Men’s Fashion Debate: Tattoos

Traditionally, the world of tattoos has been the reserve of societal outcasts. Bikers, runaways, criminal gangs and sailors all adopted this ancient art form as an important facet of their cultural identity.
However, the breakthrough into the mainstream has itself led to the rise of trends and themes within the world of tattoos. Many of the tattooed men and women on the streets of cities across the world use their bodies as a canvas for a particular style of body art. Despite a plethora of designs, is it really ever possible to obtain the individuality that a tattoo formerly offered when it was the reserve of societies underbelly?
FashionBeans sits in on the debate that has divided an industry…

A Brief History of Tattooing

The art of ink as we know it in the Western world has its roots in the freak show attended by spectators; eager to view tattooed natives brought back from the countries explorers had newly visited. Individuals such as Omai, the first Polynesian ambassador to England, amassed great wealth from being exhibited as a tattooed subset of men.
Soon the circus shows of the West started taking advantage of this opportunity; sailors began returning home from time spent in foreign lands with designs they had picked up from the natives. They told wild stories of captivity and forced tattooing at the hands of the natives, all to add to the mysticism of the tattoos on display.
Deckhands who showed proficiency with a needle would return to their home shores and set up shop tattooing the outcasts they used to belong to. In many ways, tattoos were the earliest example of a trend; and one that has survived for many hundreds of years – how many can claim that?

Tattoos in Popular Culture

It was at this time that the legendary Jerry Collins would start a revolution that would change the tattoo world forever. Sailor Jerry, as he was (and is) commonly known, strived for a higher professionalism amongst tattoo artists of the day. Jerry put measures in place to improve hygiene and safety standards, expanded the range of available colours and brought influences from the Orient to Western tattoo clientele.
Sailor Jerry was equally renowned for his exquisite artwork and, in particular, the clarity of his lines. In fact his designs are still used to this day on the clothes and designs of the now (in)famous Ed Hardy, Jerry’s protégé.
As techniques became safer (and less painful), tattoos began to spread through society. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that things really took off. Rock ‘n’ Roll was sweeping America and the emergent generations wanted to express itself and rebel against the establishment.
Tattoos were seen as a means of doing this, and when the great Janis Joplin revealed her first tattoo it gave fresh impetus to the tattoo revolution. Suddenly, young women felt they were able to go out and get tattoos, and it was no longer the reserve of sailors, criminals or even men.

Tattoos in Men’s Fashion

Since the days of Jerry, tattooing has gone from strength to strength, rising through the style ranks and growing in acceptability. Parlours are popping up across the high streets from north to south – no longer restricted to basements and alleyways – TV shows such as Miami Ink are making tattoos accessible to the general public, and punters are devouring them.
Even advertising and the world of fashion have embraced the tattoo revolution, with poster campaigns full of inked individuals splashed across billboards. A quick look at the latest lookbooks from the likes of Urban Outfitters, AllSaints, Zara and Topman reveals a plethora of tattooed models showing off the season’s latest trends.
H&M recently, and most famously, jumped on the bandwagon with their collaboration alongside football superstar David Beckham, making use of the tattooed body of a cultural and style icon for their new ‘bodywear’ line:

The Debate – Tattoos

Tattoos As A Form Of Individualism

A stroll down any high street today will reveal a multitude of different designs inked onto the skins of individuals from all walks of life. Our debate is no longer restricted to outsiders. With everyone from celebrities to stay-at-home mothers, doctors to bankers and beyond sporting tattoos both discreet and obvious; what has made the art of tattooing emerge from the darkness and become a mainstream form of self-expression?
Celebrities have been the driving force behind almost every significant development in fashion and culture over the past decade. The emergence of tattoos as a normative accessory hasn’t escaped this process. You would be hard pressed to switch on the TV or pick up a paper without seeing a celebrity flaunting their latest ‘tat’. Whether it be in the form of a star behind the ear or a full intricate sleeve, all manner of icons are going under the needle with the result of a shift in mainstream attitudes.
From Megan Fox to Rihanna, Johnny Depp to Justin Timberlake, it seems everyone is trying to get a piece of the action. And this very visual demonstration of successful individuals with ink has increased the acceptance of tattoos, as well as fuelling their popularity amongst us mere mortals.

However, the surge in popularity and acceptability of tattoos does come with its drawbacks. By becoming increasingly mainstream, this ancient art form of the underground begins to lose its charm and the individuality is diminished. Even the custom artwork being inked in tattoo parlours up and down the country has often been inspired by other tattoos seen in the media, or in the depths of Internet forums.