Tattoos - fashionable?

eviltimeban

Just wondering what people's thoughts on tattoos are, whether they are small, large, sleeve tattoos, back tattoos, etc etc. They are certainly more accepted now than they were probably even ten years ago, with pop stars, sports stars, and plenty of ordinary folk getting ink.

But are tattoos fashion? They would seem to be the most hazardous fashion accessory of all - because they won't go away! OK, we may have worn neon in the 80s but we don't now (or shouldn't) but if we get tattoos now, we'll still have them in the future!

I see that an awful lot of girls have tattoos - especially on the lower back.

Aard

Tattoos as a fashion "accessory" don't make sense imo.


Tbh, a lot of mainstream tattoos are godawful; most look cheap and cheesy. I don't know what girls are thinking when they get one on the lower back. I assume it has something to do with wanting to appear sexy in a pair of low-rise jeans...

Fallen Buckshot

You should Deffo get one of the Tazmanian Devil riding in a monster truck

eviltimeban

Aard wrote: »

Tattoos as a fashion "accessory" don't make sense imo.

I agree with you, I see them more as a lifestyle choice, however I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who get them because they are "fashionable" or because their favourite celebrity has one. Much the same reason why people (not just girls) will get an article of clothing because they see it in magazines or it on a celeb. In fact, don't most women's magazines have a "get the look" section, in which they show you how to recreate a celebrity's look?

Anyway, as for tattoos, I am of the belief that they are getting more and more popular, but people need to think long and hard about it, as I have seen more and more people coming in to get cover ups (I'm not a tattoo artist BTW). The worst thing is the kid who comes in on a Saturday, looks through the picture book, points at a design and says "I'll have that one".

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Aard wrote: »

I don't know what girls are thinking when they get one on the lower back. I assume it has something to do with wanting to appear sexy in a pair of low-rise jeans...

I don't agree with you on that point. On some girls they look awful, but i think they look really well on other girls. It's more down to the girl in my opinion, as opposed to where the tattoo is

FX Meister

Well tribal tats were all the rage years ago and look terrible now. And what about all the morons who got their names tattooed on their forarm in olde english script. That seems to be less fashionable now with fewer people getting them these days

omb0wyn5ehpij9

FX Meister wrote: »

Well tribal tats were all the rage years ago and look terrible now.

I'm going to disagree on this point aswell. I don't think tribal tattoo's look terrible now but looked good years ago like you said. If a tattoo looked good a few years ago, it would still look good.

Aard

eviltimeban wrote: »

Anyway, as for tattoos, I am of the belief that they are getting more and more popular, but people need to think long and hard about it, as I have seen more and more people coming in to get cover ups (I'm not a tattoo artist BTW). The worst thing is the kid who comes in on a Saturday, looks through the picture book, points at a design and says "I'll have that one".

Tattoos are becoming more and more popular, especially with those who know nothing about tattoos in the first place. I know two people who got shιtty tattoos done when they turned 18. They both regret not going to a professional to get it done.


On the one hand I'm for regulation, as it will get rid of cowboy tattoo "artists". However, on the other hand that will drive prices up, and surely at the end of the day people should be responsible for whom they choose to permanently alter their skin.

Passenger

Depends how fashionable that tatts are. But given the frivolous and ever-changing nature of fashion I don't think there is such a thing as a fashionable tatt. Unless it has some personal significance.

RxQueen

that amount of girls i see with the Rihanna tattoo (ie stars on the neck) is unbelieveable..

some people seem them as fashion , others see them as art..

me , i have a few pieces, i got them, thought long and hard about getting them ,and will never regret them, i love them more everyday!..

back on point, is you will always get people who will get them cause they think they will appear "cool" to have them, there the ones that will end up regreting them.. thye just jump on the bandwagon without thinking that a tattoo is not something you can toss aside when your bored with it.. your branded for life...

but once you put the thought in , and know 100% that its what you want go for it.... so some people will judge you , but so is life

kizzyr

Personally I hate them on both men and women. I find them to be cheap, tacky, ugly, and are an all round turn off for me. I don't care what famous people have them I still think this.

KatiexKOUTURE--

I love tattoos.. But I hate the notion that just because my favourite singer has a tattoo, like the Rhianna stars said above, I have to have the same. I think that they should mean something to you.

As seeing them as a fashion accesory, accessories change all the time and you really need to think about what you want on your body forever.

wandatowell

When i want a fashion accessory i'll buy a belt, one thing i wont do is forever mark my body with some god awful looking tattoo just cos "its cool"

Are people really that insecure they need to copy some flash in the pan singer????

moonflower

I love tattoos, and I'm going to get one in a few months, after I turn 18. Getting them as a fashion accessory is silly though, fashions change and it's bad enough to spend money on an item of clothing and to regret it, imagine getting something permanent on your skin and regretting it.
People really need to think long and hard before they get one, I've been considering mine for years now and I know that what I want it meaningful and not something I'll easily get sick of.

