A teacher is so obsessed with pink that she has decorated her entire house in the pretty hue and worn it head-to-toe every day for more than a decade.
Yasmin Charlotte, 32, has loved blush and bubblegum tones ever since she was a little girl.
Over the years, she has built up a huge collection of pink household items, clothes and accessories, including 100 pairs of shoes, from high heels to Dr Martens boots.
Dressing entirely in the Barbie doll shade every day, it has been 13 years since she wore any other color—save for a funeral two years ago, for which she had to borrow an outfit.And though Yasmin, a teacher of Thun, Switzerland, does not know how much she has spent creating her very own pink paradise, she insists it has been worth every penny.
She said:
“Coming home to my pink flat calms me after a stressful day. It's like a comfort blanket for me."
She continued:
“For the last 13 years, I've worn nothing but pink. On occasion, I have had to go to a funeral or something like that, but if that happens, I borrow clothes."
“I don't own anything that is not pink. It's really strange for me to wear anything else."
“It's hard to describe why I love pink so much, It's such a feminine, soft, bright, happy color."
As a youngster, Yasmin was tickled pink by her favourite color.
But it was not until she reached her teens that she decided to fully embrace her individuality.
She said:
“When I was a kid, I would dress in pink like any little girl."
Yasmin said:
“Then when I was 12 my mum bought me a pink cardigan and some trousers."
“I loved them, but I felt embarrassed. I thought pink was for little girls, not nearly teenagers."
“But at 16, I started to wear more and more pink, and grow my collection. I had blue jeans and a black skirt but everything else was pink."
There were a lot of people who would laugh at me, and some would say bad words, calling me, 'pink b***h'
Yasmin Charlotte
Aged 19, Yasmin threw away the blue jeans—her last remaining non-pink item of clothing.
Since then, she has worn the same color every single day.
Her unusual style means that she does attract a lot of attention when out and about—something that she struggled with at first.
“There were a lot of people who would laugh at me, and some would say bad words, calling me, 'pink b***h'."
“At first, I felt very uncomfortable. I didn't like the attention, but over time it became normal for me and now I don't even notice if people are looking at me."
Previously, Yasmin lived with a boyfriend, but when they split up after 10 years together last summer, after a short spell at her parent's house, she moved into her own flat in November—which she has painted and decorated completely pink.
She continued:
“When I lived with my partner, only half of the flat was pink. I was a student at the time, and had space at home for making clothes and crafting, which I did in my spare time."
“I decorated my closet and my room pink and bought bits of furniture."
“Then, when I got my own rented flat, I went all out, painted all the walls pink and filled it up with pink things that I've been collecting since I was a teenager."
Now, Yasmin has pink chandeliers, mirrors, lampshades and appliances such as a microwave, kettle and vacuum cleaner.
Her toilet seat, laptop and mobile phone are also rose-tinted—and if she finds something she likes that is not available in her favourite colour, she simply paints it.
She added:
“When I invite people over, they can never believe how extremely pink my house is."
I also have a walk-in wardrobe that is filled with clothes. It can be any shade, from rose to neon pink, but I always co-ordinate my outfits because some pinks do not go together.
Yasmin Charlotte
She added:
“Thankfully, nobody has run away—they're all really interested in it."
“I also have a walk-in wardrobe that is filled with clothes. It can be any shade, from rose to neon pink, but I always co-ordinate my outfits because some pinks do not go together."
“Before I became a teacher, I did an apprenticeship as a dressmaker so I do make some of my own clothes, but I mostly buy online and in shops."
“I have never had to wear a uniform for work and I would never chose a job where I couldn't wear pink."
Currently single, Yasmin would like to one day getting married in a pink dress.
She said:
“My style affected dating when I was a teenager. One boy said we would make it official if I would wear something else."
"I told him, 'Bye!' Now it's no problem—they see my Instagram account and it's not been an issue."
Having worked as a teacher for three and half years, Yasmin hopes that her unique style will encourage her pupils to embrace their own individuality.
“I wear pink outfits at school, and the younger children will always come up and say, 'Hello Miss Pink.' They think that's my name."
“I normally teach 11 to 15 year olds and the first time they saw me they said, 'Why do you dress like Barbie?' But as they have got to know me, they've asked more questions."
Every Christmas and birthday they will give me pink things. They love pointing out things I don't have and buying me pink handbags. They always joke that it's easy to buy for me – anything, as long as it's pink.
Yasmin Charlotte
Yasmin continued:
“I think it helps them to know they can be who they want to be. They can be this confident if they want to be—they do not have to be ashamed of their dreams or suppress their individuality."
Thankfully, Yasmin's loved ones are equally supportive.
She continued:
“My school friends thought it was a phase that I would grow out of, but when they saw me some years later, they were like, 'You still wear pink!'"
She added:
“My family support me and say they love it—although they get annoyed at people who stare at me in the street."
“Every Christmas and birthday they will give me pink things. They love pointing out things I don't have and buying me pink handbags."
"They always joke that it's easy to buy for me—anything, as long as it's pink."
“My friends are very supportive. For my birthday in July, we went for a meal and they all wore pink as a surprise."
"They are so used to my style that they sometimes wonder why people are staring and then realise it's because of what I'm wearing."
Keen to show off her style to the world, Yasmin has set up an Instagram, where her hundreds of followers flock to like her photos.
By speaking out, she hopes to encourage other people to feel confident enough to embrace their uniqueness.
She said:
“I would love it if everybody had the strength to wear individual stuff, if it really makes you happy."
She said:
“There are a lot of people who say to me, 'You are strong because you wear what you want to, that's so impressive' and I always say, 'You can do this too'."
“I would love more people to have the confidence to be individual, even if it's just getting a different haircut. Just do whatever makes you happy."
Follow Yasmin on Instagram @yasi_pinkarella
