2008 Woodie Awards
Tattoos add more than just color to life
By Julie Dye
Rocket Copy Editor
Issue date: 10/7/05 Section: Life
It doesn't seem so long ago that tattoos were seen only on bikers or sailors. But in recent years, having a tattoo suddenly became the "sexy" thing to do for both men and women. Personally, I have never had a problem with tattoos. They give people a chance to express themselves in a unique way and aren't always just a way to tick off your parents.
I was driving in my car one day flipping through the AM channels, when I came across a conversation a commentator was having on ESPN radio. He was talking about tattoos, and having people call in with their thoughts on them. His original topic of tattoos in sports reared in a rant about how horrible tattoos were on women, but the only people getting on air were men who were commenting on their personal preferences with women and tattoos.
So this got me thinking, what are the do's and don'ts of tattoos? They are as much a part of fashion as anything and women have a right to express themselves just much as men do.
There lies a very distinct line between men and women when it comes to appropriate tattoos. A woman with a tattoo is going to have a much more difficult time with acceptance than a man would.
It's not that most men say they don't like women with tattoos, because they can be quite sexy, but the content and the placement has to be right. Having a giant skull on your cheek probably won't fly for you ladies, and content does matter.
After perusing through some various tattoo sites that contained pictures of thousands of tattoos, I was able to compile a list of the most popular styles for men and women, as well as the worst.
For women, the choices were fairly easy. If a woman is going to have a tattoo, men will still prefer something that is feminine. So ladies, here are my top three best picks:
Flowers-Anything from the traditional rose tattoo to a lily is a good choice. Flowers display a profound sense of femininity and grace, and that's not an easy thing to accomplish in a tattoo. Crosses-Men don't mind a woman who expresses her beliefs through a tattoo, but there is one very important rule here: SIZE REALLY MATTERS. Having a cross the size of a golf ball will provoke a much more curious response than one that is the size of a basketball; that will only cause question for concern.
I was driving in my car one day flipping through the AM channels, when I came across a conversation a commentator was having on ESPN radio. He was talking about tattoos, and having people call in with their thoughts on them. His original topic of tattoos in sports reared in a rant about how horrible tattoos were on women, but the only people getting on air were men who were commenting on their personal preferences with women and tattoos.
So this got me thinking, what are the do's and don'ts of tattoos? They are as much a part of fashion as anything and women have a right to express themselves just much as men do.
There lies a very distinct line between men and women when it comes to appropriate tattoos. A woman with a tattoo is going to have a much more difficult time with acceptance than a man would.
It's not that most men say they don't like women with tattoos, because they can be quite sexy, but the content and the placement has to be right. Having a giant skull on your cheek probably won't fly for you ladies, and content does matter.
After perusing through some various tattoo sites that contained pictures of thousands of tattoos, I was able to compile a list of the most popular styles for men and women, as well as the worst.
For women, the choices were fairly easy. If a woman is going to have a tattoo, men will still prefer something that is feminine. So ladies, here are my top three best picks:
Flowers-Anything from the traditional rose tattoo to a lily is a good choice. Flowers display a profound sense of femininity and grace, and that's not an easy thing to accomplish in a tattoo. Crosses-Men don't mind a woman who expresses her beliefs through a tattoo, but there is one very important rule here: SIZE REALLY MATTERS. Having a cross the size of a golf ball will provoke a much more curious response than one that is the size of a basketball; that will only cause question for concern.
