Ok... you wanted honest opinions so here goes. I don't have tatoos and never will. I did have a non-permanten ankle one in college. (It lasted about a week) It really depends on the kind of business you want to have. If are wanting upscale high end business I wouldn't do it. This is just my opinion, but you would deffinately loose out on that type of customer's business with a prominent tatoo. I'm not going to get into the right or wrong debate. Just consitter your customer base. If it's a young trendy croud then maybe. If it's pricy custom stuff I'd think twice.

I love tats (within reason) and I have 3 myself. My mom through a HUGE fit when I told her that for my 24th birthday, I was getting branded. She had a problem with body piercings as well but just the thought of me getting a tattoo made her change her mind and she actually told me that she would prefer me getting my eyebrow, nose or tongue pierced. So like a good daughter that listens to her mommy, I got my tat for my birthday and 4 months later, my tongue stabbed. She thinks my tongue ring is cute (probably because I can take it out) but she still hates my tattoos. The one thing she is proud of is that I have my tats in places that can be easily covered. On is on the back of my neck, the other two are one my shoulder and ankle. As for my tongue ring, I'm polite enough to take it out while baking for others and if the day should come that I get to own my baking business, I will more than likely take it out for good.

It's all a matter of preference. Think long and hard about what you want to get. It took me 2 and half years to think of my second tat and all it is the letter "E" in fancy script. I tell all first time tattooers this because it is something that you will have to live with. I don't think that they are unclean and dirty looking. Besides, I would much rather buy a cake from someone with a few tats then someone with dirty fingernails. Now that is gross

I am in my late 40's and although there have been some tatoo's that I have seen that are very nice, I would never get one myself.

I think you can thank the folks that don't look clean with the "stigma" that goes with tatoos. Here where I live (and this is my observation here) most of the people that you see with the tatoos are not the ones I want serving me food. They do not look clean, and it seems as though they pride themselves in looking the way they do. I KNOW there are folks that are very clean and have tatoos, but those are not the ones who "stand out" for the most part.

Many (tatoos) that I see are not well done, and although they may have significant meaning to the person who has it, to those who see it (and don't know or care about the meaning behind it) - it is not appealing to look at.

I think that if you choose to get one, I would put it in a place that is easily covered. Good luck with your decision!

I dislike tattoos on both men and women; however, individuals have a perfect right to tattoo themselves up the wazoo. On the other hand I have any equally perfect right to take my patronage else where because I decide that I don't have to do business with someone foolish enough to get a tattoo. Would I leave a shop because of a tattoo? I don't know, but it would give me pause to think about going else where.

Translation of the above- If you really don't care about making a bad impression on a part of your customer base, go for- it get a tattoo.

I am not going to put my opionion but I think your husband has already voiced his/ it sounds like he really does not want you to get one!!!!! Why dont you get a bracelet with their names. Have you see a tattoo on an elderly person!!!!! Enough said

Narie--

Foolish--really????

Bad Impression--Not hardly!!!!

Sorry, guys but I don't think I will read any more of this thread because I can see that it will end up as a highly opinionated thread.

Just remember to each his own. And all you CCers that find tattoos, ugly, disrespectful, foolish, etc...you will be surprised how many tattooed people are out there that you do business with.

Just my 2 cents! Love ya all--Pam

Hey guys, not to be pushy, but lately some of these threads have gotten out of hand and turned ugly and I don't want to see that happen here, especially since this is a volatile subject to begin with. How about we ALL AGREE TO DISAGREE and we don't let it get personal. I don't want to see any verbal fisticuffs here, and I know these poor moderators get tired of locking threads all the time. So far we've kept it pretty friendly, but I know it can quickly dissolve into anger. Ok, everyone now, group hug!!

WOW! I never thought this would get up to five pages.

It did open my eyes to what others would think about purchasing cakes from a tattoed person. Delicate or not others would still have their own perceptions based on their own experiences. That's what opinions are all about, freedom of choice.

I still like the idea of a braclet but will consider a anklet unless I can cover my wrist somehow.

