"Lydia, oh! Lydia, say have you met Lydia, Oh! Lydia, the tattooed lady, She has eyes that folks adore so, And a torso even more so ..."


The tattooed female body was praised in a song by Groucho Marx as far back as 1939. It was an anomaly. A woman sport- ing tats back then was in the minority; no "decent" woman would think of having it done. But, despite society's previous ta- boo on tattoo, women and tats do have a history. One of the most famous tattooed women was Betty Broadbent who had an illustrious career with Ringling Bros. Bar- num and Bailey Circus. She was one of the first women ever to have a full body tattoo, and also the first to be inked by the new electric machine. Though pub- licly Ms. Broadbent was vilified in the women's magazines of the day, I'm sure that more than a few "decent" women were a bit envious of her daring and creativity.


Although tattoos have traditionally been associated with men in the armed forces, convicts, bikers, and a few daring female celebrities, that's no longer the case. To- day, tats are not a rarity and seeing them on women is as common as seeing pierced ears. The body is a canvas for personal art expression. The tattoo is also ageless; women from their 20s to 50s and beyond are getting inked.


My friend Li is getting her first ever tattoo and I am along for the ink session. I'm a bit squeamish about it, it's needles into


Oct/Dec 2014


skin after all, but I'm there to hold her hand and lend whatever type of support I can. After all it was Li who held my hand and told me to breathe and relax the day we both got our navels pierced.


Li is getting a tat of vines and small flow- ers on the back of her wrist, a sort of per- manent bracelet with her godson's name slightly above it in script. The fact that I'm going to witness an actual tattooing piques my curiosity. Should I get one too? But, I think, a tat wouldn't be me. As far as body decorations go, two holes in both ears and my cute little navel piercing are it for me. For a woman who changes her navel jewelry very fre- quently, tats seem too permanent.


The word tattoo itself is derived from a Tahitian word meaning to mark some- thing or to identify an important area and that is exactly what the inks do. There are so many areas of the body to deco- rate but the following places seem to be the popular ones right now.


The lower back is a favorite for women. Sometimes referred to as a tramp stamp, it is the perfect place for anyone wearing a pair of low rise jeans, bikinis, and some low-waist tennis skirts. Despite nasty jokes about the absurdity of this look as a woman ages, the truth is that the lower back rarely stretches as you age. Your tramp stamp is safe from gravity.


If you like decorations on your ankle there's something appropriately called the anklet which is tattooed just above


23 Kalon Women Magazine


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