Sleeve Tattoos for Girls? The Feminine Cult of Art

"The times, they are 'a changin'..."

So constant, yet so true. Especially in the world of tattoos. If there was ever an utter explosion of artistic creativity and popularity, it's in the form of skin-art. Look around your city during spring or summer: what do you see? Ink, ink and more ink.

Let the doors burst asunder.

I don't know about you, my friends, but while I was growing-up, and even up to my teens, tattoos were taboo. If you weren't a biker, gang member or tattooist, you had to think very long, and very hard before committing yourself to the life of a pariah. Tattoos were the arena of outlaws and criminals...or at least that's what we believed at the time.

I've been around the tattoo world for over 20 years, and if you asked me what sparked this revolution, I would be at a loss for words. I don't know. Even with all my experience, I am amazed at just how many people--and the range of people--are hitting their local tattoo shops: jocks, preps, nerds, businessmen and women and celebrities.

This brings me to my subject: girls (or women, depending on your word-choice) with sleeve tattoos. Nope, sleeve tattoos ain't just for men anymore!

I think it's absolutely wonderful, personally. I've been quite curious as to how many women in the past who really, really wanted sleeve tattoos didn't get them because society said it was a no-no. I'm quite certain that had it not been for those few gutsy women who said to hell with what society thinks and tatted themselves regardless, are the pioneers that gave their modern counterparts the freedom to show-off skin-art without becoming social heretics.

Girls with sleeve tattoos are sexy, sensual, and let's face it men--a bit intimidating. Men are sometimes unnerved when a woman asserts her will. Besides, tattoos are supposed to be a "man's" thing, aren't they? There are those of us males, however, who would be perfectly content if all women were tattooed. Okay, that's a small number of us, but I'm one of them (wink).

It says something positive about our society, I believe, that the stigma of women and tattoos, and especially women will full-sleeve tattoos, is shrinking into nothingness. That is how it should be. If it doesn't harm anyone else, and women feel drawn to tattoos, then why not? I think this world is stuffy enough as it is.