Tattoos Are The Next Level Of Fashion
Tattoos Are The Next Level Of Fashion
The True History Of Tattoo Trends
Tattoos have become widely considered a part of fashion recently. Even though they may be ornamental, just like clothing or jewelry, tattoos are the next level of fashion. The main difference is that tattoos are permanent and unchangeable. Unlike piercings, hairstyles, and clothes, which can be relatively readily changed, tattoos are a mostly permanent addition to your body.
Attitude toward tattoos has changed widely, from prisoners and sailors to runaways and the most famous designers’ lookbooks. Then, they became more acceptable inside subcultures and became signs of affiliations like heavy boots, ripped jeans, leather jackets, or spiky haircuts. Before, inked people used to be seen as independent individuals, rebels, and outsiders. Nowadays, the breakthrough has made them part of the mainstream! Unfortunately, while in some social circles, it is almost expected and welcomed to have a tattoo, in other groups, tattoos are still considered relatively taboo.
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How About Tattoos As The Next Level Of Fashion?
Surprisingly, only a decade ago, most agencies and designers used to prefer their models to have no body art. Therefore, the fashion industry required a blank canvas to showcase its clothing ideas. Luckily, those requirements for models have changed, leading to the evolution of tattoos as the next level of fashion. Currently, the body-positive movement does a lot of good work here. The fashion industry followed, for example, the movie industry, where appearance requirements and terms of choice have changed!
Nowadays, filmmakers started to cast more diverse-looking actors and actresses. Also, the audience has learned to appreciate normalizing different types of beauty, different hairstyles, skin marks, physics, or tattoos. Nowadays, expressing personality at a shooting session or a showcase is allowed. In fact, body and personality are indisputably linked! Personal expression varies from person to person! Now, the agencies and fashion show directors realize that viewers want to see real people! They do not want living hangers and walking blank canvas framed in luxury clothes.
How Do Celebrity Tattoos Influence Tattooing Trends?
As you know, celebrity ink is helping to change how tattoos are thought about. Surprisingly, they are normalizing a practice that has continued to carry a social stigma in some circles. A few years ago, most celebrities started to get inked en masse. Luckily, this celebrity tattoo trend continued to accept and popularize tattoos. Therefore, Rihanna, Lady GaGa, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, and David Beckham, among others, were proudly showing their tattoos!
After those celebrities’ tattoos got so much positive attention, no one was no longer shocked by the inked bodies on the screen. Not even on stage or on the street! Nowadays, there is a more significant connection regarding the influence of celebrity tattoos on other people getting inked. Significantly famous women impacted the social view of tattoos worn by females. Lately, with the changing demographics of tattoo collectors, the meaning of being inked has changed. Unfortunately, women still struggle with gendered public reactions, reminding them that gender-appropriate tattoos remain small, cute, and hidden for women. Regardless, this has kept the increase of heavily tattooed women represented in the media and public. Now women are redefining their concept of beauty and self-expression!
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Are Tattoos In Style Now? Tattooing Trends Are Huge Right Now, And The Tattoo Trends Are To Expect Soon.
Guess what?! Tattoos are not going out of style! Remember, at the end of the day, tattoos are the next level of fashion. You see, as stigma wanes, and quality standards improve, tattoos are steadily gaining popularity and social acceptance. Diversity and personal expression are the most important in body art now! Also, the choice of styles, techniques, and themes depends on the person who gets the tattoo. Nowadays, the tattoo industry’s biggest goal is not to impose anything but to allow clients to choose something personal and unique. However, a few significant trends have been blowing up as of late.
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Tiny tattoos
Tattoos don’t have to be large to make an impact. Today, smaller tattoos are trending – especially for women. That’s because delicate body art can seem more elegant than oversized pieces or full sleeves, as the tattoo will appear more proportionally. The most common tiny tattoos include small flowers, single words, and handwritten quotes on the neck, behind the ear, and wrist.
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Nighties vibe tattoos
Trends from the 1990s and early 2000s are returning, from Bomber jackets and low-slung pants, through scrunchies to baby tees and chain wallets. The tattoo scene is no different, with tramp stamps, barbed wire, and tribal tattoos seeing a resurgence.
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Rib Cage tattoos and underboob tattoos
It seems like Rihanna is responsible for the origin of this trend. Rib cage and underboob tattoos are not going out of

style. Flowers, jewelry-like patterns, and quotes are commonly seen on people’s ribs.
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Astrological and spiritual tattoos
Zodiac-inspired tattoos range from a star sign in a simple line drawing to intricate sketches of planetary positions. Tarot, zodiac signs, magic gems, and potions are trendy now.
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Patchwork tattoos
It is shabby chic in the tattoo world. The patchwork style is achieved by collecting many smaller, unconnected inks, commonly on the arms, back, or legs.
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What Tattoos Are Contemporary?
