soraya

I agree! Although I respect the view of some who say, "I'd never work at a place where they wouldn't accept tattoos," and admire their willingness to take a stand, I think the reality is something closer to the quote above. During the recession my husband was out of a job for about 2 years. We went into "survival mode" and really cut back, and just scraped by, and he did free-lance work here and there, until he found permanent work when the economy recovered. It was a very difficult time. My husband only has a couple of tattoos that would never be seen in the workplace, but if he did, and turned down a job on principle because they wouldn't allow them to show his tattoos, there would have been trouble in paradise. When you have a family, mortgage, bills to pay, you you have to think very carefully before you jeopardize all of that on principle.

@Guerillaneedles -I react the same way when I see people without tattoos. As a tattooed woman, I really pay attention to other tattooed ladies. Sometimes when I see a woman in a tank top or something that shows the back, my first reaction is that, "Oh, she would look great with a back piece." More and more I think that people look incomplete without tattoos.

YES!!!! I agree with everything you said!!!! I know people get tattooed for a lot of reasons. But if you cut to the core, sweep away all of the beautiful symbolism, meaning, memorials, and life stories, I think that the absolute essence, the elemental appeal of a tattoo it is that it is a PERMANENT addition to your body. IMHO, that is why all of us get tattooed. So yes, tattoos should be viewed as a commitment, whether you get a dot on your finger, or a body suit. As you said, @Synesthesia, commitment to the consequences of living as a tattooed person is really something to think about. I didn’t realize it until I had a couple of tattoos, but the pain matters to me a lot. I don’t like the pain, but I like that there is pain. It makes it hard, something you have to earn, and really want. Its like running a marathon: You get to 18 miles and you think you are going to die, that you can’t go on. But you press on because you want to reach your goal. You collapse on the ground at the finish line, your body is slammed for a week, but you are exhilarated that you did it. Because it was hard, and painful, and you pushed through it. Would you feel that way if you had driven the same 26 miles in you car? No! Too many things in life are easy and painless. I need some things that are difficult, and painful. And that is part of the appeal of tattoos to me. Committment, permanence and pain. To me all three are essential.

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.

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.

I have wondered about this too. Some people say that tattoos without outlines, that are based on subtle shading without skin showing through will be indiscernible smears of color in 30 years. I know that tattoos fade, and I understand the point of view that says "Don't worry about the future. Enjoy it now." But I do want my tattoos to look as good as possible 30 years from now, even if I am old an wrinkled. If I can make choices now that will maximize the chances of looking good in the future, it is a win-win.

I have read of women who say they want to get completely covered with tattoos, but say that they will never cover their breasts. That’s fine and I understand it. They may feel like that area is too precious to cover, or fear gravity issues. To my eyes, at some point when you get a lot of coverage on the front, leaving the breasts bare looks odd, incomplete. In some ways it perhaps features the breasts too much, leaving glaring white boobs popping out of a dark field of ink. Perhaps this is less of an issue for dark skinned people, but f you are light skinned, it is a consideration. But I have always admired women who get body suits that include the breasts. I feel like it is a powerful commitment to go all the way there, and I feel in a way that it embraces our feminine assets as part of us, rather than setting them apart. I am drawn to Japanese style tattooing, and would love to be covered in that way. I love the look of the total frontal coverage with the munwari (open stripe of clear skin down the middle), and I think covering the breasts also offers some interesting design opportunities that take advantage of the shape of the breast and nipples, which is also seen in female Japanese body suits. There are some interesting photos out there that I will post if I can find them. On the other hand, the picture posted above (which is absolutely stunning!) shows another approach that is equally attractive: simply using the skin on the chest as a canvas for a huge cohesive idea and incorporating, but not necessarily featuring the breasts. In any case, if I ever do my front, I would go all the way and include the girls.

