To wear one's tattoos

Hello Beautiful!

The other day I went into Nottingham’s Waterstones in search of a new book to satisfy my shopaholic needs (I’ve been band from buying pretty much anything else so I decided to use a wormhole and do that.)

Whenever I do go book shopping, Waterstones is my shop of choice. To me, it just feels more homely and the way the books are set just makes the experience that little more enjoyable.

Anyway, back to my point, I had just finished browsing through the media section when I decided to find where fashion was.

After a little search I came across it; from Vogue covers to male fashion to trends of the last billionth section it was there.

However, there was a group of books there that I did not expect to see.

Amongst the fashion-help books, I came across numerous amounts of books about tattoos & the different types of designs.

It came to make me think: do we see tattoos as more of a fashion statement rather than the artistic freedom of expression it really is?

As the owner of three tattoos (a large Marilyn Monroe quote, Greyscale roses & a pin up girl) I know the responsibility or commitment of having a tattoo (I have these all in places that I can cover due to prejudice against tattoos in the workplace.)

I'll admit, I have definitely seen a somewhat 'fashion trend' when it comes to tattoos - you have the swallows, the dandelion that seeds turn into birds, 'Only god can judge me', the list goes on.. 

However, I don't think tattoos should be seen as a fashion trend.

By reasoning behind this is every year, we experience numerous amounts of fashion trends and we may fall in love with one trend; turning our whole wardrobe around to fit around this trend. 

But in time, you'll discover new trends - forgetting or even resenting the previous trend that you described as 'perfect'. 

I have always found tattoos to be an artistic freedom of expression; a little token of yourself that you can put on display for the world to see and whenever anyone asks for some advice on tattoos, I always say the same thing: 'Make sure it means something to you.'

My reasoning behind this is if it means something to you, whether it be to remember a lost one or to show how you've overcome an obstacle in your life, you will be less likely to regret it in later life. 

It is becoming a popular trend to get a tattoo and then getting it laser removed in a few years time.

I'm completely understanding if it is a poor design or an ex's name (bad move, FYI) but what was the point of getting a tattoo if you're going to waste even more money getting it removed in a few years time? I just don't see the logic behind it. 

Tattoos should not be seen as a fashion accessory; trends come and go – a tattoo is for life. 

What are your thoughts on tattoos? Fashion or Art?