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There are a number of different cultures who have celebrated tattoos for centuries. Native American culture, Indian culture, Samoan culture, and Japanese culture all have used tattoos for cultural and societal purposes.
Traditional tattoo style from America, however, is a very iconic style with bold lines and a simple color pallet that came about in WWII.
This style was primarily for men who served during WWII, but also was a way to go against the confines of mainstream society. Today, this style is very popular for it’s cultural history in America and the simplistic yet beautiful designs that were born of this style.
While this style can have a limited color pallet, it is also great in black and grey too.
Common designs you’ll see in the traditional style are very symbolic and have deep meanings for the wearer.
For sailors during WWII, the swallow design marked 5000 miles sailed, as well as the return. Today, it can represent freedom of flight for a free spirited woman.
A popular red rose can represent love and passion, and be paired with any other tattoo to add onto the meaning and purpose of it.
Getting individual traditional tattoos in the form of a sleeve is also very popular with women. Rather than getting a full sleeve at once, you can work on it over time with meaningful pieces that each represent something to you.
Check out these modern day traditional tattoos for ideas on your next tattoo.