I think the apocalypse must have arrived. I saw a tattooed woman on Jeopardy! Last week I was watching the game show Jeopardy!, and there right in front of millions of viewers was a very proper looking young woman with a tattoo. And not just a little butterfly, or fine writing on her wrist, but a large, prominent tattoo on her right upper arm. She was wearing a top with something like a cap sleeve or super short sleeve, and she was rocking a big floral piece that extended from the edge of the sleeve almost to her elbow. From what I could see, it was a well executed tattoo. I was really quite amazed,(and a little excited!). Clearly there was no attempt to hide it, and it made me wonder if she chose her top to feature it. It was clearly visible every time she gave a question. Kudos to her for being bold enough to show it, and to the show’s producers for not making her hide it. I had Jeopardy! pegged as a pretty buttoned down show middle American show, but was pleasantly surprised. I feel like the show really did tattooing a big service by letting this lady show her tattoo, as did she by simply being an intelligent woman with a tattoo.

@SeeSea - your back piece is quite beautiful too. I like the density of it. I really like the "idea" of wall-to-wall color. I like the idea that every bit of skin is totally changed in the area of the tattoo, especially in a large piece like a back piece. The transformation thing is big for me.

Just want to throw in here that I absolutely love the "Ladies Thread!" I'm going to try to wade through the whole thing at some point. But I just love having a place were we girls can share information about tattoo topics specific to us! :-)

@SeeSea - In my original question I might have been a little vague. By "hold up," I meant "how well will it age?" I was noticing two things in the tattoo example: minimal outlining, and continuous color without skin showing through. I love the look, but just wonder how it will look 20 years down the line and whether it will loose definition to the point that it won't look like anything except a bunch of colors faded together. I really want to like this, but I'm thinking long term.

I hope you guys can help me. I hope this is an appropriate place to ask this. If not, please let me know if there is a better place… I’m in the early planning (and money saving) stages of a back piece. I was really thinking traditional Japanese style, but in searching for artists, came across some other styles that are now attracting me. Here is an image of a tattoo in a style that I am now becoming attracted to. I think it is stunningly beautiful, and I like the idea that every square millimeter of skin is colored. But my question is this: Id like to get feedback from some of you who are artists, or long-time tattooed folks, or anybody who knows, on how you think this tattoo will hold up over time? The elements of my current tattoos so far all are outlined in black. But I see that this one depends of shading of colors and contrasts between colors for the beautiful color effects, but has very little black line work in most areas. I have heard some say that this sort of treatment will not hold up well over time. I know tattoos fade, and I need to keep out of the sun, etc., etc. I’m in my 50s, so I’m thinking a 20-25 year time frame. Please don’t say that if I’m worried about how tattoos will look when I get old, that I shouldn’t get them. I want my tattoos to look good for as long as possible, even if I get old and wrinkly.

@Pete tattoo freak - I appreciate your explanation and clarification, and respect your point of view. - thanks. I want to be clear that I did not intend to call you a rude tattoo hater. If my selection of wording or phrasing conveyed that, then I sincerely apologize, because it was not my intent to say that. My point was that your comment sounded similar to statements we often hear from untattooed folks who are just offering their uninvited negative point of view on tattooing. I checked your profile because it seemed like a surprising statement to find on this website. I wondered if you were trolling, or if you were new, or if you had made many previous posts. Now you have clarified your statement and I appreciate that you did that. I salute you for your IDGAF attitude, and admire your passion for tattoos. And in that area we may find some common ground. It is not a fad for me either, and it is a lifestyle thing for me, too, but on a more private level than for you, and not with the level of confidence that you have. We are all different. Some of us do give a f---.

