Tattoos - a fashion statement?

Almost a full year later...

Originally Posted by xchen

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GS, I always tell people that by getting tattoos on the arms/wrists/necks, etc., that they are drastically limiting how they can dress once the have to have a porfessional job. Did you take it into consideration, and do you consider it to be somewhat of a hassle, or do you think it was worth it to get them and just deal with covering them up? I haven't gotten any and don't particularly plan on it, but I know people where I work (an office) make almost no effort to cover up the tattoos on the backs of their shoulders and even on their cleavage in one case. The receptionist has a tongue ring (yeah, she's a whore). I just don't see how some people don't make any effort to cover them up when it comes to working in a professional environment.

Also, on a side note, Jason: Have you got another job aside from TaT? I thought I read in the other thread that you just run TaT on the side.

on this note, aside from jason, i too have visible arm tattoos and work a professional job. as of late, even in the uber-conservative world of washington, d.c., i find that many employers tend to be more accepting of tattoos in the workplace. i also know of at least a few people who constantly meet face-to-face with their clients, including local renowned tailor william field jr., whose arms are supposedly covered in tattoos.

obviously if the work you do speaks for itself, then the lifestyle choices you make are easily overlooked. at first i covered them up a lot, but with the hotter months i've had to wear short-sleeves more than usual.

Back in highschool getting tattoos was a bit of a fad where at least 5 people got tattoos in a 2 week period.

The bad thing was that the tattoos were just quick thought up ones where 4 of them got their surnames tattooed on their bodies, 2 of them having it printed on their backs like a team sport jersey.

Tattoo removal is going to be big business in the future, when sluts with tramp stamps above their ass cracks start hitting middle age.

Here're some 'statements' for you:

Winston,

Those photos are quite odd.

I cannot understand why anyone would want to have Britney Spears' shaven-headed visage or Chuck Norris' hairy mug tattooed permanently on their bodies.

What about Clay?

Originally Posted by Guy Burgess

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now this guy is a legend.

I can't find the more recent pictures of him, but he has had some covered up with tribals.
Dude looks a lot like Boy George in the face.

Originally Posted by xchen

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I haven't gotten any and don't particularly plan on it

well that changed didnt it

Originally Posted by lifersfc

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...but I don't think I could seriously befriend anyone with a tattoo.

Originally Posted by imageWIS

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...but I don’t think I could marry a chick with tats.

Originally Posted by Viktri

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...but if I wanted to marry a girl, tattoos are something I'd consider as a negative.
Man, I will never understand this. You guys mean to say that if you met someone who, tattoos aside, you loved enough to marry...you wouldn't marry them solely because they had some tattoos? I mean, I guess I can understand someone saying that having tattoos can say a lot about a person's personality, likes, and dislikes...and that chances are that you wouldn't have anything in common with them...but to say that if you knew and liked everything else, the tattoos would be a deal breaker?

I'm in the middle of removing mine. What a terrible mistake at age 15.

Originally Posted by Gavin

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Man, I will never understand this.

You guys mean to say that if you met someone who, tattoos aside, you loved enough to marry...you wouldn't marry them solely because they had some tattoos?
I see it as a huge negative. Especially the ones on the tummy. You know when that thing stretches out and falls a few inches it will be even more fugly.

Originally Posted by Gavin

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I mean, I guess I can understand someone saying that having tattoos can say a lot about a person's personality, likes, and dislikes...and that chances are that you wouldn't have anything in common with them...but to say that if you knew and liked everything else, the tattoos would be a deal breaker?
I do not see tattoos as telling me much of a person's personality at all and if they are relying on tattoos to tell me then they are probably an insufferable bore.

There are too many people out there with backwards Kanji characters and unicorns for me to believe the "This has a lot of personal meaning to me" crap. I think that people are looking to get tattooed and as often as not choose a poor design.

I think shows like Miami Ink add to this horrid fashion trend.

I would also like to add that I do not dislike tattoos just for tattoos sake and there are some really good ones out there but IMHO there are just as many poorly conceived and implemented as good ones.

I have never seen a women that I thought was more attractive because of her tattoos. I have only seen women that I have seen attractive despite her tattoos.

I'm not sure what you guys are talking about. A woman with tattoos is definitely a turn on.

Unless she has chosen this setup:

Ultimately, I think that the tattoos you choose say alot about you as a person. Even if they were only gotten "for a tattoo's sake." That being said, I don't think I could date a person with horrible tribal, kanji, trampstamp, or any fantasy related tattoos. That says waaaay too much about your personality.

Originally Posted by Silverback

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I do not see tattoos as telling me much of a person's personality at all...

On the contrary:

Originally Posted by Silverback

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There are too many people out there with backwards Kanji characters and unicorns for me to believe the "This has a lot of personal meaning to me" crap.

When I see tattoos like that, I immediately think "Thanks for letting me know that you're devoid of any substance and will follow any trend, no matter how ridiculous, as a substitute for a real personality."

Just like you can often (generally, of course) infer something about a person's personality by what they're wearing, so too can you by their tattoos (if they have any). It's the sweeping "all tattoos are bad" attitude that I don't understand.

Not every tattoo has a "lot of personal meaning" of course...unless "I like butterflys" is what passes for that...but good tattoos can, and do, say a lot about the person.

Disclaimer: I'm marrying a girl who is consulting on her second half-sleeve right now, so while I have no tattoos myself I'm obviously biased.

Originally Posted by AntiHero84

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Unless she has chosen this setup:


that reminds me of a lot of Pee-Chee folderswhen I was in middle school

It's taken me a couple of years to finish my arms and a big chest piece. I'm slowly working on my belly and legs. Mostly traditional American -- I used to blog about traditional American tattooing at some length.

When I decided to completely cover my arms, I was working at a very conservative civil defense (law) firm. I left shortly thereafter because it occurred to me that there was no way I could go through life giving a **** about what people like that thought of me. That was over two years ago. Leaving civil defense practice and moving into criminal defense was the best move I've ever made. It's worked out brilliantly. I've had a good run in the trial division of our state's busiest public defender office. I hang my own shingle on Monday, and am likely to have more work than I can handle.

People's tattoos obviously give some insight into their characters. Other people's reactions to tattoos are just as instructive. When I see or hear someone passing judgment on some aspect of someone else's appearance, I firmly believe I learn more about the judger than I do the judged.