How many of you or your partners have tattoos? Is it part of British culture to have one?

[MarjorieDoors]

It seems to be very much a part of British culture to have one (now idea why).

Anyway, a few weeks ago DH and I went to Spain and the hotel we stayed in was catering for mainly British holidaymakers. One thing DH and I noticed was the majority of holidaymakers had at least one tatoo although most had more than one - and I am talking male and females here. Didn't notice any of the Spanish with tattoos.

DH and I were in the select few that didn't have one and I am just trying to understand what is the attraction is with them?

lol at Peachy's ice cream example

Yes OMDB, that is well put.

my dd1 has one and she isn't rebellious or working class in fact..she has a degree in spanish and international relations and is currently an intern in the house of commons lots of friends have them..I think there is a significant number of people who have them now..I also like shaved heads

My Dp has loads, both arms full sleeve and a lovely one across his chest. I don't have any but would like maybe one or two. I really don't see anything lowbrow about them tbh, there are some really talented people out there doing beautiful impressive tattoos. The winnie the pooh and tasmanian devil etc crap ones you see are another matter entirely, and a lot of people have badly done or unimaginative tats just for the sake of it.

No tatoos here, for any of us. There simply isn't anything I would like enough to have it on me permanently, and I don't really think they look very good generally. I wouldn't say they are part of British culture per se.

I agree with OMDB, chavy and working class are not the same thing. Tatoos are traditionally a working class phenomenon. That may be changing but it is the general perception of them.
A person with a tatoo may be percieved as working class but not necessarily a chav(what ever that is anyway). And as I said at the beginning, it isn't a criticism, it is just an observation.

I have 3 and my dh has 11. I think that tattoos are a way of expressing yourself and its almost like treating your skin as an art canvas. Everyone is entitled to do whatever they want to their own bodies and people who dont like them shouldnt be offended by them.

And in years to come when we are the older generation I will show off my tattoos to my grandkids and tell them why i had them and the story behind them.

I think you either love or hate them! Its also very addictive and painful

It is part of the culture of those who holiday in Spain. Those who holiday in Chianti-shire would never do it.

I think it IS mainly people from lower socio-economic groups that have tatoos, and who said about brits in Spain and Greece standing out like a sore thumb - its sooooo true.

men - bald, tatooed, overweight
women - tatooed, and overweight

So individual aren't they?

This is why I'm called WorkingClassScum.

Yes I have a tattoo. And only one because for the last 14 years I haven't decided what other design I would like.

non-working-class people never go bald or get fat.

they never set foot in spain or greece for holiday.

god, imagine having to rub elbows with the hoi poloi like that, all tattoed.

i do agree with donnie in that it tends to be a white thing in the UK.

My dh had a skull smoking a joint in a trilby hat done one his left upper arm when he was 16 - he is now 40 and it looks very 80's GunsNRoses but hey ho it's part of him and I love it.

I am surprised how many women I see with them. I don't like them and consequently hubby and I have none.

I must admit to not particularly enjoying being with the homogenous mass of Brits on holiday when in Spain with their tattoos, nylon football shirts and shaved heads. Living in the city I am usually rubbing shoulders with a more diverse bunch of people. That is not meant to sound snobby just an observation.

BUT I have a tattoo on my left hand shoulder (had this doen many years ago), which I still like and am toying with the idea of a brightly coloured lotus flower on my lower back as I think they look absolutely gorgeous not worried about my age (I am a woman in my 40s). Don't really give a f*. And am not a tramp either!!

Also had a body piercing (navel) done earlier this year. And I love it. I am not particularly slim either but I had my reasons for having it done - something about reclaiming /trying to love my body!!!.

We also have Sky TV and my DSs wear football shirts. But then again I am a professional working woman. ( But come from a provinicial working class background).

Confused moi!!! Think it's quite hard to classify modern Britain by tattoos and piercings alone.

I also have a friend who is a medical student and she has piercing and tattoo!!

I have 2. Both black, both designed by me.

I am almost 43, had them done when I was 36.

Make of me what you will ..... I was definitely in the nerdy, goody two-shoes, wouldn't say boo to a goose, more or less straight A group at school. Would almost certainly be in an adult-equivalent group now ..... I don't drink, don't smoke, am pretty anti-social, read heaps, don't holiday with "the masses" if I can help it, am now a size 10(up) and 8 (down) therefore not overweight, am kind to animals, love gardening, walks in the country ....... and well, you get the picture, I'm not in the stereotypical groups described in this thread.

I got them because I wanted them .... have no deep-rooted psychological idea why I wanted them, above and beyond the fact I like the look of mine - haven't bothered to stop and analyse it .... understand they're there for life and one day my skin will be less firm than it is now blah di blah.

