Tattoo Appointment “Dress Code”
As you might know, a tattoo doesn’t have a specific skin area, where it should be done. Every skin zone is unique and requires a special approach. Some areas are harder to obtain than others, primarily if they’re on your body that you don’t often reveal to the world.
Today Flame Wise Ink wants to give you friendly advice on what you need to wear for your appointment, so you feel comfortable during the session and the tattoo specialist could reach the client’s preferable area for it. We feel that it’s our responsibility to prepare our clients for a comfortable and relaxing session, so in this article we will cover our suggestions on what to wear for your specific skin area.
Before giving you clothes advice and describing all the aspects, we want to mention that if you feel insecure doing some tattoos on intimate zones and/or you have a small piece of cloth on you, feel free to ask for a privacy screen. Moreover, wear something that you don’t mind getting ink on. As regardless which part of the body is getting tattooed, ink splash or stencil can end up anywhere, and that won’t wash off
Neck
Please, read this disclaimer before your appointment in order to prevent yourself from a bad decision. Yes, your neck does not interact with other objects, however, that does not mean that it would not be affected by other aspects:
- Your neck is a highly sensitive area, especially for men.
- Some positions and tattoos are incompatible. While this may seem like a cliche, it is still common in occupations such as law firms and enforcement, government and financial institutions.
- Neck is constantly moving and the skin there is extremely elastic due to the nature of our body.
Since you still want to get one on your neck, here are some recommendations on what you should wear for your Day X. We want to remind you that an artist will be super close to you, because a perfect result requires precise and meticulous work. As to the clothes, we highly recommend to wear loose clothes without the neck, preferably without the neckline i.e. tank tops or tube tops.
If you have hair and/or a beard that grows on the upper neck, carefully shave before the appointment. Sometimes both men and women have pimples on their body, so please, do not mask them with foundation and powder, just tell an artist about the pimple “situation”. If you have long hair, be advised to bring an elastic band with you and tight them before the session. We also want to highlight that earrings and necklaces aren’t allowed during the appointment.
Back
We want to mention that the back is also a part of the body that is hardly reached. So, before your appointment we want to give you some tips on what to wear. The most comfortable clothes will be a t-shirt with an open back such as halter tops or cardigans that you can flip around when you will come to the session, so both you and an artist will be comfortable. If you have already come in uncomfortable clothes, then do not despair, no one will send you home. In such a situation, an artist will ask you to take off the clothes and if needed, give you a piece of disposable fabric to cover your intimate zone.
Here are some tips from our studio:
- Wear your old but clean t-shirt and cut a whole in it according to the tattooed area, or let your artist help you with that.
- Wearing tight bra may leave its imprints on the skin that may interfere with placing stencil/tattooing , sport style fabric without plastic/metal elements; tight straps is better
Shoulder
Shoulders are one of the most simple areas, as you can wear anything you want that does not have sleeves. It could be tank tops, tube tops, bandeau tops. Moreover, there is also an exemption, you can wear a shirt with sleeves, if they can be easily removed.
Forearms & Wrists
If your targeted area is the forearm or wrist, a t-shirt is the best match. We also want to tell you that you have to take the jewelry off (watches, bracelets, rings, etc.). If you wear some religious pieces, you have to warn an artist right away. As to the rings, it will be wise to take them temporarily off. As during the session on the arm fingers can get a bit swollen causing discomfort if there are any rings on the fingers.
Chest
A cardigan, shirt, blouse, tank top and robe are all the options that might be appropriate for such a body part as you will feel comfortable and your artist can easily work without any inconveniences. However, we want to point out that you need to think about what to wear for your session because there’s a chance that the ink could get on your clothes. If you want to take off your clothes or your design is a medium/large size, the artist will give you a special tape to cover your nipples.
Under Breast
When working on the under breast area, it’s quite an intimate process as you have to interact with the specialist as it’s essential to place the stencil when your breasts are in the natural position, without the help of clothing or anything that changes the shape of your breasts. As to the clothes, loose pieces such as a shirt or a crop top that does not tighten your breast is a great option to wear as a “dress code”.
Side Breast
Almost every person watched the “Step Up” movie. Do you remember the shirts that almost half the dancers wore? Yes, a t-shirt with low armholes is the best option for a side breast tattoo. If the piece is too big, you can always ask an artist to cover your nipples with a tape/pasties.
Sternum
There’s the same algorithm as for side breast tattoo, if we can call it that. You have to feel comfortable, so we recommend you to wear a cardigan or anything that can be opened on the front such as a button down, a robe or a very short crop top to give easy access for your artist.
Stomach
There are some simple “rules” regarding this skin area. As you already know, convenience is one of the most important points for a tattoo. So, if your targeted area is the stomach, we highly suggest you to wear sweatpants, shorts, and even a swimming suit as the tattoo can be on the low part of the stomach. For this area you can wear pretty much everything that gives easy access to your stomach.
Hips
Hips are also one of the complicated areas as you have to think more about what you need to wear. If you have a long oversized hoodie in your wardrobe, it’d be a perfect match. If not, don’t be sad as loose dresses or skirts would suit great too. If you aren’t a shy type of person, you can also wear comfortable underwear or swim bikini pants. Working with hips, an artist can suggest you to use a robe.
Glutes
Almost all advice you read under hips sections can be applied. But they are not limited as we have more proposals for this area of tattooing. High-rise thong or a g-string are also the best match to wear on your appointment. Try to choose that underwear that you feel secure in and rely on a type, so this’d be the answer to what you need to wear. We want to mention that an artist can get ink on your clothes.
Feet
Overall feet and areas that are below the ankle are considered challenging to properly heal, but certain designs still can be tattooed on them. Our advice for you is to wear low light summer sneakers and super soft thin socks. We insist on avoiding wearing tight sweatpants, rough fabric socks, jewelry bands, tight boots or any other things that could be harsh.
About the Author
Flame Wise Ink is a progressive tattoo studio located in Toronto that offers a wide variety of styles done by the best tattoo artists with an individual approach.