Wearing formal attire requires one to have a combination of the appropriate accessories, hairstyle and makeup to ensure that the person looks and feels their best. Regardless of whether it’s patterned hose, a jeweled minaudiere or a delicate updo, the accoutrements that accompany a dress make a significant impact on the overall look that the wearer is attempting to achieve. However the issue that must be considered when it comes to taboo fashion is whether or not tattoos serve to detract or enhance a woman’s appearance when they are wearing them.
Zoe Kravits rocks subtle tattoos with formal attire on the red carpet.
Tattoos have become extremely popular in recent years – in the past, they were common among seamen and the military set however their popularity has now soared and body art has subsequently become relatively mainstream. Moreover, blogs are filled with photos of celebrities at galas and awards ceremonies wearing beautiful, expensive couture dresses with their tattoos prominently displayed on their backs and arms or peeking surreptitiously from their décolletage. Some fashion experts and blog commentators take a hard-line approach and argue that the taboo fashion combo is simply a faux pas and completely takes away from the beauty and elegance of a formal dress. Others appear to be more objective stating that the amount, type and location of the body art is what makes the difference between it being tacky and tasteful.
Angelina Jolie is one of the best examples of a major celebrity who has chosen to eschew the unwritten rules that exist with taboo fashion with respect to the issue by displaying her body art whenever she’s on the red carpet. Thus, the UN Goodwill ambassador, Oscar-winning movie star, activist and humanitarian with the contrasting bad girl persona freely allows her body art to tell the story of her life. Regardless of what haute couture Balenciaga, Gucci or Thakoon dress she may be wearing, Jolie’s tattoos serve to reflect who she is apart from glamour, beauty and fame. Hence it stands to reason that tattoos can do the same for the average woman. Regardless, one’s focus should not be on whether or not a tattoo complements or mars the look of a gown irrespective of the amount, type or location of the body art. What is important however, is that the tattoos gives you a glimpse of who a woman actually is with respect to her life, personal style and the things that inspire her. Therefore they serve to tell you her “story” by letting you see who she genuinely is as a person deep down beneath the jewelry, beneath the dress and even beneath…the ink.
