Tattoos are not a new practice by any means. They have existed ever since ancient history in many forms, often tied to traditional societies and practices imbued with meaning, while some are there to convey information.
In modern times, they have become more individualistic, and the styles are constantly changing. Let’s look at tattoo trends in America from the 50s onwards.
In the 1950s, tattoos were not typically seen as mainstream and accessible, but they flourished in motorcycle gangs and among people in prison. Biker men would sometimes tattoo their women to mark them as their possessions.
The art of tattooing also progressed in the decade, with larger, more colorful tattoos being made in more sanitary conditions than before.
A major step back for tattoos came in 1961 when New York City banned them after a hepatitis outbreak, and the ban lasted 36 years. Tattoo art continued to progress, though, with classic designs such as anchors and pin-up girls being upgraded with better coloring and detail.
Celebrities were also starting to get tattooed more frequently, making the practice move into a more respectable realm.
With the countercultural movements of the late 60s making a huge impact on popular culture, tattoos had become more acceptable, and as women started to get tattooed more and more, designs such as flowers and peace signs flourished.
The use of colors became more widespread as well, building off of the advancements of previous decades.
In the 1980s, tattoos saw a range of cultural influences coming into play. Celtic knots became popular, as did Chicano style tattoos.
Tribal tattoos became more popular as greater historical knowledge of tattoos became known, and people used tattoos to assert group identities. Many tattoo artists would specialize in particular styles of tattoos, serving specific communities.
In the 90s, young women were getting more tattoos, as was reflected in celebrities including Drew Barrymore and Angelina Jolie. This meant that small tattoos of more feminine symbols, such as hearts and butterflies, were becoming popular, often on shoulders, lower backs, or ankles.
Barbed wire tattoos, usually encircling an arm, were popular as well and could be seen on Pamela Anderson in the film Barb Wire.
People began to turn to tattoos with Chinese and Japanese letters, often with little knowledge of what they mean. While some people would go for tattoos that had meaning to them, oftentimes they just liked how it looked, and speakers of the language would be perplexed to see pure nonsense tattooed on somebody.
The commonly made jokes on the matter did not stop these Asian language tattoos from becoming extremely popular.