According to many surveys, young people likely follow tattoo trends. About 20% of people admitted getting tattoos because the pattern was fashionable. However, some of them regret their decision. So, how to avoid getting a tattoo that will become outdated? Get a timeless design! What tattoos are the most contemporary? Tattoos that are meaningful and personal for the person who wears them are always good because they need to depend more on fashion trends. However, there are some guaranteed contemporary and universal designs. The rule is – the simpler, the better! Therefore, roses and other floral tattoos, handwritten quotes, or tiny symbols like arrows or an infinity loop remain modern and trendy as time passes.
Should We Expect Tattoos To Lose Their Position In The Fashion Industry?
Well, we are glad to inform you that tattoos aren’t going anywhere soon and will continue to be a massive part of the fashion world. While many think tattoos are only for young people, that is untrue. We have seen celebrities with tattoos for years, proving how timeless and contemporary these designs can be!
From the sixties to the nineties, the number of Tattoo Artists established in the US skyrocketed from 500 to 10,000. Business experts expect the tattoo industry to grow unstoppable. Brokers project the tattoo market to grow from USD 1.89 billion to USD 3.55 billion by 2030.
So as you can see, there are no signs this growth will stop! Because tattoos are the next level of fashion!
Learn more about the profession on our website or read how to change careers and become a Tattoo Artist!
How Have Tattoo Trends Changed For Decades?
The huge tattooing trends of every decade from the 1930s to the 1980s.
- The 1940s – Tattoos in the USA were uncommon until the late thirties. However, it changed after World War II. Soldiers and combatants brought tattoo ideas from other countries.
- The 1950s – By the fifties, tattoo shops were in cities like New York. American traditional tattoo style came into its own and became the style we still appreciate today. American classic tattooing style (also known as the old school) refers to black and red tattoos with thick lines. Some of the most common ideas of traditional American tattoos include swallows, stars, skulls, snakes, and knives.
- The 1960s – The sixties associate with the Hippie counterculture in the United States and other Western countries. Therefore, there was a sexual, social, and cultural revolution. People used to disagree with the war in Vietnam, and many of them used to identify themselves as pacifists. Tattoos became popular among young hippies. In fact, Janice Joplin got a wrist tattoo and became the first celebrity with a visible tattoo.
- The 1970s – this period was significant for tattooing history. Ed Hardy aimed to bring the Japanese izuremi style to Western culture. As a result, the first mainstream tattoo trends emerged. In addition, a few celebrities, primarily musicians, had tattoos.
- The 1980s – On one hand, this decade is responsible for the origin of punk counterculture, punk rock music, and metal music. Some of the eighties’ most famous heavy music bands include Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, and AC/DC. On the other hand, iconic pop stars like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, George Michael, Madonna, and Lionel Richie became famous too. Tattoos, piercings, bizarre haircuts, glitter, make-up, big hair, and shoulder pads were common among musicians and celebrities. However, body modifications were not so acceptable on the streets. Tribal, cartoon, and blackwork tattoos (for example, the Celtic Knot) were famous in the second half of this decade.
- The 1990s – The introduction of the new century was the growth of body art popularity, the spread of various styles, and broad ways of self-expression. MTV, grange music, Nirvana, Spice Girls, Selena, East vs. West Coast Rap, iconic toys, and games, including Tamagotchi Pets, Tickle Me Elmo, American Girl dolls, Super Mario World, Mortal Kombat were the symbols of the nineties. The huge trends in fashion and tattooing include tracksuits, daddy’s sneakers, baggy clothes, tribals, trump stumps, Chinese letters, dragons tattoos, and barbed wires around the arm.
XXI Century: How Have Tattoo Trends Changed Recently? The Variety Of Tattoo Styles And Trends From The 2000s To The Present.
Given the rich history, it’s not surprising that tattoos have become increasingly popular again. In part, this is because public figures are wearing them. On the other hand, our values have changed, and diversity, freedom of expression, freedom to make choices, and body positivity are the most essential now. Tattoos have gone from the outskirts of society into the mainstream over the decades. Tattoos have gone through various tendencies, from simplistic black-and-white projects to meaningful, sophisticated body art. Not everyone likes this aesthetic expression, but no one would deny that tattooing is an art form. Tattooing is a very demanding art genre. What is the future of tattoo art? New technologies are present in every part of our lives, so it is in the tattoo industry.
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Learn to tattoo with Ink Different
Understanding the path is one thing; building the career is the real goal. Tattooing is one of the few hands-on, creative careers that AI cannot replace, and a proper apprenticeship inside a licensed studio is how you build it. That is exactly what we do.
The Traditional Apprenticeship
Our Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship runs 18 to 24 months across four structured phases. You start remotely, learning the fundamentals from drawing through to machine control, then finish hands-on inside an active tattoo studio. It is built for beginners, so you do not need formal art training to begin, and Ink Different now has 50+ locations across the United States.
If this sounds like your path, connect with a Mentor near one of our 50+ locations and take the first real step toward a career that is genuinely your own.






