Easy to hide or out where everyone can see?
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
United States
July 31, 2007 6:12pm CST
When it comes to tattoos, I've always preferred tattoos that can be easily concealed. This is mainly because I have worked, and still work, in relatively conservative offices--not suit and tie type places, and fairly liberal on the politics, but still conservative in the sense that large, visible tattoos are frowned upon. So all five of my tattoos can be concealed with an average T-shirt.
Of course, the problem that I've discovered with this is that when I'm on my own time, and I want to show off my tattoos, it's a lot more difficult to do. And I can pretty much forget about showing off all five of them at the same time, unless I wear a bathing suit or tube top.
When you plan your tattoos, how much thought do you give to their concealability, or lack thereof? Do you prefer keeping your tattoos hidden, or do you want to show them off to the world? Do you ever find that your original goal of hiding or not hiding the tattoo has caused you difficulty?
9 responses
@totty1969 (1468)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I ahve seen where some artists wont even do a tat if it is on their hands, a couple of them won't go past 2/3 the arm. They lose some business, but it gives the cutomer a chance to think about it. All 27 of mine are not visible unless I go almost naked. I have nothing on my hands or from the elbow down. I am also glad I didn't get the tats on my fingers when I was 16. That would have been bad looking at then now!
1 person likes this
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
• United States
1 Aug 07
Yeah, I'm planning to avoid my hands, my feet, and the back of my neck I think that the back of my neck will be the most likely of those to get tossed out of my "rules." Both hands and feet will fade pretty easily, so I don't mind leaving them out.
@totty1969 (1468)
• United States
1 Aug 07
There was some guys here at my house today trimming the trees from the powerlines, this one guy had asian lettering down bothsides of his neck. The tats went from the ears, right down into his shirt. It was kind of cool looking, but I'm not getting nothing like that!
1 person likes this
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
1 Aug 07
My line of thinking is being able to hide them with pants and long sleeved shirts. So far I've only got 2, 1 on my left shoulder blade and one on my right ankle. But I have another ankle tattoo planned and one that will be in my inner forearm.
1 person likes this
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I think my rule is going to be 3/4 length sleeves, because I do plan to stay in the Pacific Northwest forever, but we do get a few warm days a year. I want to be able to still wear shorter sleeves occasionally. :)
(Eventually I'm going to have 1/2 sleeves and probably most of my legs covered... you know, when I'm a millionaire. :) )
@wiccania (3360)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I've been considering having one of my legs covered, actually. I have a purple and green tribal on my right ankle and I was thinking about having it extended up my leg w/ a tribal dragonfly at my hip (and the design extending from the tail) and have it go down onto the top of my foot.
I'd have to find some more tribal symbols to incorporate that have meaning before I do that though.
1 person likes this
@coffeeshot (3783)
• Australia
1 Aug 07
I have 3 tattoos and 2 of them are easily, and mostly concealed but there is one on the inside of my upper arm that can sometimes be seen if I wear singlets or vry short sleeved t-shirts. When I got all of my tattoos I really didn't think about whether or not other peoplewould be able to see them, as I got them to please myself. I have found it a bit difficult and awkward to hide my arm tattoo from my fiance's parents though. I have to wear appropriate tops to cover it up whenever we go visit them. His parents are quite conservative so I feel more comfortable covering it up. The only thing is, when I get married next year my dress will have short cap sleeves so I'm having trouble trying to ecie whether or not to cover it up or just be myself and let it show and be a punk rocker bride!
1 person likes this
@scarywhitegirl (2766)
• United States
1 Aug 07
I vote for punk rocker bride. :) If I actually have any sort of a wedding dress, I will be a punk rocker bride as well, since by then I will have my chest piece done. :)
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
9 Aug 07
i have 4 very big tats,but if i want to cover them i can by wearing pants for the one on my ankel,a higher neck shirt for the one on my shoulder blade and the other two are on my back so i can cover them with a shirt.i do like to show them off in the summer,but if i have to go somewhere that i dont want anyone to see i cover them.
@tattooedcrafter (79)
• United States
1 Aug 07
My tattoos are pretty much out in the open but I can easily cover them if I want to. I have one on my ankle, one onmy wrist and one on the back of my neck. So if I wear pants and long sleeves and wear my hair down no one can see them.
1 person likes this
@738202742 (4)
•
2 Aug 07
I do work in a suit and tie environment and have done so for many years. My tattoos are on my upper arm (2) and stomach (1). Some business shirts do pull across the arms and become semitransparent which can be a worry but most of the time nobody notices. Work mates are not such an issue but it is clients that I would have concerns about.
Short sleeved shirts are a no go at work for me (not that I would wear them to work) but I have to watch the work social thing. I did plan for ability to conceal but I had good advice from a friend in the industry that the lines of the body will dictate the location and size of a tattoo. Talk to your artist for advice
1 person likes this
@littlemissh (235)
•
1 Aug 07
I have a fir sized tattoo at the base of my spine of a sun sort of thing. I had it when i was 15 so making sure it could be concealed was a major factor in my decision of where to have it as it was one of the things that helped my parents to agree. I'm 20 now and have been wanting another one for ages now either on my foot or on my ankle, which with the type of shoes i wear would probably not be conceled much but can be when i want the only problem is i can't decide what to have.
@sassygirlanne007 (4517)
• United States
31 Dec 07
I have my tattoo on my left side where just a bit of it peeks out above my pants so this way it can be covered with the right shirt or shown off with a shorter shirt.
