TATTOOS
Love them or hate them, tattoos are really popular nowadays in the UK. What do you think of tattoos?
In Britain, mainly sailors, prisoners and bikers used to have tattoos. They were considered as a sign of being a rebel. However, now they are popular with all kinds of people and it’s pretty normal to have a tattoo these days.
1) Which design?
Japanese and Chinese characters, and loved ones’ names are among the most popular designs today. Women often prefer smaller designs like stars and flowers and men are into much bigger images. Many well-known Brits have tattoos. Here are some of them:
• David Beckham has his kids’ names on his back.
• Victoria Beckham has stars on her back to symbolise the members of her family.
• Kate Moss has a small crown on her shoulder.
• Samantha Cameron, wife of the former British Prime Minister, has a dolphin tattooed on her ankle.
2) Tattoo Events
There are annual tattoo events that attract thousands of visitors such as the International London Tattoo Convention and the Brighton Tattoo Convention. At these events you can get a tattoo done or see human bodies completely covered in tattoos.
3) Age
Tattoos are not just for the young. Many people are now going for their first tattoo in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s.
4) History
A professor of sociology has studied the history of tattooing in the West. According to the professor, it was fashionable for rich people to have small tattoos in 19th-century Europe. These tattoos were designs which represented their families. The professor explains that tattoos have gone in and out of fashion over the years. Very rich people had tattoos before they became a symbol of working class masculinity. Now they are also a middle-class symbol.
Text adapted from British Council’s Website for Teens