The Latest Tattoo Trend Is All About Looking To The Past
Nostalgia has dominated the cultural conversation as of late, influencing everything from TV show reboots and modern film adaptations to fashion trends and makeup looks. Apparently, tattoos are no exception to this retro revival, with modern ink lovers finding inspiration in designs of the '90s and early 2000s.
"I think nostalgia is currently a prominent theme in tattooing. Much like in fashion right now, it seems like a lot of the imagery that was considered 'trashy' when it emerged now has a chic, modern feel to it," tattoo artist David Bernier told Byrdie.
This definitely seems to be the case with lower back tattoos, informally known as "tramp stamps," which are the newest-old tattoo trend appearing on our social media feeds. While these pieces have been negatively associated with promiscuity (hence the name), Gen Z is embracing all the kitschy aspects of Y2K style by bringing them back into fashion. Check out some of our favorite tattoo designs for tramp stamp inspiration.
Cyber Sigilism lower back tattoos
You won't be able to scroll through a tramp stamp hashtag without spotting quite a few Cyber Sigilism designs. If you're unfamiliar, this is a popular but controversial style of tattoo that's defined by its jagged, abstract lines. Critics of Cyber Sigilism, also known as neo-tribal, see it as an extension of culturally appropriative tribal tattoos that were previously super popular.
While we do find some of these tramp stamps super cute, such as the bat-winged heart design shown off by @hurts.l3ut.so.good, the criticisms of this tattoo style are worth considering before committing to a permanent tattoo.
'90s butterfly tramp stamp
Butterfly motifs were super popular back in the '90s, appearing on everything from hair clips to body jewelry. With the resurgence of the tramp stamp, it seems that this design is also becoming trendy again.
In this way, you can take inspiration from pop icon Mariah Carey by incorporating the '90s butterfly motif into your own lower back tattoo. For such a piece, you could go hyper-realistic and detailed, cute and cartoony, or even spikey and simple like the tattoo shown off by @liochyuu.
Barbed wire-inspired tattoo
Similar to the rise of butterfly motifs, barbed wire designs are another staple of the '90s that are coming back into fashion alongside lower-back tattoos. As mentioned by David Bernier in Byrdie, these pieces were popularized by Pamela Anderson, who committed to a barbed-wire armband during the filming of the movie "Barb Wire."
While Anderson eventually got her own tattoo removed, that hasn't stopped celebrities and tattoo lovers from re-embracing barbed wire designs. As an example, we love the symmetrical simplicity of the piece featured by @sequoiarosetattoo.
Nostalgia on nostalgia design
Nostalgia often has us turning to childhood franchises and favorites to reminisce about simpler times. When tattoo designs inspired by these classic cartoons or old toys are combined with the '90s and Y2K nostalgia of lower back tattoos, the resulting piece can look like an epic combination of nostalgia on nostalgia.
For instance, we love the tattoo highlighted by @pinkat.rabiscadora, which features a tramp stamp of the Barbie logo surrounded by cartoony flowers. Not only does this cute design remind us of our childhood, but it's also pretty timely with the upcoming release of Greta Gerwig's live-action "Barbie" movie.
Flower power tramp stamps
Flower designs never seem to go out of style, which makes them great contenders for lower back tattoos. When it comes to this pattern, there are lots of different art styles to choose from, ranging from watercolor and abstract to hyper-detailed and traditional American.
Personally, we're big fans of the tramp stamp shown off by @sklaw_, which depicts folk-style flowers in orange and red. The color scheme reminds us of classic '70s patterns, which makes the overall design even more appealing.
Simple text tattoos
Another modern rendition of the resurging tramp stamps features simple text phrases in stylized fonts. While sayings and phrases are nothing new in tattoo designs, they seem to be especially popular right now for lower-back tattoos. This makes them a great option for your own tattoo design.
The piece featured in the Instagram post from @pixi.tt is a great example of stylish, but simple tramp stamps featuring text. We love the gothic font used for the phrase, which reads "made with love," and gives the tattoo an edgy vibe.