# When did tattoos become passe?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tattoos-become-passe/777022>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 13, 2017, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tattoos-become-passe/777022 "2017-01-13T10:39:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tattoos-become-passe/777022/61 "2017-01-17T20:07:22Z")

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> [@Pabitel](#):
>
> Not sure why you are quoting me since your reply doesn’t seem to have any relevance to anything I said.  
> You apparently think something should be up to the person acquiring the tattoo. You don’t say what. So I don’t know whether to agree or disagree with you.  
> Society decided tattoos meant something, namely that you were outside the mainstream if you got one. Society doesn’t think they mean that anymore. That’s how fads work. They start out as something only the cool kids know about and end up as something the cool kids avoid like the plague.

Sorry, I think I misunderstood you. I thought you meant something along the lines of “people used to get tattoos that had great meaning to them and now they just get any old thing because they’ve become affordable.”:smack:

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**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tattoos-become-passe/777022/62 "2017-01-18T14:53:15Z")

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> [@astorian](#):
>
> This sounds like Yogi Berra’s old quip that “Nobody goes there (to Toots Shor’s bar) any more- it’s always too crowded.”

Not at all. Its more like the afore mentioned leg warmers. They went from “cutting edge fashion” to “every middle school student was wearing them” in no time at all. By the time the first middle schooler put them on they were already passe, but still very popular.

Passe means no longer fashionable or out of date, not unpopular. Given the way fashion works, almost by definition, by the time something is seen everywhere it is already passe.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tattoos-become-passe/777022/63 "2017-01-18T15:16:46Z")

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Tatt’s lost their edge when every girl from the suburbs wanted a tramp stamp. A embarrassing reminder of the 1990’s.

I occasionally see a glimpse of one when a sales lady or other worker bends over to pick up something. You can bet she graduated Class of 1996, 97 or something close to that.

I’ve never seen an attractive tat. They are just scribblings on people’s bodies. Imho

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**Author:** ![ElderSign](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eldersign/32/8263_2.png) [@ElderSign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElderSign)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tattoos-become-passe/777022/64 "2017-01-18T23:42:05Z")

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I was never into tats. Seems like an immature way to express individualism, toughness, coolness, and to get attention. My parents had no issues with me getting one, as they had some, but I never did, and never well.

I understand the subculture and passion for some.

I dispute the fact that “everyone has a tattoo” when only 14% to 29% of Americans do.

> **[Tattoo Statistics - Statistic Brain](https://www.statisticbrain.com/tattoo-statistics/)**
>
> Tattoo Statistics Data Annual amount of U.S. spending on tattoos $1,650,500,000 Total percent of Americans (all ages) who have at least one tattoo 14 % Percentage of U.S. adults 18 ...

[http://www.theharrispoll.com/health-and-life/Tattoo\_Takeover.html](http://www.theharrispoll.com/health-and-life/Tattoo_Takeover.html)

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