piercings, tattoos and posh dos...

[nybom]

so far i have one tatto on my abdomen and several piercings in my ears (helix, forward helix, tragus, conch, amongst others). but i'd really really like to get more tattoos...

now, occasionally we escape our middle class exsistence by going to charity balls, upper class weddings, dinners etc. and i mean really posh not just b-celebrities, only very very rich people and some a-listers.

so, could i sport a visible tattoo? i'm thinking old school style tattoo on chest, flower tattoo on back...

i wasn't raised in the uk so i'm not sure about etiquette in this country... this class thing in england... i don't want to come across as a snob but i really need to know what one i should do.

has anybody got any knowledge on this?

thanks.

I guess you care about what these posh folk think or you wouldn't be asking. A visible tattoo might attract some attention - hopefully any negative comments would remain unspoken but they might not..... If so and you are bothered either go for a tattoo in a location unlikely to be revealed by formal evening wear or invest in some good make-up to camoflague it (although I'd worry about it rubbing off as the evening wore on so maybe not ideal).

well, no-ones answered, so I thought I would although I havent got anything particularly useful to say .

I'd just go for it if I were you and not worry about etiquette. Whilst yes there will probably be a certain degree of commentary, most likely whispered behind raised hands, it is 2009 - plenty of people are tattooed these days including of course the rich and famous (and many of those rich and famous have other mods, which to me come under the same banner of 'enhancement' whilst not all of them would admit it and not all of use would call it enhancing.

my oldest friend is heavily tattooed (including facial) and although I see her rarely these days since she moved to the US, her family move in the upper class circles, and they all find it 'tremendously brave and individual, daaaarling'

go for it daaarling

ok no one had answered when I started typing!

Tattoos look utterly cr*p with posh dresses. Even on Angelina Jolie.

Posh always looks a prat dressed like Audrey Hepburn meets Jackie O with her tatts on show.

Actually she always looks a prat fullstop

Bless you TPT - I have a small foot tattoo and am about to get another to complement on other foot. I choose my feet because I like them and they aren't flabby or covered in stretch-marks and whenever I choose I can cover the tattoo - even with flip-flops. When I'm an old dear drinking sherry in my luxury retirement home I can cover them in support stockings or be too drunk to care

Don't like tattoos full stop so am no help to you at all . Must agree with Soupy though - even babes like Jolie find it hard to pull off the posh frock and tatts IMHO, but if you love them and don't care what other people think then good for you. Be prepared for lots of negativity/judgement from the upper class set though.

Does it really matter what anyone else thinks?

It is very likely that in an upper class society ball setting you would be the only one displaying a chest piece, but again, does it really matter?

i do think some tattos look nice in whatever you were wearing, a half sleeve done really well would look ace, but i do like tattos and wouldnt care what people think. i have one on the side of my hand and did for a second think what if i have to go to a really fancy place, but decided that i dont care!

Sparkletastic - I am seriously thinking about a tattoo on my foot too! What/Where is your tattoo?? I would like 3 small stars, maybe under my ankle, but I wouldn't be able to cover them there...

if you had them on the inside of your ankle no one would really notice them, but then i suppose it depends if you are bothered about people seeing them?
i have one on my foot, they look really really good imo, but hurt ALOT!

I'd say if you are bothered about what people think maybe you shouldn't get tattoos that are very visible.

Why not have your coat of arms tattooed on your arm? That should satisfy everyone

I have one on the back of my leg (calf) and tbh I think most people have never even noticed it.

Mine are both in "coverable" places (leg and tummy) and though I want another, I am looking for another discreet place, as I like to look nice if going to a wedding or even if just out to dinner, and a really visible tatoo - although cool imo - is just not quite "me".

For it to be in high visibility place you have to be very comfortable with the inevitable labels that go with it.

mollyroger - that is a brilliant idea, honestly. my family has a coat of arms! that will annoy my DH evenmore as my family is a bunch of nutters...!

pinkbubblesgoape - what is a discret place? if you are wearing a cocktail dress the legs (calves certainly) are visible, the whole length of the arm is, some of chest and back (depending on dress), and i don't really fancy a tattoo near my genitalia or on my bum (the only saggy part of me)...

Lateral thinking

well, I know two titled 'Ladies' socially and one has several visible tattoos and the other is a recovered heroin addict, with a police record, so I wouldn't get too hung up about etiquette.

Just work on being a classy bird in all other respects.

Prince Albert has set a rather noble precedent for piercings anyway, surely, with his , erm, eponymous adornment...

nybom, I think most parts of the legs are discreet; on the under side of upper arms looks cool (imo) but also relatively discreet. I have one on the side of my tummy - looks great with a bikini and totally appropriate at the beach or pool but covered up otherwise (I'm too old for tank tops!)...

But then... I'm too out of shape for the kind of cocktail dress you're describing

thedreadpiratedavina

idunno... as i'm NOT upper class i don't really know, i'm just guessing, but isn't e.g. a charity ball at claridges with catering by gorden ramsey with m/billionaires upper class...?

Ooops, sorry, just re-read OP and saw you already have a tummy one...

How about on your back, just above trouser line?