Suppose it is becoming part of British culture in so far that they are more common and have less "shock" factor than 20 years ago when, supposedly only "rough" types and sailors were popularly "allowed" to wear tattoos. Despite having my own, I think some others look appalling - either because they have been poorly executed, or because I don't like the subject matter, or because I'm not an admirer of that particular style ..... in the same way everyone has different tastes and a different idea of what constitutes style. However, that's a completely subjective view and other people's choices don't "bother" me one bit ..... even if I personally think a tattoo naff or ugly, it will have been chosen to mean something to its wearer.

Off on a slight tangent - I find it slightly bemusing that people hold such strong views on tattoos .... maybe it's the left over connotations from the time when ex-cons etc were most likely to sport them ? I'm not having a go ...... but have seen the "what's the attraction of tattoos ?" question crop up over and over again, both on Mumsnet, other forums and also as a topic of conversation. I simply wonder why this is when quite obviously, no-one is forced to have one, yet they often arouse such strong vierws ? To me (anyway) it's the same as if the attraction of - say - off the top of my head - false nails - were as hotly and as frequently debated. I could be wrong but I have a tiny sneaking suspicion that people often have a macabre fascination for tattoos despite not wanting or liking them themselves.

I have 2. One on my lower back and one on my right shoulder blade. Both can be covered easily enough and are very rarely on show. I was young and stupid when i had mine and i think it was my way of rebelling aainst my parents not letting me do things like that growing up. I am the only one in my family to have them.

DH has none, although has mentioned a few times he would like one but I dont like the look of them so keep talking him out of it!

I don't have a tattoo, neither does DH. I'm pretty sure I've never had a boyfriend with a tattoo either (that must put me in a teeny minority group)!

My brother has one and it's a vile up the forearm thing. A few of my girlfriends have little 'cute' tattoos - I won't need to explain to you lot what the butterfly on one friends hip looks like after 2 DCs and 2 C/S...

well said catsmother! i 2nd everything you said.
p.s i have 5 tattoos!

DH has one on each forearm. One is OK but the other (a cowgirl in several colours WTF?) is hideous. He had them done when he was 16. He hates them now.

I must admit I don't actually 'see' them anymore but people meeting him for the first time notice and do seem to look down on him for them. Goes with his general demeanour of unkemptness (holes in jeans and shoes, hair not brushed, 2 days growth of beard )

Each of the DCs as babies have noticed as well and tried to pull them off.

I don't like tattoos at all, especially on women.

Catsmother - the difference is that false nails aren't permanent. Tattoos are debated because they make a statement and on the whole, that statement is with you for life. You have to be very very careful about what you have a tattoo of. I can't imagine liking the same thing for the whole of my life and therefore I can't understand why anybody would want one.

I would agree there is a correlation between social class and tattoos too. Correlation just means that most of people who have them conform to a particular class. That doesn't mean that other people from other classes don't have them. I think in recent years it is a fashion statement as well.

I think it is also to do with personality type. It is seen as slightly rebellious to have a tattoo.

I have a one and so does DH. Incidently Sinc I gt mine MIL liked it so much she now has one.
I see it as linked more to freedom of expression than to class these days.

Do you not think that most tattoos are in discreet places, so how would you know who had them or not

Beither DH or I have a tattoo and neither of us have any desire to do so int he future either.

My little sister has recently had one done on the very small of her back I think.

For me I can't see the attraction and do wonder what they will all look like in the future, with lots of pensioners covered in them. Do tattoos still go that green colour after a period of time, like my dad's have?

my bil is great with tattoos. I'm sure he wouldnt mind me telling you about them:

he had the names of his gf and her 3 kids tattooed on his arm, then she dumped him. so he got it covered with a tiger (we affectionately call it tony tiger)

then he has a wolf head on his other arm, but the tattooist did it wrong, so when he puts his arm down the nose goes wonky.

he has a woman with her tits out and a whip on his leg. she has no legs - don't think the tattooist could do feet. very classy that one.

and he has a celtic dragon on his back. that is actually quite nice.

we always take the piss out of them, but they are a part of him, and he doesnt care!

I knew as I type it that quoting "false nails" would arouse comment because it wasn't permanent, but then thought, oh well, I'll leave it in, because it's still an example of people doing something to their body, still an example of "art" (in some people's eyes), still something which some people like and some people don't.

I let it stand because I still don't quite understand why the permanancy (is that a words?) of ^other people's style/fashion/art/whatever decisions arouses such strong feelings in others ?

Obviously they're for life and it's true that some are done on the spur of the moment, and/or may be due to peer pressure ...... but I'd say that most people are very much aware of how they are about to permanently change their body and take a great deal of time to choose something they believe they can live with forever more. I had spent a good couple of years considering all the possible pitfalls. I still can't say whether or not I will ever regret my decision in the future but I accept full responsibility and if I change my mind that's something I will have to learn to live with.

You see ..... that's true of everyone else with a tattoo as well. It's their problem if things go wrong - their body - and it's not something which actually affects anyone else. That's why I don't understand the fascination some non-tattooed people seem to have with them.