Categorical Aperitif

Red and magenta (not pink) are vibrant strong colors. If you where to view the muleta or capote in black and white, you would see clear strong contrasting colors. Fight bulls, like most cattle, are color blind. Because of their temperment, they are easily attracted by sudden movements and flashing contrasts of dark and light. Most of their vision is peripheral, and at 10 feet and more, they cannot see directly in front of their nose. When the torero is standing directly in front at that distance, still dangerous, they see the flashing cape or muleta; sensing a posible threat, the fighting bull attacks without care to any present danger. Such a bull, without scraping the sand, will attack and is considered brave and dangerous.
This is why bullfighting uses these strong contrasting colors.
Aside from this, bullfighting is partially a showy colorful spectacle, having nothing to do with gender implication or the like. The matador cannot where baggy clothes, for abvious reasons.
 

Hi,

I appreciate the explanation, though I was aware of the real reason for the colors. I was merely using the photo as an occasion for a joke, if a sadly predictable one. But it's rare to run across bullfighting photos two days in a row on Flickr, though (oh, you see LOTS of wedding photos, graduation photos, pet photos, food photos, etc. etc. etc., but bullfighting photos? not so much), and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

--nash