Your overall look as a tattooed person

[Suiren]

Before reading this thread I had never even considered whether my or anyone elses tattoos match their clothing. Turns out the tattoo that is level with the bottom of my shirt sleeve clashes with the blue shirt I'm wearing right now.

Your username looked like OutFitIdeas at first glance.

[bongsau]

Originally, maintaining "symmetry" was the mission objective for my tattoos.

Now...10+ years and 201 hrs later, on the homestretch to full-blown donburi !

Overall look...live up to my Jamaican street name "Colouring Book" :cool:

[jen7]

Its interesting how symmetry keeps coming up. I was always very superstitious about only getting ink on my left side. My back is the first foray toward the right.

[iowagirl]

Ehhh I think I'm just kinda a spaz. I fell like w/so much color and design on me that having solid color tops allows them to be the center of attention I guess? Like I say, I'm a spaz and freak out about things that probably nobody else is paying attention to on me.

The mermaid...I'd seen a drawing that was super frilly and foo foo pretty, but I'm debating whether that is "me" or not. The traditional I've been looking at are mainly sparrows and lady heads. Kinda in the limbo stage of figuring out exactly what to get/where to put it.

[Isotope]

Really interesting thread. People (who know) sometimes tell me it's odd how into tattoos and tattooing I am, but how hard I work to keep everything covered even in everyday attire. I love it. My tattoos are for me and you only know about this extra dimension of my personality if I've let you get that close. Additional benefit: nobody in this weird University conservative cultural wasteland (College Station, TX) asks me about them.

[LadySparrow]

I'm kinda like the asymmetry, I plan to have most of the tattoos on my left arm and my back. So far I have one on the inner forearm and one on the upper back. I want to connect them with one tattoo on the outer foream and some kind of abstract flowing design on the upper arm (not sleeve). The whole thing will constist of bird motives and will be colourful (partly watercolour, I know that most of you doesn't like this technique).

The right arm is empty for now, I have in my mind some Sandman comic motive and I want to have space for that in the future, since it is mainly blackwork.

By contrast, I don't want to have legs tattooed almost at all, with an exeption of foot (rather one than both).

[GlaryMilberg]

Been thinking about this recently with a blank right arm and left leg. I started with Horitomo on my back, and finished a black/gray front with Rich Hardy. My left arm and right leg are almost covered in colored American traditional from different artists. Thinking about doing Japanese folklore in American style patchwork, on my right arm. Hard to say.

[Guerillaneedles]

I like to be inspired by the new spaces created even I get new work. They often give me an idea of what might fit there. A long time ago, when I just had my feet /ankle tattoos I really liked the way they looked with bare legs but then my want to collect and be tattooed took over. I love negative space with tattoos, I have a space on my leg where I crammed them in and I wish I hadn't. I'm more careful now.

[eyeballchambers]

When I get another tattoo I try to make sure it complements the others.And if I can I try to do the design myself. some people may not like my tattoos but long as I feel comfortable in my own skin with them that's all that really matters at the end of the day.

[Jar W]

I guess I never really thought about it. I just up and decide "ok next tattoo is going here." I think of what I want first then try to determine where it would look best.

[Noobink]

I like things to flow and plan my body parts out in advance

[te0h]

I just got a larger tattoo than my last one every single time... By the 5th or so tattoo, I realized I needed to be getting huge pieces, so I did my whole back and front and told myself I would never get "visible" tattoos.... I started my full sleeve two months ago though. Going for a full suit now and I'm about 85% there. I would never have imagined that i would have a full suit when I was younger, but now i cannot wait.

[soraya]

Great thread! This is why I love LST!

I live in an environment where none of my friends have any interest whatsoever in tattoos. It is hard enough for them to get past the notion that I am tattooed. So asking them for their thoughts on coordinating clothing with tattoos would be a hilarious non-starter.

But here, you get dozens of people who think about the same thing, and have ideas to share, and its no big deal.

Thanks you guys!

- - - Updated - - -

I don't show my tattoos very much in my normal environment. But when we are on vacation away from home I do. In that case, if I am just out and about, I don't think much about coordinating my clothes. But if we are going out to dinner at a nice restaurant or something like that, and if am going to let my sleeves show, I generally tend toward solid colors, and black or charcoal, because it doesn't clash with the patterns of my tattoos.

I like white too, because it really lets the tattoos take the lead because of the contrast. One of my favorite looks if I really want to rock my tattoos is a sleeveless white turtleneck. You have all of that pure white, and then "Pow!" – these colorful arms pop out of the sleeve openings. Love it.

[JonBlood]

I just got my first visible one but I work in a start up cultured company no one has acted differently towards me

Edited March 17, 2016 by JonBlood
original message was meant for another thread

[ghostknife]

I don't show my tattoos very much in my normal environment. But when we are on vacation away from home I do. In that case, if I am just out and about, I don't think much about coordinating my clothes. But if we are going out to dinner at a nice restaurant or something like that, and if am going to let my sleeves show, I generally tend toward solid colors, and black or charcoal, because it doesn't clash with the patterns of my tattoos.

I like white too, because it really lets the tattoos take the lead because of the contrast. One of my favorite looks if I really want to rock my tattoos is a sleeveless white turtleneck. You have all of that pure white, and then "Pow!" – these colorful arms pop out of the sleeve openings. Love it.

Love the turtleneck idea!

At work I cover them, so I don't really think about it then, but out in the world I do the same thing, solid colors and things that don't clash too much. White and black are great for contrast. I have noticed that my clothing preferences have actually changed a lot! I have ditched crazy prints for simpler things since my arms are so colorful now :D I also wear a lot of either short sleeves, half sleeves, or sleeveless...3/4 sleeves interrupt the flow of the tattoos so I tend to avoid those.

I think a fair amount about placement but I also want to resist planning out every last detail of where every tattoo will go because then it takes a bit of the fun and spontaneity out of it for me. So far I have been building as I go and I like how it looks. I have set aside different themes for different body parts (right arm is smaller traditional pieces, left arm will be a neotraditional "sleeve" of sorts, legs have some Japanese work and little bits and pieces, thighs are larger panels, etc.) so there is a bit of planning ahead. I suppose if I happened to be in the same place as an artist I like my previous plans could all go out the window, but that's what makes it fun.

[soraya]

I think a fair amount about placement but I also want to resist planning out every last detail of where every tattoo will go because then it takes a bit of the fun and spontaneity out of it for me.

Some of us like to plan some of us don't:) It's all good! I love the look of a planned tattooed body, but I also love the look of a collection of pieces, with that spontaneity that you speak of. I think it is a very happy look.

I can be a little OCD, so I plan. When I first started getting tattooed, it never occurred to me that I would get more than one, so planning wasn't an issue – just keep it hidden. Same when I got my second – just one more, that's it, right? No need to plan. But after I had a few, and I realized tattoos had become "a thing" for me, I started planning. Also I became interested in Japanese style, and started thinking about extensive coverage, and I liked that coordinated, integrated look so planning kicked in.

[malina25]

i also prefer planning

[Pahtcub1]

My eventual goal is everything that pants and shirt will cover to be tattooed I'm about half way there. I think it looks a hell of a lot better than my body before cause I was nothing to look at and now I'm proud of my body. I never thought I would be excited to show people my ass but this neck to knee piece gets so much attention!! LOVE IT!