Tattoos and tattoo art are not a modern invention. They have been around for hundreds of years, and each decade brought new tattoo artists, new looks or new trends to the art. To prove how old an invention tattoos are is the fact that the first tattoo machine was made in 1891! However, it took over 80 years for tattoos to become socially accepted and for them to become part of our body accessories and way of living.

With trends growing and changing, the tattoo art industry has been more accepted in our society and they are not as frowned upon by employees anymore in a great amount. However, depending on the tattoo design and placement, some employees might not be happy to give you the job. But we all should be judged based on our preferences and qualifications rather than on our tattoos. So, be mindful and careful when picking the design of your first or next tattoo, just in case.

A little bit of history

Each decade and era had their trends and popular body art, and at the beginning they were only reserved for seaman and circus performers. But, as trends changed and tattoos became more accepted, we had trends such as nautical themes and motives, skulls and crossbones, dragons, barbed wires and tribal designs.

As the whole tattoo art progressed and more and more people decided to get them, the variations, colors, shapes and sizes grew. So, today, in 2010s we have some of the newest and most interesting tattoo trends.

Location, location, location

The tattoos in 2010s are the pinnacle of trends and it is not about what you get anymore; rather is about where you get it. The placement of your tattoo today is almost as important as the design, and trends of tattoo 2010s is all about that.

One of the most popular trends are small finger tattoos and they leave a lot of room for your creativity. However, the most popular small finger tattoo of 2010s are the novelty moustache.

Also, many celebrities are “to blame” for the newest and hottest tattoo trends. Thus, we have Rihanna who is almost the queen of tattoo 2010 trends, since with each new tattoo she sets a new trend, even 10 years after she came onto the scene. So, for this decade she started a trend of underboob tattoos. Women all over the world have started getting tattoos on that part of their body, and they certainly are epic.

One unusual, but interesting placement of tattoos in 2010 decade is the armpit. It’s one of the newest trends and people are going crazy for it, however, it can be quite painful to get those.

Shapes and designs

This trend is not about the placement as it is about the shape and design. Infinity tattoos are hotter than ever in this decade, as well as the feather ones. No matter if such tattoos are on your finger, forearm, shoulder, back or a thigh, you won’t make a mistake.

Another design that’s making a comeback are the tribal designs, but they are different than those from the 90s. The new tribal designs have more detailed design and are often larger pieces, such as sleeves for example.

Lastly, watercolor tattoos are very popular at the moment, but it is still not sure how long is this one going to last.

These tattoo placements and designs are one for the most popular ones in 2010s, however, don’t be surprised if you still see some other old trends on the market. Another thing that is hot right now are geometrical shapes or all black lines and shapes, since they are quite minimalistic.

So, there you have it. Those are the hottest shapes and designs for this decade. Of course, there are thousands of variations in color, shapes and techniques and there is certainly something for every tattoo lover. Tattoos are certainly here to stay for numerous more decades and who knows what can we expect in the next one, but they can only get better. 

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