To think society looks down on women with visible arm tattoos

[cheerybear]

Or is it seen as acceptable now?

I'd say about half the Made in Chelsea cast have tattoos. Not that I watch it. Oh no.

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Here we go

m.reveal.co.uk/showbiz-celeb-gossip/news/a556845/made-in-chelsea-star-oliver-proudlock-gets-wolf-tattoo-on-arm.html

I think they look ridiculous.

The fact that the cast of Made in Chelsea has them ratifies my view.

I am really old and I think I am always shocked by tattoos on women or even on men. Kind of understand military types with them but I think they look dreadful. Why would you put something permanent on your body? People like david beckham look awful IMHO and I someone's see a pretty 'celeb' on red carpet and then see a tatoo on their foot or shoulder. Yuk yuk yuk. But I also find body piercing (with exception of one in each ear love) ugly too. As I said, I am old. But I don't think I look down on it just non comprehending

hmm might get my judgy pants on a little about a crappy badly drawn cartoon etc. But a bad tat is a bad tat!

However a tat with meaning? How could that not be a beautiful part of someone s" story" eg a friend has a rose for a baby she lost in pregnancy and another has 3 small stars for her kids.

Sleeves too tend to be "real art" . you've got to admire the work !

Hmm, I don't like the look of them to be honest, but I don't look down on people who have them. I do wonder how they'll feel at 80 with them, but then we'll all look a bit wrinkly/covered up by then!

Mind you, an arm sleeve is a proper investment and as a pp said, they tend to be very well done / arty etc. It shows that you have the courage to wear your art on your sleeve (sorry).

However visible ones in a professional job is just a no no for me. It sounds like it would restrict your choice of gowns when going to a posh do? But how often is that? And surely you could just get a long sleeved dress? (although that might look odd if it was boiling hot).

It depends what. The one I saw on a woman's back (when she suddenly bent over, I wasn't perving!) which read in large letters YES THIS FUCKING HURT was just gross.

I don't know if I get looked down on or not, but I don't care :) I have a tattoo on my wrist, probably seen as quite a common one - a butterfly with a music note - but it's significant to me. If people ask why, I'll tell them. If not, they can judge away, no skin off my nose

Have you seen these ? Bit of a chance to try it out and see the reaction
www.bewild.com/auslontasl.html

My arms are about the only place I don't have tattoos, for this very reason. My legs and back are covered but when I'm at work none of my clients would know I'm tattooed.

I think poorer quality tattoos are more likely to be judged because I think there is a big stigma in being seen as poor/chavvy. Decent quality tattoos with good ink and stable colours are so bloody expensive that I don't think people with them are judged as negatively.

I have several on my wrists and i love them. If i want to, bracelets cover them, but mostly they're on show. I've never been judged (as far as i know) and TBh i wouldn't really care.
They're my choice, it's my skin, and I've got better things to worry about than if "society" is concerned with it!
All my inks tell their own little story, I've never seen them on anyone else (apart form one which is the same as one my sister has) I'd never get a tattoo that didn't meant something to me, why would you want to do that?!

I don't think society looks down on women with tattoos, unless you care to tie it in to the general societal monitoring and judgement of womens' appearance.

It's more that a lot of people dislike the way they look.

I don't 'get' tatoos, I don't like them and don't want one.

So I haven't got one.

I don't care if someone else has one though. I (probably) don't want to live in their house or marry their DH either - but I don't judge them for doing it.

I invariably think how awful they look and wonder why they've had it done. Not judgemental, just curiosity and perplexion.

I'm not a fan of ink, especially random individual tattoos but I can appreciate and admire the artistic nature of say, a beautifully executed sleeve. I accept it's none of my business and I don't judge anyone for it just as I don't judge someone on any other aspect of their personal style.

Some workplaces are more conservative than others. In conservative workplaces visible tattoos tend to be frowned on, whatever your gender.

It's my observation that many of the more conservative industries are also the better-paid ones. Think banking, law, accountancy etc. Obviously there are exceptions but it's true in many cases.

So while I think it's true that they are seen as more 'normal' and socially acceptable than they once were (not long ago a tattooed woman would have been seen as utterly beyond the pale) there is a real division between more and less conservative workplaces, and that division correlates (not exhaustively, but noticeably) with pay scales. As in, working women with fewer tattoos tend to get paid more.

Correlation doesn't equal causation, but it's enough to keep me ink-free

In my industry (banking) visible tattoos in general are a no-no for front office staff. There are plenty in back office and also plenty of people who buy thin / cheap shirts and think they cover their tattoos (or don't give a shit). It is definitely becoming more acceptable.

I don't 'judge people' who have tattoos in general - some are lovely works of art. I might judge the tattoo though (bad and tacky tattoos are just awful). I would judge someone if they had visible offensive tattoos. Also, if someone has a very tacky, or badly spelled tattoo, I reserve the right to assume they're an idiot.

Like Sarah Harding has a tattoo saying 'Don't be bitter - glitter'. Umm, yeah - profound. That kind of colours my opinion of her somewhat.

As a woman I'd be worried about getting arm tattoos because:

• Women's professional clothing doesn't always cover the arm, so you are limiting yourself if you need to cover them, especially with summer clothes.

• Sadly women's arms do tend to sag a bit. Depending on your fitness / luck / genetics, you could have saggy tattoos at a relatively young age. That would put me off.

I was chatting to a distant cousin at a family event recently and noticed she has a tattoo on her inner wrist, she was wearing a sleeveless dress and had come straight from work so it would have been visible in the office and she has an established and successful career in probate. I think tattoos are more commonplace and less of an issue nowadays, although obviously it still depends on the tattoo and the observer.

"I'm nearly 40, I would have decent art work, but I want to do it whilst I still look young enough to pull it off"
And there, OP, you have summed up my problem with tattoos. Although I can genuinely admire someone else's tattoos, I also always think 'I wonder how they'll feel about that in 40 years' time'. Their very permanence is what puts me off having one. Tough if you get bored with it or no longer like it/want it. Tough if you lose weight/put on weight and the artwork gets wrinkled or stretched.

Whereyouleftit...I don't care what I will look like when I look "old" I will look old, that's not the problem, I want to enjoy it now. You're completelty missing my point with the bit you've quoted. I'll be quite happy to be alive in 40 years time, not really going to care about my tattoos.

I can't help but dislike the way they look on arms both on men and women. It looks so...tough!

I like them in general though and would love a MASSIVE back piece. I want a huge one right across my shoulders.

heaven forbid a woman looked tough

I've got tattoos on both lower arms (plus a bit one on my chest) and I've have far less reaction to those (and what I have had has always been positive) than I have to my current hairstyle which is an all over very, very short buzzcut.

I'm getting people gawping at me open mouthed as I walk around and have had the odd sad shake of the head or tutting

So visible tattoos on women are at least more acceptable than a shaved head on a woman!