I’ve had a passion for tattoos for as long as I can remember, and I am a little surprised that it has taken me this long to write something about them, especially as it pertains to fashion. We are all fully aware of how tattoos have thrust themselves into mainstream fashion via the Jersey Shore and even some of the more respected fashion houses. Tattoo-inspired imagery has been screened onto handbags, bedazzled onto hats and printed onto t-shirts.
That aside, there has been a revolution of sorts stomping through the fashion community that can’t be ignored. People are getting tattooed…a lot. Some of the models that grace the pages of the most touted fashion magazines are getting inked, even though just a few years ago it could have meant career suicide. I love that designers and retailers are not only accepting the concept of body art, but also encouraging consumers that this is not just rebellion; it is a statement on what is now beautiful to a generation of consumers.
How has it taken the fashion industry so long to understand why people find this so attractive?
Tattooing hits on elements that are crucial to attracting the attention of other people, which is what fashion is all about. The most obvious factor that contributes to this is the aesthetics of a beautiful tattoo, but I believe that there are also psychological undertones that affect people’s reaction and attraction to body art.
Choosing to get something put on your body for the rest of your life shows a commitment. Whether the image of choice is smart or not doesn’t matter; you have still opted to commit to it forever.
Pain is also a quality that appeals to others. The number one question I get about my tattoos is: did that hurt? Of course it hurt, but that is what sets me apart from the people asking; I chose to go through the pain in order to decorate myself, and that is pretty badass. It’s the same reason why people are attracted to motorcycles or cigarettes; there is a dangerous quality that is tempting.
You can’t write anything about the above subject without touching on the rebellion stigma attached to being tattooed. That is, the criminal element that made people with tattoos the scariest thing for the parents of a young lady going on a first date with some tattooed hoodlum. As older generations start to fade out, this way of thinking will diminish, but there will always be the undercurrent of defiance attached.
Beauty, commitment, pain, and danger, what else does the world of fashion need to feed on? Embrace the ink.
Photo credits: bobbleo
