Reflectioninception.

Reflecting about the social issues about tattoos, piercings and dressing trends, I can understand in a better way the social, economical and even politic circumstances about them, because they not only represent a symbol of uniqueness between each individual, also can be a demonstration of their ideology and the beliefs they have. At the same time, these learnings gave me a wider panorama about the influence of the Western countries in Eastern ones, but also the rejections of those influences in the Middle-East and some religions. With this, the world remains, in a certain way, as a mixtures of all the cultures and ideologies, arts, and the daily life of every culture in the world.

Maybe right now those reflection have a too weak meaning, but if I relate it with some social and historic context, just like we analyze art, with a great amount of previous information to really understand the reason a specific type of trend or movement is realized. So, I think if we make a real analysis about them our thoughts would be more accurate according to tattoos and piercings, because now we can have a theory framework about this kind of manifestation in some groups. 

Sierra, Santiago. 160 cm Line Tattooed on 4 People. 2000. El Gallo Arte Contemporaneo, Salamanca. TATE. Web. 

  

Fashion according to runways.

Clothes are used as a kind of protection to sun and other natural phenomena, but since the WWII, the canons of beauty and clothing changed with the emerging of  the industrial design and the use of materials crated for the war combat to make clothes more resistant and specially for a specific type of body, the thins bodies. 

But, clothes not only make changes in the way of dressing, also they impose the way of hairstyle, body complexion and even the image people must demonstrate to the public. Fashion trends provokes in society a new type of mentality in which the physical image has more relevance than the intelligence  or the abilities of people. At the same time, these type of social manipulation creates in the population a chain of low self esteem that can transform in eating disorders or depression.

In other cultures as Islam, Amish, Mennonite, African tribes, and Tibetan Buddhist monks  forbid  the use of western fashion because they consider them as a transgression to their traditions or a rupture of  the rules imposed in their religion.

In conclusion, clothes are used to protect our  bodies from the weather, but there is no reason to change our identity because of the current fashion trends. Although every culture and society has a different type of fashion, we must not get influenced by them, we can choose what type of clothe use and nobody can change our mind because all of us are unique in clothing as in personality.
   

Why piercings are the new "cool accessories"?

Since ancient civilizations such as egyptians, mayans, aztecs, and others used piercings for religious issues, class position, the amount of years of the people, and as a evidence of strength. However, the concept of piercings that the western countries have nowadays is related to teenage vandalism, certain urban tribes where piercings are an important trend, and even to be like some celebrities who have them. Notwithstanding, piercings are well seen in women, because is a symbol of femininity and, in a certain manner, to distinguish the from boys when they are little.

Nowadays, piercings are used on strange places for reach some kind of increase in pleasure, social status in certain groups and individuality. But, in the most part of enterprises, institutions, and  labor spaces  it is forbidden the use of them. These type of limits in the labor and education areas may be a strong reason for the disrepute of piercings. Also this type of corporal modification has risks, but their complications are in percentage lesser than in tattoos or other types of body art.

It is not bad to wear piercings, but it must be a decision of the person and not  a decision from social pressure, of fashion trends. Piercings may be a new form to separate urban social circles where the western trends are in constant change, but if it does not has a limits between them, the real significance of piercings as in other cultures more related to nature and spiritualism.

Tattoos and society.

The use or the prejudgments made about tattoos is because there is a social context in which the tattoos belong to religious and spiritual strength, like the buddhist monks have some mantras and images from Buddha in the bak or another part of their bodies as a symbol of a connection between the monk and the religion. Nevertheless, in other societies  tattoos are seen as a transgression to the body, which is the most sacred temple in the universe; social groups such as jews, catholics, extreme asian societies, some circles in Latin America, and in some parts of the United States. Also, tattoos are considered as symbols of status in some mafias and fanatic partisan groups.

Despite the bad Western image of tattoos, some cultures in the central and southern part of Africa tattoos are used for rituals, class differentiation, priest union to the sacred gods, and for the transition from girl or boy to an adult individual capable for having new responsibilities. In a certain manner, in the Polynesian Islands have an use for tattoos like african tribes, but the great difference from the polynesian cultures such as the maori and aboriginal tribes in New Zealand and Fiji Islands use the tattoos as a communicational way, because in all their bodies they have their genealogical history, their adventures and their exploits of courage and strategy. 

My opinion about tattoos remains neutral, because if tattoos are used since millenary cultures, tattoos may be consider as acceptable at least to a certain point. Also, I consider that depending on social rules and manners, all the tattooed people must have a limit in their corporal modifications in general, not as oppression, but to have a better acceptation in society as well as the care that they must have in the tattoo shops, they must investigate establishments authorized for tattooing with sterilized material and with personal that have at least a narrow knowledge about medicine and the risks to tattoo a person.

By conclusion, tattoos are not bad neither good, but people must consider all the risks involved in tattoo industry.

Tattoos are not just a symbol of adolescent rebellion, but to express art, the self identity of a person or stories belonged by millenary tribes.