To think society looks down on women with visible arm tattoos

[cheerybear]

Or is it seen as acceptable now?

I am surprised you think this attitude exists only towards women. If there are judge-y attitudes I would suspect they are levelled against tattooed men just as much as women. Indeed, businesses that ask their customer-facing staff not to have visible tattoos apply that restriction to men as well as women.

I am surprised really that there isn't more popularity for a semi-permanent variation. That way if you change your mind, fancy a different design or feel you have grown out of the whole thing you have a chance to do so.

I also wonder whether tattoos that people get now will stay the colours they currently are or whether in time they will all change to that blue colour that older tattoos seem to have.

I also always think 'I wonder how they'll feel about that in 40 years' time'.
^Yes to this. A male cousin of mine went a bit mad with tattoos when he was young - including getting various daft things tattooed on his head. He grew out of that phase and gre his hair. However, the last time I saw him as a middle aged man he was starting to go thin on top and the embarassing tattoo was gradually re-appearing

Whereas in the past, I think it was a class thing, now there's more of a generation divide between who has them and doesn't, I think.

At the pool t'other day, ALL the men had large tats. (about 15 of them) and maybe 3/4 of the women. They were in their late 20's, 30's I think. Its just completely normal for this generation.

Definitely think it's a generational thing now rather than a class divide. I'd say half the 'nice middle class' people I know under 24 have tattoos.

I think some tattoos look good and some don't.

I would never look don't on anyone for having tattoos, men or woman.

I would quite like an arm tattoo if I could decide on one that I was 100% happy with.

I don't think they look nice. I really try and wait till I have a conversation with someone before i decide to look down on them or not and not have pre conceived perceptions of someone with arm tats - whether I totally succeed or not is another matter.

Also depends, if someone has tats but there whole "look" looks quirky and alternative then the tats go with their whole appearance more.

I think we can all make snap judgements to an extent - as long as we realise this and try and not bend to these snap judgements.

I think tats are boring these days. I thought about it 20 yrs ago when they first started becoming mainstream but didn't in the end. Now I feel more individual and a rebel for not having any - or so I like to think!

I like some tattoos on men and women but shit tattoo s I hate.

By shit I dont mean a design or picture I don't like or to my taste but shitly done tattoos that seem to be more and more common. Just walk around a beach or park on a hot day when there is plenty of flesh on show and you will see what I mean . Crooked, uneven, badly spaced out etc. It just looks naff and shit. I will hold my hands up and say when I see people with shit tattoos like this I do judge and assume they just trotted down to their nearest tattooist on a whim or a boring Saturday afternoon rather than taking the time to find a decent artist to tattoo their skin and pay good money fir a quality piece of art. I just think with something so major that you will have for ever its worth the research but it seems to be becoming the rage to pop in for tattoo just cos you're passing a tattooist and the fancy takes you even if it means you come out with a shit crooked tattoo.

I am atm tattooless. I do have an image of something I would quite like and have researched a few tattooists but keep bottling out because I am scared I will end up with a naff one and I am so fickle, what I love now I may not in 5 years.

Hiw do you decide?

Some amusing pictures are sent round on Facebook sometimes. I remember one that talked about pretty tattoos on pretty women. We scrolled down and then saw an old hag a much older woman whose skin was dreadfully wrinkled and showed her tattoo as something completely awful. We all have a future and I would never want to look like that at that age!

And please don't ask me for it because I can't remember when it was.

There's been a rash of younger people having tattoos, which I sincerely hope will be backlashed against by the time my children are old enough to get them. I was listening to a piece on the radio earlier about how drinking, smoking and casual drug abuse are declining in the 16-24 generation, possibly because they've seen the generation before them make such utter tits of themselves while wasted.

Like several people upthread I can appreciate the quality of a really good piece of artwork, but the vast majority of what I see is best described as 'pedestrian' and I've also seen some frankly hideous stuff on beaches and around pools this summer.

And for those of you who say you've never been judged, I'm not nearly rude enough to go up to you in the street and say 'your visible tattoo indicates to me that you have no judgement'! But I will think it, and I will think this of anyone, male or female.

I can "age" people by their tattoos. Celtic armbands and tramp stamps tend to put you in your mid forties. Little foot tattoos and stars on the inside of wrists indicate 20's.

Face and neck tattoos are unemployable, whatever age they are.

*Bother - missed a sentence at end of my first para, which should have said

"In the same way, I hope they'll see the generation before them all covered with generic tattoos as sad losers, just as we laughed like drains at anyone who still had quiffy mullets by the end of the 'eighties and was still wearing flares by the end of the 'seventies. The sad thing is that the victims of the tattoo culture will find it far more expensive and painful to sort out their juvenile mistakes than we did - far more difficult than having a haircut or getting some new clothes."

I've never really liked them, even on men.

David Beckham's tattoos look particularly awful, IMO.

Apparently Victoria B. has some too, but they seem to be more discrete/hidden.

So many of the tattoos I see around look tacky/meaningless/cheap.

I'm planning a new inner forearm tattoo.

My boss won't care.Nor my dh.Nor my dc's.Nor my dm.

I've been tattoed for 28 years, and never had a moments regret -only that I didn't get more when they were cheaper.

Shit tats look shit on anyone!

I judge anyone who has been daft enough to do one themselves with indian ink - someone I worked with had done a big 'guitar' on his arm, twas dreadful.

Sleeves, properly done, I find fascinating. They're so intricate and detailed.

Don't have any myself - contemplate it all the time but think I'd bottle out of the pain.

And I'm not sure we should be holding anyone from Made in Chelsea up as something to aspire to, should we? They're thick as fuck. And shallow to boot. If the example had been 'you don't see Kate Middleton with tattoos' that would make sense, but Made in Chelsea? Really?

I dislike all tattoos. I can't help it, its hardwired in to me. I don't know if I look down on people who have them, I certainly don't automatically think I'm superior in any way.

There are other "looks" that I don't like - half a shaved head for example, false eyelashes in the daytime, porny shoes, inches of orange foundation. I think its fine to admit to liking or disliking certain fashions.

I agree with squoosh. Certain, popular, faddy tattoos really do date. Just like everything else that comes in and out of fashion (except tattoos are permanent).

To me, sleeve tattoos definitely fall into the category that will date to a potentially cringeworthy degree.

See also:
Arse antlers
Celtic/barbed wire arm bands
Floral designs in torsos
Chinese script
Dolphins/roses on décolletage

Who wants to look dated....?

I admire women with arm tattoos, especially full sleeves. I think it's a strong statement of who you are and part of me wishes I could do that. But it isn't me. However I have full respect for those that do it and think it can look very cool - obviously depends on the ink!

Basically agree with whisk warrior - shit tattoos look shit. Good ones are a work of art.

Not my thing, couldn't give a monkeys if someone else has them.

If I notice one when I'm interviewing someone I always feel a bit .

Tattoos are like coffee, if they are good they are beautiful, if they're less than perfect they're awful.

Visible ones are unprofessional, unless you are a tatto artist.

Don't like them...don't really judge, tend to look at whole package of person, attitude, tone of voice and manners.

Most people don't care, but there's still jobs advertised that ask for no visible tattoos.

There's probably a section of society to frown upon just about anything.

My whole back, one arm and half my other arm is tattooed, but I cover up for work, even though my work has no specific policy on them. I doubt I would have got my job if any of them had been visible at the interview. I don't think it's professional to have tattoos on show at work, unless you're in a very informal working environment.

My own experience has been mixed really - as you'd expect: some people like them, some don't, some don't care. I'm sure people judge but people judge others on pretty much everything: that's just how we're wired. No point fretting about it.