@The Tig: Thanks! That paragraph that you liked just sort of flowed out of me in a stream of consciousness. After I posted it, I reread it and was kind of surprised. I realized that it really represented my true, from-the-heart feelings about being tattooed that I had never been able to put into words before. It felt kind of good! Regarding vanity: I have on occasion pondered whether tattooing is an act of vanity. We know people get tattoos for many, many reasons, including some because they are discontented with their body, such as the writer that you quote. I agree that getting tattooed for that reason is the polar opposite of vanity. But on the other end of the spectrum there are people (like me) that get tattooed in part because they like the way they look with tattoos. Your post made me wonder, “Am I vain?” Definitions of vanity all seem to include the word excessive. “Excessive pride in, or admiration of one’s own appearance.” It is derived from the Latin vanus, which means “empty, without substance.” In Middle English, it meant “devoid of real worth.” I suppose that some do get tattooed out of true vanity. But wanting to look good is not the same as vanity. Is it vain to wear makeup? Get a new hair style? Wear an expensive dress? Lose weight? Shave? I think not. Under most circumstances people who do these things do not take excessive pride in their appearance. And where is the line between wanting to look nice, and vanity? When does caring about one’s appearance become excessive? I suppose you have to look at the individual person’s motivation, and perhaps consider their self image, self perception, or self confidence. But I think if you get tattooed with the idea that it will suddenly make you “cool,” “hip,” or “hot,” then perhaps it is vanity. I guess the whole idea of wanting to be “cool” is a little vain in itself. However I also think there is a difference between “feeling cool” and wanting to “be cool.” In my mind, “feeling cool” is internal, it is how you feel about yourself, I think it is a positive, and is not vain. However, wanting to “be cool,” is external, perhaps an effort to make other people see you in a certain way. In excess, it probably could be considered vanity. For me, I felt good about my appearance and my body before I started getting tattooed. I was never a knockout, but I was always happy with the way I looked when I made even a little effort on a daily basis. I don’t think I fell into the category of vanity. When I was pondering my first tattoo, I was concerned about how I would look with a tattoo on my body, and gave design and placement a lot of thought. When it was done, I really liked the way I looked with a tattoo there. It just seemed so natural, like it was supposed to be there. I don’t think it was any more vain than liking how I look with a new cool haircut. As I added more, at some point I felt that I actually looked better with with tattoos than without. No different than thinking that I look better with makeup than without. I just felt cool inside. Not like, “Hey, see how cool and hip I am?” But more like just a private feeling of confidence and satisfaction. @Breakme said: @Breakme - That is so cool! I sort of know the feeling. I have felt that at tattoo conventions. But the difference is people stare, and its ok! :) Then I leave and come back to reality. :( Its great that tattoos have made you feel good about your body. There is no way that can be considered "vanity!" I'm happy for you! It is encouraging to me - being reluctant to show my tattoos in public - to hear that eventually you found it wasn't such a big deal. I'm working toward that.

I started this post several months back, but want to revive it, as I haven't yet started on my back piece. I'm wondering if there are any new suggestions? To recap, I'm looking for a female artist, in the midwest, that does Japanese style tattoos.

I thought a lot about if or how to respond to this comment. At first I drafted a nasty, sarcastic response, but I thought better of it and decided to be more charitable. I can say with absolute certainty that I did not make the wrong decision to get tattooed. I got tattooed because I wanted to, for my own reasons. I happen to absolutely love my tattoos. The only regret that I have is that I’m not totally covered. When I first got tattooed, I had no idea what was ahead. I was going to get one tattoo, hidden, even when wearing a bathing suit, and that would be the end. It was to be a private thing. That was the way I wanted it, and I was happy with that. I never imagined that I would get more than one tattoo, much less several. And even as I got more tattoos, I intended to keep them private. The were to be for me and my husband. Even when I completed my half-sleeves, they were calculated to be coverable. But I never imagined how much I would like being a tattooed person, I never anticipated how much I would come to love the way I looked with my tattoos. I never imagined how happy they would make me. And I never thought that I would love my tattoos so much that I would sometimes like to share them with the world. This whole discussion would never have happened if I had decided to keep them private, so to suggest that I made the wrong decision simply because of my concern about what people would think is rather unfair and uninformed. I’m not a person that is saying “Hey, I’m thinking about getting my first tattoo. I will cover my whole forearm and back of my hand. But I’m worried about the reaction of others.” in that case it might be appropriate to ask if the person if they are sure that they are making the right decision. But I am a person already happily tattooed and am now simply trying to become comfortable with letting them show in public. I like LST because most people here are understanding and helpful. They are (usually) not judgmental of the tattoo decisions that others make. If a woman posts that she is getting a backpiece and want to wears something that will not be too revealing while the work is being done, you get dozens of helpful suggestions from women who have already dealt with the issue. No one says “If you are afraid of showing you body in the tattoo studio, then perhaps you shouldn’t get a tattoo.” Quite honestly, the comment is exactly the kind that I might expect to hear from a rude person who is a tattoo hater.

