The tattoo style that was famous among stars and fans alike in the late ’90s and 2000s—better known as the tramp stamp—is back, compliments of Cardi B and Dakota Johnson, among others. And, it’s not quite the same.
A 2004 SNL sketch heralded the trend’s departure when it mockingly recommended “Turlington’s Lower Back Tattoo Remover,” and it has been out of fashion for nearly two decades, even though it was flaunted by the likes of Britney Spears, Aaliyah, and Christina Ricci, as well as other notable stars.
Highlights
- Once flaunted by Britney Spears and Aaliyah, the “tramp stamp” is staging a comeback.
- A 2004 SNL sketch is credited with turning public opinion against the lower-back tattoo trend.
- Today’s stars like Cardi B and Halsey are reclaiming the look, but placing it in far more intimate areas.
The new fad, also seen on Olivia Wilde and Halsey, favors locations below the belt line, in intimate areas that in another generation would have remained hidden.
Women are having their husbands’ names tatted on their butts
Image credits: iamcardib
Social media is on the front lines of the trend. A TikTok account called Tuff Tattoos underscored the sentiment when the author, a well-groomed woman, showed off an ink design reaching from below her shorts and down her thigh.
The video calls out the perception of females with tattoos on their behinds as being “trashy,” with one fan saying: “I always laugh at people when they make comments about my [peach emoji] tattoo.”
In another video, three “besties” can be seen defying the age-old warning against the tattooing of partners’ names.
Image credits: iamhalsey
The end result: their husbands’ names inked onto their backsides.
The new “tramp stamp” is worn way below the waistline
These trends, if not initiated by them, have since been embraced by some of showbiz’s most popular names.
Rapper Cardi B, for example, sports a massive floral piece that covers most of her back before diving below her bikini line, casting a bright swathe of red on her left hip and down her thigh.
Image credits: iamhalsey
Without Me songstress, Halsey, has also dabbled in the trend, albeit rather conservatively, opting instead for a relatively small-fonted “Hopeless” on her left butt cheek.
The ink is located below her waistline and out of sight when wearing conventional clothing. Be that as it may, the chart topper was sure to show it off on Instagram in a transparent lacey skirt.
Men are also diving into the trend
Image credits: halsey/DonsLens
The trend is not limited to women. Lizzie McGuire star, Hillary Duff’s husband, Matthew Koma joined the ranks when he had his wife’s name tattooed on his left butt cheek.
He indicated that he is well aware of the ramifications of such a move when he captioned the picture:
“Good luck winning a fight with your wife when her name’s tattooed on your butt cheek.”
Image credits: curated_lifestyle
“Tramp stamp,” came the age-old moniker in response.
“Did you lose a BET? To Hilary and if so what was it? I just hope you don't have to get REMOVED or cover up,” wrote another, probing for a backstory.
“THAT WAS MY IDEA FOR MY WIFE’S NAME!” wrote one commenter, proving that Koma was not the only male so inclined.
Image credits: officialmelb
The ink work seemed to create expectations among other women, one of whom summed up the sentiment when she tagged her significant other and said:
“I need you to tattoo my name on your butt ASAP.”
Some see the comeback as a power move for women
Image credits: oliviawilde
The media has since officiated the growing trend. The Los Angeles-based KTLA 5 reported three months ago that “Gen Z is bringing back the lower back tattoo.”
“Tattoo artists say it’s coming back in a big way and it’s actually a power move for women,” the outlet reported.
Image credits: oliviawilde
But according to anchor Andy Riesmeyer, it is about more than just s*x appeal, and one woman claimed “getting a lower back tattoo allows women to reclaim a negative stereotype.”
But not everybody agrees
“Empowerment is having the restraint to not do trashy things like getting tats,” wrote one person in response to a rerun posted on YouTube.
Image credits: rubenaguayo_ink
“As a woman… this is dumb,” wrote another. “If I want to get a tramp stamp I will but nothing about it speaks empowerment to me.”
One user even went as far as calling for the outlet to be deported.
Some people see the trend's evolution as even worse
