppyjive]

15. Keep it simple man

MAGA are incapable of addressing complicated issues and are stuck like a broken record.

[The Madcap]

19. A great example of MAGA distorted priorities.

While the traitor-king in orange is trying to force Ukraine to roll over and die for Vladimir Putin, they are blowing their stacks over an ugly pink sweater.

This country is done for.

[tanyev]

22. They are addicted to outrage.

Anytime there’s a lull in news stories to fuel their outrage they have to find something, anything to keep it goong.

[Hugin]

20. Then, don't buy one.

Not that they’d ever buy a sweater much less one without Trump drag pedo signaling etched into it.

[tavernier]

21. Looks like he put on his aging mother's sweater

that she had placed in the bin to go to Goodwill.

[underpants]

28. ☝️ I agree

[thucythucy]

25. The consequences of pink:

[underpants]

40. 😂😂😂

[Gore1FL]

26. The color is OK

The weird thing at the collar makes it ugly.

[obamanut2012]

43. Taht si what a Fair Isle sweater is -- it isn't "weird"

[Gore1FL]

60. Totally not weird, then, but very off-putting. nt

[dalton99a]

27. .

[Iggo]

29. Good. I'm glad they're mad.

[yardwork]

31. This is an example of the disconnect between MAGA and traditional Republicans.

As other posters in this thread have noted, this is a traditional preppy style and a traditional preppy color. While a pink Fair Isle sweater would be seen more commonly on women than men, this is a typical look among the preppy set.

The fact that MAGAs are up in arms is an interesting example of how they differ from the old Republican monied class. From my experience rural conservatives are held in contempt by that class.

[aeromanKC]

32. That is one of the ugliest sweaters I've ever seen!!

Had to check if this was from The Onion.

[DiverDave]

34. Projection

Simply, projection.

[Ocelot II]

36. Either it will sell or it won't; I don't understand the hissy fits over it.

If guys think their balls will shrivel if they wear a pink sweater (or worse, that they'll be mocked by other manly men), then by all means they shouldn't buy one. Or maybe just wear it under bib overalls and without a shirt so a big clump of chest hair sticks out.

[Prairie_Seagull]

37. Me thinkith they protestith to much. nt

[Initech]

38. Really? Of all the problems you could be concerned about, this is what you waste time on?

Never mind that there's wars and a horrifying genocide going on, or that there's a horrible regime illegally occupying the White House, there's pink sweaters being sold!

WTF, this is why we can't have nice things.

[niyad]

52. Really??? Many people are capable of paying attention to more than

one thing at a time, even those with differing levels of importance. And many need a break from all the horror and angst and evil, even if for a few minutes discussing things that others deem trivial. It doesn't mean they don't care. Self-care is important, too.

[BWdem4life]

39. Pink is an ok color

But the top part is just wrong, to me. But hey, whatever sells I guess...

[obamanut2012]

42. That si what a Fair Isle sweater looks like -- how in the wolrd is it "wrong"?

[BWdem4life]

61. Well then it's right for what it is. nt

[obamanut2012]

41. My father is a very manly, macho older Boomer with an ethnic background

He wears pink Polos, button-down shirts, sweaters, and even pink golf pants. It looks great with his coloring, and for all his many faults, he isn't a misogynist jerk with issues. He would totally wear that sweater

[H2O Man]

46. Recommended.

Pink is my favorite color. But when it comes to clothing, I have but one pink piece, a "Mean Girls" t-shirt my younger daughter gifted me, that reads, "On Wednesdays, we wear pink."

[peachpit24]

53. If

A pink sweater threatens their masculinity, they have a bigger problem than a pink sweater.

[MagickMuffin]

54. Clue: don't wash your maga merch with whites and bleach

They don’t mix. Ah well, you’ll look lovely in your new duds.

[senseandsensibility]

56. Okay, I'll wade in

First of all, I could care less if men wear corsets and stilettos. Not my business. But personally, I do see fair isle as a feminine style. Nothing wrong with that. Men should go for it if they're feeling it. Here in CA I never see men wear fair isle sweaters. Of course we only have sweater weather for a couple of months a year and even then, you need something you can take off for the warm afternoons.

[Intractable]

57. Just in time for Christmas, it's the plainest entry in the annual ugly sweater competition.

[chowmama]

58. Fair Isle and Argyle have always been popular in hard times

Because it makes good use of leftover lengths of yarn, too short for a whole other garment. Of course, this require a culture where people make some or all of their own stuff. If times are hard enough, color isn't even a thought and anything is likely to be used for both sexes. Those were tough people, unlike the MAGA snowflakes.

My mom made Argyle socks to perfection.

[-misanthroptimist]

59. I guess being color blind has some advantage

Virtually, everything I own is black, blue, gray, or white. And that's a good thing for me.

[IcyPeas]

62. Don jr. in pink ..... pix

[struggle4progress]

63. Marching to Shibboleth