If you have read this thread, you know that I am very hesitant to display my ink in public for fear of reactions of others. This thread made me more willing to give it a try, so I thought I’d give you an update. A couple of weeks ago I decided to test the waters at the local farm market. Normally in that situation I wear a long or 3/4 length sleeve and push it up just above my elbow. Since my half sleeve tattoos stop slightly above my elbows, nothing shows. But that day I picked out a longish short sleeve tee so about 1/3 of my tattoos showed. Not just peaking out, but about 3” of tattoo showing very clearly. As I was leaving the house I almost grabbed a sweater in case I chickened out, but then I thought “No, I'm going to do this without a safety net." I got to the market and it was pretty crowded. I was a little nervous. I started shopping, talking to vendors, checking out produce and flowers, and started to fall into my usual routine. Since I had tattoos on my mind, I noticed a few other ladies with tattoos, so I felt a little more at ease with my “sisters.” I got more comfortable and at one point I thought a lady next to me at stand was checking me out so I politely said “excuse me” and reached in front of her to pick up an item so my arm was right in front of her to see if she reacted. No reaction! Since she was a perfect stranger, I sort of secretly hoped she was shocked! That is a weird aspect of my reluctance to show pattern - I sort of like to shock strangers, but fear shocking people I know! As I paid one of the vendors for a purchase — a woman I often buy from, and who has a tattoo herself — she said, “I never noticed your tattoos before. Very pretty!” I thanked her and said that I usually don’t let them show. She said “Oh, just let ‘em show!”. That was a good feeling. All in all the whole situation went without incident. I really felt good, felt very free and alive, as if I was letting myself be me. A great first step for me. The big test would be being somewhere where I see people I know. That could have happened at the farm market — I sometimes see friends and colleagues there. I saw a few “familiar” people who I know enough to say “Hi” to, but I don’t know their names, but no one whose judgement I fear. I’m still not sure how I’m going to feel when I see one of my co-workers or bosses.

My husband likes my tattoos and supports me in getting more. But he does caution me to think carefully about moving below the elbow. It is a big step, and really changes the cover-up equation.

@Namerased Tattoos, I agree. Having the choice of being able to show or not is important for me too. I would love to have full or 3/4 sleeves, or even be totally covered, but it will never happen because I do want the option of covering. I will never go past my elbows or past mid-thighs for that reason.

I know this is an old thread, but stumbled across it, I found it interesting, and wanted to contribute my 2 cents. I understand that the Japanese practitioners may consider “7/10” the minimum for a sleeve, and I understand that they may feel that anything less should not be called a “sleeve.” Using the term sleeve means something very specific to them in their aesthetic vocabulary. They have a great tradition that I respect, and would not argue that. But in a less formal sense, “sleeve” becomes simply a convenient shorthand to describe a type and extent of tattoo coverage on the arms. It is easier to say “I have a quarter sleeve,” than to say “I have a tattoo that extends from the tip of my shoulder to about half-way between my shoulder and elbow and wraps all the way around my arm.” So if people don’t like the term quarter-sleeve, or think that a quarter sleeve is not worthy of calling a “sleeve” that is ok with me. To each his/her own. But I do have my own rules. :-) To me, a sleeve, regardless of length, has to: wrap all around the arm, have a background that is more or less continuous and that ties it together, have coverage that is fairly dense, with little skin showing through. Someone here said that 100% of the skin should be covered. I don’t really agree with that, because even if you look a the most traditional Japanese sleeves, you see some skin showing through on the wind bars, clouds, finger waves, etc. However the overall effect is of full continuous coverage, even if it is not literally 100%. I have seen ladies with beautiful tattoos covering most of an arm - like flowers or vines wrapping around, but with no background. Although stunningly beautiful, to me that is not a sleeve because there is so much skin showing through. Just my opinion…

