Once upon a time, I was 17 and easily influenced. The giant tribal tattoo sitting above my bum is testament to that. Unfortunately, I loathe mine - so much so that, a few years back, I took decisive action to have it removed.
It was a procedure that proved so torturous, I managed two sessions before calling time. The half-faded, blotchy something on my back looks far worse than the original. If I really unpack why I feel so much shame about my tattoo, it's not the design or placement itself, but the slut-shaming association that's been linked into it.
The tramp stamp, as it was not-so fondly nicknamed, has always been a misnomer for me and many other women, insinuating that we're 'that kind of girl' - the sort who's 'well up for it'.
Years later, I can't help but feel it still conjures up the outdated, misogynistic ideas we've worked so hard to leave behind. I keep the remains of my tattoo well hidden, just in case someone sees it and instantly decides that I'm trashy with questionable morals though still making an excellent dinner companion. So when I saw lower-back tattoos were back in fashion - riding on the wave of the '90s low-rise jean revival - I was shook.
But thanks to ballsy GenZ-ers, these tats are everything mine isn't. The latest iterations are handwritten fine line wording - a part of a larger tattoo trend. We're doing 10 a week of that style all over the body', says Turley. And our beauty team at Grazia are all over this too.