MaryCat!

Aard wrote: »

Tattoos as a fashion "accessory" don't make sense imo.


Tbh, a lot of mainstream tattoos are godawful; most look cheap and cheesy. I don't know what girls are thinking when they get one on the lower back. I assume it has something to do with wanting to appear sexy in a pair of low-rise jeans...

Couldnt agree more! If a tattoo means something to you, then by all means. But If your getting it because it "Looks cool" you will probably hate it in 2 years

Aard

wandatowell wrote: »

Are people really that insecure they need to copy some flash in the pan singer????

Unfortunately, I think so.

wandatowell

wandatowell wrote: »

Are people really that insecure they need to copy some flash in the pan singer????

To be fair that is a really nice tattoo.

JIZZLORD

i blame the discovery channel

bassnut

its fashionable now not to have a tatoo they are so bloody common

RxQueen

ye are all basically tarring everyone that has a tattoo with the same brush , people get them for different reasons not just cause there "cool" ..

its the same as seeing somebody with there tracksuit tucked into there socks, you instantly think " ohh he is a scumbag" when they prolly arent..

carabunkaline

hi there,
I think that in some respects you are right, some people get them for fashion purposes, but then others get them for sentimental reasons, i can only speak for myself in this but my first two were for sentimental reason but my last one was just for the sake of getting another one, i do think they are addictive and as soon as you get one you start to want more :rolleyes:

eviltimeban

Moonflower, what have you decided to get if you don't mind me asking? Good that you are waiting till you are 18, there are places that will tattoo underage people (or at least, don't ask for ID) but those places are to be avoided. Seriously, there are some shockingly bad examples of tattoos out there, you can find some threads on the Body Modification board, but its half the skill of the artist and half the choice made by the individual.

So its good that you are thinking long and hard about what to get. I have a Japanese sleeve, which incorporates another tattoo I had on my shoulder. Its a big step getting a full arm tattoo but I love the artwork and also it marks a particular occasion for me. I'm an ordinary guy, not a nutcase or a knacker, I just happen to like tattoos and have no problem covering it when it needs to be covered, or showing it when I want to show it. Its taken nearly seven months and still isn't complete (nearly though) and I have to say I will miss going in for my sessions, to the degree that I'm planning my next tattoo!

Aard

emo!! wrote: »

ye are all basically tarring everyone that has a tattoo with the same brush , people get them for different reasons not just cause there "cool" ..

I'm not. There are some people with intricate sleeves, or custom tattoos that mean something to the owner, and then there are people with stars on the back of their necks à la Rihanna. The former I have no problem with. The latter - tbh I don't really have a problem with them, I mean whatever floats their boat. But I do feel a certain cringe-factor whenever I see somebody with "Kanji" on their arm, or a star on thei calf.

its the same as seeing somebody with there tracksuit tucked into there socks, you instantly think " ohh he is a scumbag" when they prolly arent..

In fairness now, unless he's on a bike, he probably is .

FX Meister

Bryn wrote: »

I'm going to disagree on this point aswell. I don't think tribal tattoo's look terrible now but looked good years ago like you said. If a tattoo looked good a few years ago, it would still look good.

That's like saying bellbottom jeans that looked good decades ago would still look good today. That's not true. But you can change your jeans but not your skin

Linguo

I have two tattoos on my back, great place to have them cause I forget they're there half of the time and easy to disguise!

My boyfriend has tattoos and I just see them as part of him they don't stand out to me at all, but they do look great!

allabouteve

I have a small 'angel' tattoo on my hip. It was never one of the 'fashionable' ones, and its obviously covered most of the time. I love it. I wouldn't get one in an obvious place, I wouldn't copy another persons, and I wouldn't get a large one.

Ironbars

I never liked them myself but as a few friends pointed out they are a personal thing and not really fashion orientated.

torsotellsall

As an American ex-pat, I have been rather shocked at how few tattoos there are here in Dublin compared to Boston, where tattoos are rather commonplace now. I haven't been here long enough to be out in warm weather with short sleeves, but I wonder what kind of reactions I will get and if I will be perceived as trashy in some way, when in most respects I consider myself to be quite conservative. But at least all of my tatoos are well done and quite unique!

HJL

I dont like them. Never seen the point in them TBH, but i guess its a personal taste thing.

Cheryl Cole has one on her hand, thats looks awful, and your rarely see it, i bet any money she regrets having it done or her management tell her to keep it out of view of the camera.

