Eye on Fashion: Are tattoos a good or bad trend?

Rutendo Chidawanyika

FASHION is not limited to clothes, shoes and hair; body piercing and tattoos fall under fashion as well. Tattoos have become a huge trend over the years. They have a long history and are well known from various cultures in Asia, Africa and America.

Tattoos were initially assigned affiliations to certain groups, gangs and societies. In some cultures tattoos were and are still used for adornment purposes, as accessories. People used to get tattoos to show that they are part of the culture of the people around them.

Skip to 2016, everyone who wishes to have a tattoo is free to, you don’t need to be part of a group. Some people now get tattoos to mark accomplishments or the passage into a new life stage. Most teenagers get tattoos to rebel against the dominant culture or their parents. People want to feel special and look different. A tattoo can be one’s trademark.

Tattoos send a message to those that see them. They are favoured for making a fashion statement. If you want to express your own unique and individual style any form of body art or modification achieve that. Some may use tattoos to cover up scar tissue, such as a tattoo on the lower abdomen after an operation to cover up the scar. Apparently these type of tattoos have been proved to be healing and help to improve the body appearance and boost confidence.

While the reasons people get tattoos are many, the end result is always the same. It’s permanent! In as much as people favour tattoos, being permanent is not the only downside. Tattoos don’t make you cool or edgy anymore. The problem isn’t just that everybody has a tattoo; the problem is that tattoos have lost their definitive aspect: EDGINESS. From granddads to uncles and nieces, anyone can get a tattoo.

Back in the day people who had tats looked cooler but now you almost feel sorry for them, especially when the person has aged and the skin has shrunk. The more you age the more the tattoo looks outdated. That butterfly you had inked on your belly in 2006, is not as cool now.

The other problem is that when you have a tattoo you will still get discriminated against. In some workplaces tattoos are acceptable, it all depends on your career. When being interviewed for an office job and you have a visible tattoo, chances are pretty high you will not get hired, no matter how qualified you are.

Tattoos on the face, neck and hands may cause problems in your career life. In the workplace people with visible tattoos are usually judged, employers may feel it will tarnish the organisation’s image. Some people they get tattoos because they fall in love, (worst mistake). Most regret getting a girlfriends’ name inked, because when they broke up, they had to have another tattoo to cover up that name.

Tattoos can be great pieces of art on the body, especially if done professionally. Trends come and go but tattoos are permanent. Think about it before getting your body inked. Some people have sensitive skins that will react badly to the ink.

Never get it done during the heat of the moment, or because you want to fit in. If you love getting tattoos that’s ok too.

Not every trend is for everyone anyway.

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