Welcome! I didn't get into tattooing until around 50, and I've now been getting tattooed for almost 10 years, so I feel a connection with you already! While there are great things about starting young, there are also benefits to starting late. You are settled into who you are, you know what your career trajectory is, what you like and don't like, and perhaps are less impulsive (although impulsiveness in moderation is a great thing!). I enjoy the perspective of people who start their tattoo lives late. So much that you read focuses on tattooing in the younger generations, and it is really exciting to see how those folks are pushing the art ahead and making tattooing more accepted - we all benefit from that. But it is also fun to hear of the experiences of older folks. There is a different perspective that helps complete the picture of the tattooed world.

I do attend conventions. There is one in a large city not too far away every year, and I have gone for the last several years. I really love that atmosphere just for the reasons you said. I always feel like I am with "my people" there! There is an atmosphere of universal acceptance there. I always come away feeling like I am ready to be more public in displaying my tattoos, but come Monday morning when I get dressed for work, I feel like I've come back to reality and out comes the coverup wardrobe. That's cool. I like having a nice talk with other ladies about our tattoos. I feel a kinship.

A belated hello LST! I’ve been posting here for over a year, but I realized that I never did the obligatory introductory post. So here goes... I’m a female, in my late 50s. I started getting tattooed kind of late, around when I turned 50, when my husband suggested I get a tattoo because he thought it would be attractive. I was reluctant, but finally said “what the heck! It will be an adventure, and he will be happy. I’ll get one, and that will be it.” So I got a well-hidden tattoo. I loved it, and wanted another. I was hooked! I wanted another one, and then more and more. I now have eight, including half sleeves, and I’m thinking about a back piece. I’m otherwise pretty conventional, and work in a professional business setting, and have something of a mental block about showing my tattoos in public, even though I love, love, LOVE them. Old lessons are hard to unlearn, and I fear being judged or stereotyped. LST folks have given me support, and partly as a result of that, It hink I’m getting to a point where I can more comfortably go public with my ink. I joined LST because I have no, none, zero, zip friends (except my husband) with whom I can share my tattoo enthusiasm. I really like being part of the tattooed community, among people who are accepting, supportive, and enthusiastic about tattooing, people who “get it,” who know what it is like to feel the needle, understand the near addictive attraction, and have stories and experiences to share. I love to talk about tattoos and tattooing. I love being tattooed, it matters a lot to me. It is an essential part of who I am now, both physically and mentally. LST is my outlet!

I look toward retirement to open a lot of tattoo doors for me. I'd love 3/4 or full sleeves. Heck, I'd love to be totally covered, but just not realistic. Sigh...Someday?

Yes, @LizBee very interesting! Ladies of burlesque from decades ago, in a time when showing "everything" wasn't allowed, would say that it was more titillating to show a small hint of what is there rather than showing everything. Leave something to the imagination. My husband finds tattooed women quite attractive (fortunately!), and I recall once that we saw a woman with what appeared to be 3/4 sleeves peeking out of her shirtsleeves, and just a bit of tattooing peeking out of her collar in the back and front. He became quite intrigued imagining what was in between! I sort of know the feeling, @wildcat. If you read this whole thread you see that there is an undercurrent of my anxiety about showing my tattoos because I'm uncomfortable about reactions and judgments, especially from people I know. But when I have taken a risk and let 'em show, I really do have a feeling of more confidence too.