Thanks for all the feedback.
SLO

I had 3 rules when I got my tattoo
1. no ones name except my kids
2. no place where gravity will take over
3. no place that can't be covered by clothes for work
What ever you decide to do it is your choice and yours alone. Just make sure you go to the best artist you can afford, the higher the cost the better the tattoo.

Personally I think that if you want it go for it!!! The way I look at it as a customer if I walk in and you look one clean, put together and you are nice thats what madders! I love tattoos (dont have any yet) and to me its a reflection of who you are! They can be classy and dressed up!!! My brother in-law is some big wig chef and he is covered in tattoos hands arms he also off and on sports a Mohawk (you cant see under his hats) or bright colored hair! He has gone far and the tattoos have never slowed him down!! Just my take on it! I would rather by from the tattooed person who is nice then the bitch down who didnt have any! People are drawn in by kindness and thats all that matters

My two cents are - it is a very personal decision. It is your body that this is going to be on forever (aside from laser removal). It took me a good 20 years to get mine ( two koi fish with my kids names on my ankle) I do agree with the gravity part - no place that spreads is good for a tattoo! Everything I read before I got my tattoo were about where not to get one like the top of the foot or the hand - with hands in and out of water so much the skin just takes a beating - think about that with the wrist too - do you wear rubber gloves, etc. And the top of the foot is a hard place to heal with wearing shoes all the time.
But either way - you decide it is still your decision and your body and your business! Good luck with it all.
Rebecca

I have a floral ankle tattoo..... sometimes I feel people judge me on it. I couldn't care less, however. I personally wouldn't get one on my wrist because....well, I have fat wrists but also, that is very difficult to cover and always exposed to elements, water and sun will fade it much faster..... That said, I would never be turned of by a tattoo, piercing, etc.... I would be more turned off if the person were dirty or the shop was unsanitary, that sort of thing.

QUOTING NARIE:If you really don't care about making a bad impression on a part of your customer base, go for- it get a tattoo.



REALLY!? Artists decorate many, many things, sometimes it's paper, other times cake, and some artists chose to decorate their bodies. I'm a cake artist,... aren't all CC'ers? I am also a charcoal artist. I designed my own tattoo 5 years ago and had it put on my body. These are the ways I chose to express my talent, and I hope that potential customers who see my tatoos (I plan to get more), don't change their minds based on this! They would be missing out on a very yummy, specialty cake!!

I still recommend (that is if you still want one) to get it in a place that can be easily covered. Since I always wear jeans and t-shirts, no one even knows I have them unless I mention it. I agree with the others who have said beware of fleshy areas. That's what stopped me from getting on my belly since somewhere down the road I do plan to give parenthood a try, lol. Do what feels right to you because as Rick Nelson crooned: "Ya can't please everyone so ya got to please yourself!"

I just wanna say I agree with Pancake and I agree with Becky a few posts back. I've already put my two cents in on this thread but I guess agreeing to disagree with some people is the best way to go on this one.

This is the third tatoo I got. It is on my upper arm, right near my shoulder. No one can see it unless I go without sleeves which I never do. Now, It has faded a bit but it still means that same as when I first got it. It was in 1991 when my father was killed at Ohare airport where he worked.
That was a rough time in my life and I got this tatoo to help me. Everytime I look at it, it reminds me of my father. I means alot to me!

Now, I do not think that I was foolish of anything like that for getting it. I am am most definitly NOT dirty!
Everyone does have their own opinion, but to say that people with tatoos are foolish and/or dirty is not nice!!

wow, six pages on this topic. I hope that you do what you feel is right for you no matter what others say (including myself), just listen to your family and your heart and then go with that.

I have one, I've had it for over 10 years now (oops I'm showing my age!!) It's on my ankle, so in the summer, you see it, in the winter you don't.

I'm of the opinion that you cannot go around in life not doing anything for yourself on the basis that you may offend the odd person - if someone is offended by my tattoo, then that's fine - I don't care.
Obviously someone who perhaps is all inked up like a biker, would have a hard time getting a job and being taken seriously in a law firm - but we are bakers/artists - we can have ink!

Personally, I do like it for myself. Besides that it hurts, I do not like the look.

