Apparently, we still are not at the peak of tattooing yet in the West, as an article in the Telegraph predicts this won't be until 2025. source
Why has tattooing graduated from being associated with sailors, criminals and biker gangs, to trendy and so widely popular, especially with the younger generation?
"Tattoos, suddenly, are everywhere. According to one survey this month, a fifth of all British adults have now been inked (as contemporary usage has it). Among 16- to 44-year-olds, both men and women, the figure rises to 29%. Only 9% of over 60s have one, according to a survey of 1,000 adults by the Ask Jeeves website, but 16% of people aged between 30 and 44 have two. The survey, while not entirely scientific, is in line with a 2008 US study showing that 36% of Americans aged 18-25, 40% of those aged 26-40 and 10% of those aged 41-64 have a tattoo. America, Woody reckons, is "probably about a decade ahead in terms of popularity" source
"Once, this was a class thing: tattoos were for soldiers, sailors, bikers and criminals. Borderline deviant behaviour. Now the prime minister's wife has one (a dolphin, just below the ankle)." source
Another driving force could be the rise of tattooed celebrities. Many individuals have certain idols they look up to, or see in the media being praised, or getting a lot of attention on social media such as Instagram. If these individuals have tattoos, such as David Beckham, this normalises the artform and places it in a new social position. Bands such as One Direction have an abundance of tattoos amongst them, which could be one of the driving forces in the influence of tattoos amongst the younger generation.
Ten years ago in the UK, there was around 300 tattoo parlours, now, there is over 1,500. There is no doubt that it is a growing business and the tattoo trend works directly in its favour.
No comments:
Post a Comment