‘90s and 2000s Tattoos Are Trending
By Sidra Lackey
When you think of tattoos of the ‘90s and 2000s — popular tattoos such as tribal designs, “tramp stamp” lower back ink, Old English lettering, Chinese letters and cartoon characters — probably come to mind. Well, according to some tattoo artists, like it or not, ‘90s and 2000s tattoo designs are coming back! Tattoo design styles that were synonymous with these decades have also become in demand over the past year, The Sydney Morning Herald reports in “Barbed wire is back: Why ’90s and 2000s tattoos are in vogue again.”
“There’s definitely been a resurgence of ’90s tattoo trends… just as there has been with fashion and music. Like all trends, I think things become ‘retro’ after about 30 years and become cool again,” says Clare Clarity, a Melbourne tattoo artist at Hot Copper Studio. Jack Douglas, another Melbourne tattoo artist agrees saying, “There has been a sprinkling of the 90s imagery making its way through the tattooed masses. You’ll see the odd Pammy barbed wire or small pieces of spiky tribal meshed in with modern designs.”
Xia tattooing Garton. CREDIT:SCOTT MCNAUGHTON
Throwback tattoo styles, “are popular among Gen-Z,” says tattoo artist Xia, the owner of Xia Tattoo studio in Australia. Her 22-year-old assistant Rani Garton, has had various ’90s and ’00s-inspired pop culture character designs tattooed onto her arm by Xia over the past two years. “I decided to bring back my ’90s and ’00s nostalgia by integrating characters into a fine-line sleeve. Characters like SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward and The Simpsons characters. These characters hold such a memory for me. My fine line sleeve is a cluster of nostalgic elements … including characters’ names from the [1994] film Natural Born Killers,” Garton explains. The design choice was a way for her to relate to a simpler time in her life – childhood – she tells The Sydney Morning Herald. “I feel a connection to these characters, especially the SpongeBob characters. As for the Bart Simpson tattoo … as children, The Simpsons was definitely a must-watch for me and I related to the family dynamic,” she added.
“Nostalgia underpins much of the general resurgence in the popularity of these tattoo designs,” Douglas points out. “Prompting these throwback pieces would most likely have come from an idealization of that time period as things were so colorful and vibrant in the ’90s. I [also] think it’s a mindset being changed or people getting distance from things that were seen as tacky due to over-saturation.” While some ink designs are nearly identical replicas from the ’90s and ’00s, others take on “a modern twist” Clarity says. “Some of the trends I have seen a resurgence of include Old English lettering and tribal designs. However, the tribal is now more often incorporated into other designs as a background or as a decorative flourish, and less often as a standalone design. I’m happy to see them return in new and interesting ways.” Xia shares the same view. “People seem to be tweaking old styles by using fine-line, creating a new wave of ’90s and 2000s tattoos, resulting in styles like neo-tribal for example. There are so many topics used back in the 90s like flames or barbed wire, just done in a very different way. I have also seen a few artists combining 90s and 2000s designs with more modern styles and that is quite special, it creates something new that will definitely inspire whatever comes next.”
Rani Garton shows off her barbed wire tattoo. CREDIT:SCOTT MCNAUGHTON
However, Xia predicts the ‘90s and 2000s tattoo trend won’t last long. “It is definitely a trend and it’s mostly the younger generation getting them because it’s cool,” Xia tells The Sydney Morning Herald. “I am old enough and have been in the industry and art community long enough to know this is just a trend that will look odd or outdated in a few years…. Most tattoo regrets are trends that have passed, and people wish they have space for different things later on in life.”
Xia’s smart advice on getting a tattoo, whether you want a ‘90s or 2000s design one or not: “Get tattoos that are as atemporal as possible and that you like, not what you are seen on TikTok or your friend has, and always done by an artist that specializes in a style that will not change when the trend has passed.”
Tattoo collectors, will you be getting a tattoo that has a ‘90s or 2000s design style to it? Tattoo artists, do you agree with Australian tattoo artists that there’s a revival of ‘90s and 2000s tattoo designs? If so, do you love it or hate it?