Think pink: Why this pretty hue is a favourite for underwear
Posted by Claire Hewitt, on February 24, 2026.
Estimated reading time: 5 minute(s)
From crimson to blush, we look at why pink is such a timeless colour when it comes to underwear
Did we make you blush? The thought of pretty pink brings a flush to our cheeks too. So much so, that you’ll find eleven Royce bras available in shades of this colour. But why is this hue so appealing and why does it work so well for underwear? We take a deep dive into this romantic colour…
Ask a group of people to think of pink, and you’ll get different reactions. For some, pink means playful, cute and youthful. Others may consider it garish or sickly sweet. Some people may link pink to feelings of softness and warmth. That’s because the colour of flamingos, strawberry ice-cream and cherry blossom is so broad you could suggest it’s actually a whole range of colours – rouge, fuchsia, blush, Barbie pink, salmon pink, Millennial pink – all provoking different responses in us thanks to biological, psychological and cultural factors. But why are we so attracted to it?
A bit of science and history around pink
Culture and history can put a completely different slant on pink’s appeal. Love it or loathe it, there’s an entrenched idea that pink is ‘for girls’, and hence feminine and frivolous: it’s something that gets a fair share of pushback for its gender stereotyping. Critics may point out that a century or so ago, pink (being a pale version of red, the colour of action and passion) was considered a boys’ colour, and blue (a colour associated with the Virgin Mary) was for girls. However, it’s a little more complex than this, with historians finding that gendered colour trends were never consistent, and with every pink revolt came a reclaiming of this colour.
But part of our response to pink is subconscious. Researchers at the American Institute for Biosocial Research found that when prison inmates looked at a pink card, their heart rate, pulse and respiration were reduced. For this reason, many walls in prisons, hospitals and similar institutions are painted pink to help reduce aggression and promote calm.
From a biological point of view, when we are aroused or see something (or someone) we like, blood rushes to our cheeks and lips making them pinker. This is one reason why pink is so often associated with love and romance. Our own memories may also play a part in why we’re drawn to pink: perhaps you spent a happy childhood playing with your favourite pink-hued toys, or sitting with your grandma on her soft pink sofa.
Why pink is great for underwear
Pink is so popular for bras and briefs, that we’ve introduced a blush shade for all our best-sellers including Cara, Comfi-Bra, Posie and Charlotte to name just a few. We’ve also released both a blush and rouge (a deep, dusty pink) version of our ever-popular Maisie bra, and have created three styles solely in pink – blush for Mia and Rosa, and rouge for Florentine. Classic black and white may be in-demand but blush remains Royce’s best-selling bra colour.
Comfi-Bra
Best-selling, high cotton content, front-fastening.
Maisie
Smooth, soft, padded t-shirt bra up to a G cup.
Cara
Exceptional support for fuller cups up to an L cup.
Pink under white
Pink sells because it’s such a versatile colour. Contrary to popular belief, pink rather than white is best if you don’t want your bra to show through a white top. Rouge, our deeper pink, is the one to wear under pale clothing – white bras will shine like a beacon!
And gone are the days of calling pale pink ‘nude’ or ‘flesh-coloured’, because it isn’t for everybody. Pink isn’t ‘nude’ against darker skin tones, but it still looks fabulous: rouge can look bold and rich, while a contrasting pale pink bra against darker skin, can be as striking as black or navy against lighter skin. Deep pink can also add edge to an outfit: flashing a strap or a bit of trim hints that what lies beneath is a little more daring and tantalising than your regular black or white.
Coming soon…our new Comfort brief
Make space in your knicker drawer! With blush being our best-selling bra colour, it was only a matter of time because we launched a matching brief. From March 2026, you’ll be able to buy our new Comfort brief in a pale pink shade to match all of Royce’s blush bras. Featuring smooth seems, bonded edges and a cotton gusset, you’ll get no VPL with these high-waisted knickers, but you will get all-day comfort.
