Tattoos remain a must-have accessory, even in recession

Tattoos represent a need for a sense of permanence combined with a desire to rebel against the status quo, says Dan Ariely, professor of behavioral economics at Duke University and author of the book "Predictably Irrational."

Along with acquiring a new creed of value and thrift, consumers seem to feel betrayed by the US economic system, he says. Americans were accustomed to spending at will – and were encouraged to do so by advertisers, credit-card companies, and even President Bush, who told Americans to "go shopping" after 9/11.

"Tattoos are a way of signaling nonconformity, sometimes more to yourself than to others," says Professor Yarrow. "They're a way of rejecting the wild consumption values of the past decade."

That's a sentiment Tony Weirig can get behind. Mr. Weirig, a Chicago-area artist and painter, wears long sleeves every day to his job as a bank teller in order to conceal his 26 tattoos from customers. He concedes that the sleeves are "annoying," but they're better than going without tattoos, which remind him that the sum of his identity is greater than his job.

"It's a little rebellion," he says. "The tattoos basically say, 'This is what I do, but it's not who I am.' "

But Weirig, who got his most recent tattoo a few weeks ago and is planning for his next, admits that it isn't easy to budget for ink in a recession. "I have bills to pay, but it's always in the back of my mind," he says. "It's a sacrifice, and it's definitely a tough call sometimes. But it's important to me to keep getting tattoos."

The value Weirig and other tattoo collectors place on their body art may reflect a larger shift in how Americans perceive luxury. A recent Pew Research Center study suggests that the public's perception of "luxuries" and "necessities" has dramatically changed since the recession began. Only 52 percent of the study's respondents see a television set as a necessity – the lowest number ever recorded.

What artist Phuc Tran is seeing suggests to him that, for many enthusiasts, tattoos are a necessity, whether they have a job or not. "I have had two clients thus far come in on the very day that they've been laid off, and they've still gotten tattooed," says Mr. Tran of Tsunami Tattoos in Portland, Maine. "Of course, I asked them, 'Are you sure you don't want to postpone until you find another job?' And both of their responses have been, 'No. I'll find another job eventually but I want my tattoo today.' "

That attitude is no surprise, says psychologist Yarrow. "For about a decade, the US has been pushing rampant consumerism," she says. "When you constantly have a stream of products flowing through your life, it's sampling; there's no real commitment."

Now, there may be something of a backlash against that mindless consumerism. Yarrow says buyers are now carefully choosing their purchases, rather than splurging with little thought. Tattoos fit that mindset, especially as accessories for women. A tattoo is decorative but in a more meaningful way than a necklace or a watch. "A handbag can be replaced every season," she says. "A tattoo cannot, and therefore it is a much more significant accessory."

To Tran, tattoos are selling well because they make people feel good. "No one feels like a tattoo that they get will be foreclosed on or repossessed," he says. "I think that our clients feel like tattoos make them feel better, especially when many other things in the economy and news cycle can be bleak."

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