Wednesday 7 September 2011

Too many tattoos spoil the broth


Tattoos in the 21st century have become something that isn't really that big a deal anymore and I've always been a personal lover of them as you've probably seen in many of my photos that I put up every now and again. However everyone seems to think I'm covered in them, when in all honesty, I don't think I've got that many compared to a lot of people nowadays, which got me thinking: when is enough... really enough? 

My love for tattoos started many years ago, my dad's always had them and because I've always been a tad on the alternative side whether it was goth, punk, hippy (you name it I've been it) ,I've always had a soft spot for people covered in pretty pictures. I knew by the time I was 16 that I wanted a hell of a lot of them. So I started there and then getting my first one, underage and with a naff flash piece of what is a set of playing cards on the top of my right arm. When I first got it I was obsessed and wanted to show my arm off at every chance possible, but 5 years on and I've got to say it's my worst tattoo because It was just picked at random and the quality isn't all that good,but I'm quite glad it still fits in with my style and who I am and I didn't decide to have it planted right in the middle of my arm like you see so much of now.

It doesn't look that bad in pictures in all honest but close up, yuck!!

From then on, each year I pretty much got another tattoo and now I've got a whopping number of 6, my favourite of which is my half sleeve I designed myself a few years ago at college in Art history (see college was useful for me!)  and also my back piece of lilies I've got going from top to the bottom, this was the most painful one yet, because I've got quite a skinny back, I felt every needle going in and out of my skin, it wasn't nice to say the least.

My sleeve and chest tattoos
My back-nowhere near finished but it's so pretty!

Recently me and my fella were talking about what tattoos we wanted next and I said to him that I wanted to get a half sleeve (or sleeve) on my right arm to even it up with my left arm and get my back finished and possibly something on my thigh. His reaction to this was "Don't get too many more because you'll look butch". I was in shock, how could my boyfriend who always said I looked beautiful think I could look butch?!

But then I started to think about it and to a degree (only ever so slightly) he was right, even though I do love a good tat (ooh er). I think when you've got a certain look, i.e a vintage look then a lot of tattoos can be a bit too much,not saying that women look butch, because I know a lot of beautiful ladies who are covered in tattoos and they carry it off so well but I think as an individual you have to know your limits and what suits you. In Lowestoft I noticed ages ago older women walking around with lots of tattoos and they did look butch, with a picture of winnie the pooh plonked on their boob, this wasn't a good look.

The Gorgeous Cherry Dollface sporting her tattoos,

An older lady I found on google images, is this what I could turn into??

It also depends on how "vintage" you want to look, because most enthusiasts are never going to be something that stepped out of a time machine because they are still using their modern technology such as the Internet and mobile phones, so in that respect tattoos work OK to a degree. I guess it all depends on who you are as a person and how  you perceive them. I like to think that I won't look butch because my tattoos are suited to my lifestyle and I've actually thought about where I want them, who I want them done by etc etc. I think some people in older generations possibly didn't think as much about what tattoos they wanted years ago and there was less choice, lower quality equipment blah blah and that was quite possibly why they were looked upon badly and now why some women appear 'butch'. I'm quite a philosopher when I put my mind to it, well so I like to think.

After all this I say I'm not going to get many more, I definitely want a half sleeve, it's just finding the pennies to do it. But knowing me I'll probably go against myself and end up being covered head to foot, now that'll be a good look...

Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx

7 comments:

  1. I think it depends on how you are and how you dress as to whether you would look butch or not - that old lady in the picture looks butch because she's wearing quite manly looking clothes (from what I can see), if she was wearing a dress or a more feminine top she probably wouldn't look so butch! I think it definitely depends on how you are as a person - and you are incredibly beautiful and feminine looking so I definitely wouldn't worry about looking butch if I were you - its impossible!!
    Sam xx

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  2. I love tattoo and I have three... but I am more into little black ones! I think tattoos can be really meaningful in addition to beautiful ... but enough is enough ... I don't really like people all covered up... I find it a little disturbing

    XoXo
    Plami

    http://fashion-thrill.blogspot.com/

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  3. I completely agree! I just googled that picture of the old lady, it was actually quite hard trying to find pictures of butch women haha but thank you!! :)
    I like the fact I'm not the only one that thinks this! :)
    xxx

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  4. Awesome post! Tattooed women are amazing. I love it when old women and men have tattoos, I find them so interesting and they always have a story behind them. :)

    http://fashionjunkdaily.blogspot.com/

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  5. Thank you :) Oh yes definitely, I'll be one of those old ladies one day haha :)

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  6. I totally agree with you. I think everyone who dresses vintage or lives a vintage lifstyle has some choices to make about tatooing. I, myself never had any and won't but many others do. Its a personal choice. I think youre are lovely. It truly is a wk of art!

    xox Bunny
    http://themusingsandadventuresofapinupmama.blogspot.com/

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  7. I definitely think that lots of people look gorgeous with tattoos (and yours are seriously great-I love them!) but I've always been nervous about getting them because 1) I don't know if there's any image I could commit to and 2) how they look as people age. I really like them but I think it's like you said-you have to go with what feels right for you and know what fits with your personality.
    -Meagan
    http://spunkychateau.blogspot.com

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