Why Baker Miller Pink?

In the 1970s, a scientist in New Mexico discovered that staring at a certain shade of pink slowed his heart rate, pulse and respiration. It’s a very specific shade, the colour of bubble gum and candy floss, Angel Delight and Raspberry Ripple ice-cream. It’s a fuzzy fuchsia haze of funfairs and summer picnics and sweets that were only allowed on Wednesdays, but only if you’d done all your homework.

No one was quite sure ‘why’ or even ‘if’ the science worked – whether the historical  ‘pink for girls’ bias had an effect or if there really was a relationship between ‘perceptible radiant energy’ and human behaviour. It’s officially known as behavioural photobiology.

Then, in the 80s, two correctional facilities in the States painted their cells pink in order to create a more calming environment. One was governed by a Mr Baker and the other by a Mr Miller, – hence Baker Miller Pink.

As far as we know, that’s the end of the clever bit. Although Baker Miller Pink has popped up in some football changing rooms (for the opposing team, thanks to some smart managers) and on the shirts of charity workers who saw a threefold rise in donations, the research has stopped.

Today it’s just a colour. Pantone named it 183C. It’s also known as Schauss pink, after the scientist, Alexander Schauss, and Drunk-Tank Pink after the large prison cells used for the detention of Saturday night casualties.

But there’s something so deliciously Hubba Bubba happy about the name, and the shade, that we adopted it for our brand. We hope our cashmere brings happiness – to our goats in Inner Mongolia, the herders and their families, the nice knitters in Ordos, the jolly distributors in Leicester, the team here at BMPink HQ and you. And we hope our jumpers last considerably longer than a Percy Pig or a strawberry bonbon or any other confection that is gloriously, gorgeously Baker Miller Pink.