Tattoo-friendly outfits: how to dress around your tattoos

Dress to frame the ink, not to compete with it: off-the-shoulder necklines for a sleeve, a side slit for a leg piece, a jacket you can take off, and solid colours next to the tattoo. The clothes give the outline; the tattoo is the print.

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Both my arms are covered in black and grey florals, with more on a leg and on my back, so I dress around them every day. The mistake I see most is clothes that compete: a busy print next to a busy sleeve, or a long sleeve that hides the best work until the end of the night.

The fix is not to show everything at once. It is to decide where the eye goes. A sleeve wants an off-the-shoulder or sleeveless neckline, or at least a sleeve that stops above the elbow. A leg piece wants a side slit, not a hemline that cuts it in half. Around all of it, solid colours and fabrics with a surface, because the tattoo is already the pattern. None of this needs a special wardrobe: it is the same tailoring, leather and satin as everything else, cut in the right places. Four rules, with the looks.

1Off-the-shoulder for a sleeve

A sleeve reads from shoulder to wrist, so the top that shows it best has no sleeves at all: a bustier, a tank, a one-shoulder bodysuit. Put something long and plain below it, wide trousers in black or in one solid colour, and the arm becomes the detail of the outfit.

Woman in a black leather cut-out bustier, black wide-leg trousers with clip straps and platform boots on a concrete roofLeather cut-out bustier with clip-strap wide-leg trousersDark tailoringWoman in a black leather cut-out bustier and terracotta satin wide-leg trousers in a sunlit white studioLeather cut-out bustier with terracotta satin trousersStatement trousersWoman in a grey ribbed tank and black satin wide-leg trousers with a tied overskirt walking through a marble colonnadeGrey ribbed tank with satin wide-leg trousers and overskirtStatement trousers

2A jacket that comes off

Tailoring and tattoos get along fine. Wear the jacket open, over the shoulders or with the sleeves pushed up, and take it off when you arrive. Underneath, keep something sleeveless, so the ink is there the moment the jacket is not. A denim jacket over a bustier works for exactly the same reason.

Woman in a cropped black leather biker jacket, satin cami and draped black satin wrap skirt with sandals in a sunlit loftLeather biker jacket with satin cami and draped wrap skirtAll blackWoman in a black blazer with gold chain trim, satin cami and slim leather trousers in a sunlit industrial loftChain-trim blazer with satin cami and leather trousersDark tailoringWoman in a cropped denim jacket, black leather bustier and charcoal wide-leg trousers on a rooftop at sunsetCropped denim jacket, leather bustier and wide-leg trousersCasual and denim

3A slit for a leg piece

A leg tattoo is rarely where a hemline ends, so let the skirt open instead. A side slit on a gown or a wrap skirt shows the piece when you walk and hides it when you sit, which is more interesting than showing it the whole time. Keep the shoes simple: thin straps, nothing that covers the ankle.

Woman in an emerald satin gown with sculpted short sleeves, a bronze waist plate and a high side slit on a concrete terraceEmerald satin gown with sculpted sleeves and a side slitEvening and sequinsWoman in a black faux leather sleeveless vest and emerald satin wrap midi skirt by tall loft windowsFaux leather halter vest and emerald satin wrap skirtSatin and slipWoman in a rust brown leather one-shoulder midi dress with pleated hem and bronze strappy sandals against concrete wallsRust leather one-shoulder midi dress with peplumLeather and lace

4Solid colour next to the ink

Black and grey work is already detailed, and colour work is already colour. Next to either, a print is noise. Choose solid fabrics with a surface: satin, leather, silk, a drape of deep green. Black and ivory never fight a tattoo; one strong colour is fine. The florals stay on the arm.

Woman in an ivory cowl-neck halter top and black leather maxi skirt with a side slit seated on a lit marble staircaseIvory cowl halter top with a black leather maxi skirtEvening and sequinsWoman in a green satin one-shoulder draped top over a black leather corset with black trousers by a concrete wallGreen satin one-shoulder drape over a leather corsetDark tailoringWoman in a black leather bustier and emerald and bronze colour-block satin skirt, seen from behind in a brick loftLeather bustier with emerald and bronze satin skirtSatin and slip

quick questions

What colours go best with tattoos?
Solid ones. Black, ivory and grey never fight black and grey work, and one deep colour such as emerald, rust or bronze sits well next to it. Keep busy prints away from the tattoo.
How do I show a sleeve tattoo in a formal outfit?
Wear a sleeveless top or a one-shoulder neckline under a blazer, then wear the blazer open or over the shoulders. The outfit stays formal and the arm still shows.
What should I wear to show a leg tattoo?
A slit rather than a short hem. A wrap skirt or a gown slit on the same side as the tattoo shows it when you move without cutting it in half.
Should I cover a new tattoo with clothes?
While it heals, follow your artist's aftercare, not a style rule: loose, clean fabric and no tight seams over it. Once it has healed, dress for it.

Dahlia

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