Tramp stamp. Yucko.

Tattoos used to be edgy. Now that everybody has one, tattoos say sheeple.

My kids are millennials and they will describe some on as….ya know, they have tattoos.
Translation, someone to avoid.

Tattoos aren’t trashy; they are dated. (Couldn’t resist the classic DCUM slam.)

To quote Lisa Simpson:
"Oh, how rebellious!..."
(Then, with an eyeroll)
"in a conformist kind of way".

OMG. This. This.
to me, a GenXer---the prevalence of GenZ tattoos makes me think that an entire generation has chosen to permanently affix their plaid bell bottoms (70s) or Big Hair (80s) or [insert cringe-worthy fashion choice of particular era] to themselves PERMANENTLY. I noticed a lovely young woman in front of me in yoga the other day and I had to stop for a minute to try to figure out why I thought she was so striking. It was because her shoulders, legs and arms were completely in their natural state and did not look like she had been attacked by a 5 year old with a sticker book. I have a 24 yo who has embraced this sticker book look and it just makes me so sad. She hates the way she wore her hair in her senior HS photo---there's probably a strong likelihood in 8 years she will be embarrassed by the amazingly banal (but huge) design she has embossed on her forearm.

To quote Lisa Simpson:
"Oh, how rebellious!..."
(Then, with an eyeroll)
"in a conformist kind of way".

I’m a millennial who doesn’t like tattoos though I wouldn’t say they’re necessarily “trashy.” I’d never get one myself but I think sometimes they can look alright on others. Most of them don’t look that good IMO, though. Most of the time I see them I’m thinking “why would you want that [particular word/phrase/image] on your body forever?” Like a mermaid or a Chinese character and you’re not Chinese or some Bible verse is SO meaningful to you that you want it permanently on your skin? I just don’t get it. I could understand if it is your kid’s name or something—obviously that will always be meaningful but some of the tattoos I see I just think that person must regret getting that 20 years ago when they thought butterflies were so cool or they probably will regret it at some point.

Many.

I’d never get a tattoo, they look awful!

I always judged myself for not liking tattoos
I never said my honest opinion about them to anyone ! Im glad to see I’m not alone. I feel they are trashy 100%, unprofessional, disrespectful to one’s own body and skin, distortion to one’s beauty! It’s ugly no matter what.

I'm 37 and my husband (38) and siblings (33 and 30) all think tattoos are... I don't want to say trashy, but yeah. I actually think some people's tattoos are cool and some tattoos are awful. I much prefer a tattoo with a special meaning rather than just something someone thought was pretty.

There's an outside possibility I would get a tattoo if there was something I wanted on my body at all times, but it's like a 1 in 1000 possibility.

I am older millennial ‘86 and do not have a tattoo and would not get one. My husband is same age and thinks tattoos as trashy. My siblings, all millennials, up to ‘95 do not have them. I have friends who have discreet tattoos. I see someone who is willing to have a tattoo in a visible place as making a very specific type of commitment. Doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad but I notice it. If asked I would discourage getting one unless of particular personal significance and also discreet.

I'm a millennial (albeit an older one) and I do not have a tattoo, neither does my husband. Among my UMC childhood friends I would guess about 1/4-1/3 have a small tattoo that is not obvious in location or is very small, usually ankles/feet, behind the ear, shoulder, back of the neck, hip, etc. Maybe 5% have more obvious ones. They are more common among friends I have met in other circumstances like at work/gym/volunteering, so I think there's maybe some variation geographically and by social strata.

It's not my aesthetic and I think they look a bit silly as you age, but I wouldn't say all of them are trashy. Some of them are definitely trashy.

I'm an older millennial (1983) and I have one that I got at the end of senior year with my friends from boarding school. A majority of my friends don't have them, but a strong minority do. While many wouldn't get one and would discourage their kids from getting one because of the perception of others' judgment, they generally know too many people with one to subscribe to a generalization like "tattoos are trashy." FWIW, I went to preppy private schools my whole life and am in biglaw now. I am very risk-averse, though not neurotic.

Anonymous wrote:I am a millennia born in ‘93. I don’t have tattoos, and none of my close friends do. We all met at law school and are risk averse, neurotic biglaw types. That said, I work with plenty of tattooed attorneys.

I don’t think tattoos are trashy, but when I see a tattoo on a peer I find them an interesting data point that signals some combination of willingness to take risk, attention seeking and youthful rebellion. Among peers, I see few poorly executed tattoos, but many that are trite. I also have a lot of respect for tattoo artists (at least the good ones!) because tattooing seems to be one of the only viable ways to make money by producing art in one’s own style on a daily basis.

^^ The kids are alright.