FX Meister

HJL wrote: »

I dont like them. Never seen the point in them TBH, but i guess its a personal taste thing.

Cheryl Cole has one on her hand, thats looks awful, and your rarely see it, i bet any money she regrets having it done or her management tell her to keep it out of view of the camera.

you should see the yoke she has around her thigh. Disgusting.

torsotellsall

Disgusting is overstating it, don't you think? I mean, for crying out loud get some perspective. Tattoos are just artwork on the body. They are indeed permanent, but has it crossed your mind that most people don't regret their tattoos at all, having given the appropriate amount of consideration and thought into them?

It is indeed a matter of taste. And so is insulting large groups of people solely based on their own personal style.

unreggd

torsotellsall wrote: »

most people don't regret their tattoos at all, having given the appropriate amount of consideration and thought into them?

Thats the thing, I'd say its the minority who actually think them through nowadays

Most just get one for the sake of gettin one

"I want a tattoo to be COOL"

then others keep gettin more and more to be even cooler

IMO, its stupid to casually get a permanent image put on you that has little/ no meaning, bar "Ah thats deadly lookin"

Each to their own and all that, but I think its gotten out of hand

I personally dont get the appeal

RxQueen

unreggd wrote: »

Thats the thing, I'd say its the minority who actually think them through nowadays

Most just get one for the sake of gettin one

"I want a tattoo to be COOL"

then others keep gettin more and more to be even cooler

IMO, its stupid to casually get a permanent image put on you that has little/ no meaning, bar "Ah thats deadly lookin"

Each to their own and all that, but I think its gotten out of hand

I personally dont get the appeal

then dont get one!!!

doesnt give people who arent into tattoos the right to judge people that do... and lots people say it to my face " ohh why would you want to ruin yourself"

my answer

" my body , my choice"

torsotellsall

It's pretty mind-blowing how people can get their panties all up in a twist over something someone else does to his or her body. Wake up! You can't make generalizations like that about people anymore. I bet you've never even spoken to someone with a tattoo that has said they regret getting it. And if they do, what is it to you?

I wasn't so hot for the first tattoo I got, 18 years ago, so I got it covered up with a beautiful new piece. Whoopdeedo.

You should keep writing off people with tattoos, because you'll be doing them a favor. I hope this thread isn't an indication of what I'm going to come up against in my new country.

Aard

torsotellsall wrote: »

I hope this thread isn't an indication of what I'm going to come up against in my new country.

Sorry, but it is. I used to have a lot of piercings, so I've experienced first hand the stuck-in-the-70s attitudes of many Irish people. You're right, it really is nobody's business. But the amount of people who seemed offended by my appearance was unreal.


Good luck!

Big Wave

wandatowell wrote: »

When i want a fashion accessory i'll buy a belt, one thing i wont do is forever mark my body with some god awful looking tattoo just cos "its cool"

Are people really that insecure they need to copy some flash in the pan singer????

Yes, people are stupid. And fad tattoos are stupid (tramp stamp, Chinese letters, tribal designs, etc). They're the same people who name their kids Britney & Beyonce, and wear their pyjamas to the chipper.

Big Wave

Bryn wrote: »

I'm going to disagree on this point aswell. I don't think tribal tattoo's look terrible now but looked good years ago like you said. If a tattoo looked good a few years ago, it would still look good.

He didn't say they ever looked good - he said they were all the rage years ago.

cson

Hmmm, I'm a generalising bastard but whatever...

Rule #38: Women with tatoo's are invariably filthy bitches.

I'd definitely consider getting one on my arm but I'd be shot at home if they ever saw it.

FX Meister

That's a stupid comment to make.

Pythia

I'd like a tattoo, but only as a fashion accessory. There's nothing I could like enough to want to have it on my body for the next 60 years or so. I'm far too fad-ish. Personally, I think there's going to be a lot of people regretting what they got done later in life.

Gauge

There is a Body Modification forum here if some of you would like to clear up your (frankly, extremely insulting) misconceptions. Having a tattoo doesn't automatically make someone a filthy bitch or a fashion victim.

Big Wave

Gauge wrote: »

There is a Body Modification forum here if some of you would like to clear up your (frankly, extremely insulting) misconceptions. Having a tattoo doesn't automatically make someone a filthy bitch or a fashion victim.

Most people I've met with tattoos are lower class.

Pythia

Big Wave wrote: »

Most people I've met with tattoos are lower class.

I would cautiously agree, however rephrasing that to say, in my opinion, there are a higher proportion of lower class people with tattoos than middle class people.

Gauge

Big Wave wrote: »

Most people I've met with tattoos are lower class.

