Armband Tattoos

Armband tattoos are among the most popular type of tattoo. The reasons are clear – an armband makes a bold impact and it’s easy to show, but it can be hidden by shirt sleeves as desired. Armband tattoo designs can be simple or complex; the form is very adaptable. Finally, armband tattoos are very flattering on both men and women. They highlight a toned bicep, but they can also complement a slender upper arm, making it appear even more delicate.

Arm Band Tattoo Designs

Another great thing about an armband tattoo is that armband tattoo designs are so varied – the form lends itself well to different styles. A whole range of images can be expressed, without becoming overwhelming. So there are tribal armband tattoos – these were popular in the 1990s and still are today; they usually don’t consist of images associated with any one particular tribe, but take elements from several different sources. The bold, black lines of a tribal band tattoo look good on almost any physique.

Celtic arm band tattoos are also very popular. Here again, a set of traditional images is used – such as running spirals, scrollwork or knotwork. Traditional Celtic art often incorporates a border surrounding a central image or images and these borders are easily adapted to form arm band tattoo designs.

Traditional Armband Tattoos

Arm band tattoos have been used for centuries in the Polynesian islands, and because of the exploration that went on in the seventeenth century, the idea was brought to Europe around that time. Today’s Hawaiian band tattoos are a remnant of that ancient tradition. Of course, the Polynesian islanders used a different tattooing technique – a very painful one in fact, where a shark’s tooth was sometimes used to pierce the skin. Their tribal armband tattoos would still be much admired however – in fact, modern armband tattoo designs incorporate many elements of these traditional Polynesian designs.

Among the Hawaiians and the other Polynesian islanders, an armband tattoo showed rank or status. Interestingly, they had much the same function as armbands sewn onto military uniforms – or even scouting uniforms for kids – still have today. Could this be a cross-cultural influence? Whether it is or not, one thing is clear – armband tattoos will probably remain one of the most popular types of tattoo, because of their high visual impact and the great range of images that can be adapted to this type of tattoo.

There is even an odd superstition involving armband tattoos – apparently, some tattoo artists believe it’s bad luck to completely join up the band, so they leave a small gap on the inner arm. We could speculate about the origin of this superstition for a long time: is there some ancient tribal significance or is the tattoo artist just cutting corners to save himself some time?