As long as you won't color your hair purple, red or green to go with the tatoos, wear everything black or have a nose ring and wear black lipstick and look like a zombie or Marilyn Manson, I would say, I think that would be ok. If I was your customer, I would still buy a cake from you..

At long at it is not a Swastika (? spelling) Hitler's sign ...

I'm in my 40's and at one time I believed that there were stigmas attached to tattoos. I see times have changed. My DH, who hates needles, had been teasing me for a while that he wanted to get a tattoo. I laughed it off saying that he would never be able to get a tattoo because he hated getting a flu shot. He's in his late 50's by the way. Well, lo and behold, a few months back he told me he had an appointment to get a tattoo. I thought he was joking at first but found out he wasn't. I then thought he would get our children's names for the tattoo. Well, was I surprised. He actually had a rose with my name put on it. At first I was shocked, but now I am so proud of him. He went into the hospital recently for surgery and one of the nurses commented on how beautiful the tattoo was. She also asked if the name on it was his daughter. When he told them it was me, his wife, she asked if he was still married to me and he proudly told her, yes and for 22 years. Boy do I love that man. Well, now he has me thinking about getting one. I actually have some "tattoos" that I received when I went through radiation for cancer. They are just dots however. There is one that is a little messed up that I would like to cover. I haven't made any decision but I'm thinking about it. No, I don't think I would get one where it can be seen, but where my radiation tattoos are only my DH would get to see it. Sorry for the long post! My point here is that you should do what works for you and you should look at all options.

Personally, I dress up all the time. I have tattoos. As long as you have a tasteful and nice tattoo, it should not matter in the least what you wear. I take offense to someone thinking that just because I have a tattoo, I cannot truly dress up. In this day and age, most people do not give 2 hoots. I plan to get married next year and my tattoo is a part of who I am. (I got one at the top of my back of a cross with a daisy) 3 of my Grandmothers died within 2 years of each other and I got it in remembrance of them. If you want a tattoo and there is meaning behind it, by all means get it. People that turn up their noses at it do not deserve for you to work on the beautiful cakes they are trying to buy.

You said it all delcox3!! Your tattoo sounds very pretty~

Every tattoo has a meaning behind them not just because someone got drunk & just had to get a tattoo.. Hello do you people who are judging us so bad not know that the best tattoo artists wouldn't work on someone who has been drinking period?! Tattoo's are beautiful if they are tasteful. No naked ladies or men, or skulls, no hate stuff etc. Most people do want to know the meaning behind them. I have been asked many times about mine. What a great conversation piece! Then they ask did it hurt? Noone has ever said gross, you stink, your trashy, your a slut because I have a tattoo! I can't believe people would actually say that about someone. There is a thread about What irks you? This topic & bad attitudes irks me Why can't people just be nice? Tis' the Season to be NICE!!!

I wonder why the FBI won't hire anyone with a tatoo ?

I guess this is very dpendent on the generation of the customer, but when don't feel like it makes one bit of difference. In fact, in any business that has a very large artistic aspect to it, I expect to see tatoos and such. I think it goes with the territory. Wrong as it may be, somewhwere in the back of my mind I sort of assume that people who are very artistic aren't supose to look mainstream. For me I think it may inspire a bit more confidence.

I have a tattoo, but it can't be seen. I do feel the visable tattoos on fingers, hands, arms, neck that I have seen are unprofessional. Most upscale restaurants will not allow any visable tattoos. Since you own the shop you have to decide what standards you would like to set. The decission is ultimately yours.

Interesting thread, I just stumbled upon it when I was going to post a topic about tattoos. There are lots of CC'ers with tats! I don't mind them, I don't care for sleeves or too many visible on women. My brother has 4 and is about to get his 5th with the birth today of his 3rd child. He has been wanting me to get one and also his wife, for awhile. I am torn. My husband doesn't like the idea but says it's up to me. I see there is still quite a stigma that goes with tattooed people.

I was thinking of getting a small one that could be covered up with a watch band (mine are usually thicker than most ladies') but some of you are saying the wrist is not a good place. Top of the foot was a possible second choice, not so good either. So, where then if I want it visible to myself (no back, e.g.) but not too big?

I don't have a business, might like to have a small one in the future but I certainly wouldn't let that keep me from getting one.