Therefore, most people with tattoos are lower class.

Spot the fallacy?

What's your problem with lower class people, and how do you know you're not meeting upper/middle class tattooed people every day? They're not always on show you know.

Big Wave

Gauge wrote: »

What's your problem with lower class people.

I don't have one. I merely pointed out my observation. Most that I've seen have ranged from younger skangers with their soccer club logo on their arm, or a tribal tattoo on their shoulder blade, to Jacinta with her tramp stamp on her lower back in her pyjamas, all the way to the aul lad in the pub with the green naked woman on his forearm. Builders, couriers, taxi/truck/bus/van drivers, etc: this is where I usually see tattoos!
I didn't say I had an opinion on it - I'm just bringing my experiences to light.
If most of the people I meet with tattoos are lower class, then my original statement is factually correct, because it's based on my experience!

Molberts

Oh dear....

As Gauge said, not all tattoos are on display all the time. Big Wave and Pythia, you'd probably be surprised how many "middle class" :rolleyes: people have tattoos.

I definitely don't fit your stereotype of being "lower class" (I'm a homeowner, business owner, southsider)

I have three tattoos so far, I got them because I appreciate the art form and wanted them, end of. None are visible unless I want them to be, but that's not because I don't want people to see, Its just the placement I have so far. I also have multiple piercings and stretched earlobes.

Basically my point is if you passed me in the street in my work clothes you wouldnt see any of my mods, and Ive quite a lot of them

Torsotellsall - Not everybody is as narrowminded as what you are seeing here, pop over to the bodymod forum (click my sig) and say hi!

HJL

emo!! wrote: »

its the same as seeing somebody with there tracksuit tucked into there socks, you instantly think " ohh he is a scumbag" when they prolly arent..

No decent human being that has a place in society ever goes out in public wearing a tracksuit tucked into their socks.

Its the trademark of a scumbag or knacker.

eviltimeban

Its true to a degree, but its like saying most people with shaved hair are lower class, or most people with moustaches are lower class, or earrings etc. Its a cliche to be honest with you. There does seem to be two schools of tattoo-wearers alright, the "knacker" style and the... "not knacker" (?) style.

Its funny, my arm is extensively tattooed with a Japanese sleeve but I am not "lower class". I am quite clearly middle class, comfortable upbringing, never exposed to hardship or poverty, good job, nice life etc. But I do recognise the faction of so called "hard men" who get tattoos to increase their own view of their relative "hardness".

I view tattoos as artwork, and those who want to get should get, and those who don't like shouldn't. Like, my brother can't stand tattoos and was shocked when I showed him my new sleeve tattoo; but he doesn't have to get one, nor should he voice his opinion necessarily (brothers do that though). If you don't like someone's hair or clothes you don't go up and tell them, do you? Or maybe you do. I don't know.

People in this bloody country put the "mental" in "judgemental".

jason31

eviltimeban wrote: »

Its true to a degree, but its like saying most people with shaved hair are lower class, or most people with moustaches are lower class, or earrings etc. Its a cliche to be honest with you. There does seem to be two schools of tattoo-wearers alright, the "knacker" style and the... "not knacker" (?) style.

Its funny, my arm is extensively tattooed with a Japanese sleeve but I am not "lower class". I am quite clearly middle class, comfortable upbringing, never exposed to hardship or poverty, good job, nice life etc. But I do recognise the faction of so called "hard men" who get tattoos to increase their own view of their relative "hardness".

I view tattoos as artwork, and those who want to get should get, and those who don't like shouldn't. Like, my brother can't stand tattoos and was shocked when I showed him my new sleeve tattoo; but he doesn't have to get one, nor should he voice his opinion necessarily (brothers do that though). If you don't like someone's hair or clothes you don't go up and tell them, do you? Or maybe you do. I don't know.

People in this bloody country put the "mental" in "judgemental".

great post eviltimeban!! somtimes i wonder about this country and how so many people are so closed minded, its so unlike any other western country ive been in!! where do they learn this?? i dunno sometimes!!

Big Wave

eviltimeban wrote: »

If you don't like someone's hair or clothes you don't go up and tell them, do you?

Eh, no - of course not. But I don't go up to people with naff tattoos either, and never even implied I did - so I'm not sure what you're trying to say with that point.
I'm just discussing it on a forum, and I never once even said I had a problem with tattoos, people with tattoos, or lower class people.

eviltimeban

Big Wave wrote: »

Eh, no - of course not. But I don't go up to people with naff tattoos either, and never even implied I did - so I'm not sure what you're trying to say with that point.
I'm just discussing it on a forum, and I never once even said I had a problem with tattoos, people with tattoos, or lower class people.

I wasn't referring to you directly.