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Armband tattoos are very flattering on both men and women. They highlight a toned biceps, but they can also complement a slender upper arm, making it appear even more delicate. Men usually go for a biceps armband, while women tend to choose for a bracelet or wrist band tattoo.
Designs that are often turned into armband tattoos include flowers (with vines), dragons (long neck), barbed wire and shooting stars.
Another great thing about armband tattoo designs is that they are so varied, the form lends itself well to different styles. A whole range of images can be expressed, without becoming overwhelming. They can be bold and manly or subtle and feminine.
Arm band tattoos have been used for centuries on 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. 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.
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?
So there are tribal armband tattoos - these became 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.
