The Intersection of Fashion and Tattoos: Exploring New Aesthetics in 2024

Over the years, people have been constantly looking for new and unique ways to express themselves - many have managed to do so through their physical appearance. Style and aesthetics have always tended to display more than words have throughout the years.

Similarly, clothes and accessories have forever found themselves at the center of various aesthetics and sub-cultures including gothic, punk vintage, lolita y2k, gyaru, dark academia, cottagecore, and sukeban among dozens more different fashion cultures. 

An extension of this is by expressing oneself through more permanent means - such as body tattooing. Despite visible tattoos and piercings having reached mainstream popularity in recent years, it was previously deemed unprofessional and thought to been on the bodies of criminals and delinquents.

In this article, we look briefly into the history of tattoos, and how their recent popularity can work in tandem with your personal style. 

Tattooing and Cultures

Different cultures all over the world have various stories about body modifications. The history of body inking can be traced back to many demographics including Egyptians, North Americans, Chinese, Greeks, and many more cultures. 

Tattooing was done for an array of reasons including indicating social status, coming of age, achieving a certain beauty standard, during mummification, and conveying groupism and beliefs. But be it tattooing, piercings, or even stretching, the occurrence of these practices dwindled shortly after that.

The Resurgence of Tattoos and Mainstream Popularity

Recent history shows that tattoos were perceived as unacceptable and taboo, especially in Western societies. People who were adorned with them were treated with prejudice and discrimination. 

However, in the past few decades, this taboo has been flipped on its head, and the practice of being tattooed and pierced has seen renewed interest. It is now to the point where having visible tattoos and piercings has become socially acceptable - even in the workplace. 

Because of this resurgence in interest in tattoos, many people are looking to reconnect with their roots by performing their cultural body art practiced on them. The updates in technology and equipment make these procedures safer and the experience more rewarding. 

Fashion and Subcultures that Accommodate Body Inking

Apart from cultural denominations across the world, tattoos are attributed to people from different sub-cultures and aesthetics. The most commonly known ones would be alternative sub-cultures like punk, goth, and metalcore, among others. 

However, as previously mentioned, the popularity of body inking has seen its practice branch out into other aesthetics. For example, it wouldn’t look odd to see a person who adopts a vintage style having a cybersigilism-inspired tattoo, or even a person with no distinct aesthetic have a tattoo in the first place. It all boils down to personal preference. Tattoos are so in that they are now practiced for several reasons including sentimental reasons, appreciation of art, words to live by, or a fond memory; the list goes on.

The Different Tattoo Styles

If you are planning on getting a tattoo or even expanding on the ones you already have, there are multiple different tattoo styles that you can look at. By keeping to a theme, you can create a cohesive look for most of your tattoos. Some of the different styles you can look at include:

• Black and grey: These are tattoos that are predominately created with black and grey ink. This sometimes extends to blacked-out parts of your anatomy - like arms and legs.
• Japanese or Irezumi: This style of tattoo takes inspiration from Japanese folklore and artwork. It frequently features imagery from regional folklore. 
• Realism: Just as the name suggests, these tattoos resemble 3D images and have a lot of texture and depth in the artistry.
• Watercolor: These tattoos tend to resemble paintings that are done with watercolors.
• American Traditional: These tattoos feature bold imagery and are often done using primary colors like red, yellow and blue.
• Polynesian/Tribal: One of the most common tattoo styles, this style is predominantly performed in black and grey ink and exudes boldness and fearlessness. 

Incorporating Other Body Modifications with Your Style

In addition to tattoos, you can get less permanent body modifications to help elevate your style. 

• Piercings: Almost any area of your body can be pierced. The entire ear is suitable for piercing, as well as your nose, and other areas of the face - eyebrows, lips, dimple, and tongue.
• Scarification: This is a more intense version of a tattoo, essentially the design is scratched, etched, or burned onto the skin. 
• Stretching: An extra step for people with piercings. The most common areas that are known for being stretched are the ears, the lips, and even the septum of the nose. 
• Dermals: These are essentially piercings that are embedded in the layer of the skin. 

How to Match Up Jewelry According to Tattoos and Piercing

Having a tattoo or a piercing is exciting because you can change up the jewelry and vibe after the tattoo sets and the pierced area heals fully. There are several styles of jewelry that are available and can be matched as per your style. 

The material of the jewelry ranges from many precious metals such as gold and silver to more common metals like stainless steel, nickel, and copper. For those engaging in stretching, they can use jewelry made up of acrylic, wood, or even glass. For those who want more sparkle, most jewelry has gems inset in them. The variety of jewelry doesn't end there, there are different types of jewelry as well, such as loops, barbels, studs, flatbacks, and even dangly jewelry - all of which are changeable to your preferences. 

A tattoo and jewelry is a solid combination when you want to express your vibe. 

Final thoughts

Tattoos are a great way to amplify your aesthetic. Due to its popularity and social acceptance, more people are getting inked. By following a singular tattoo style and wearing jewelry of a similar vibe you can create a cohesive look for yourself. Thankfully tattoos are no longer bound to singular groups of people and can be practiced solely based on preferences and style.