Traditional & Old School Tattoos

Traditional is the American style born in port towns and seaside parlors: thick black outlines, solid fills, motifs you can read from across a bar. Sailors picked their designs off the wall, one port at a time. These old school temporary tattoos keep every line but drop the paint pot: everything comes out blue-black, like a flash sheet inked from a single bottle.

Traditional tattoo classics, minus the paint

• Big animals: a panther head, a roaring tiger, an eagle diving talons first.
• Sea and port: lighthouses and ships under sail, plus the two sailor staples, each with its own page: swallow tattoos and anchor tattoos.
• Roses: a black rose, a rose wrapped in flames. More petals in rose tattoos.
• Banner hearts: a scroll that spells it out for Mom (or Mum), just right for Mother's Day. See also Mom tattoos and, for every other kind, heart tattoos.
• Memento mori: a front-facing skull, a revolver bullet.
• Mini sheets: small classics grouped on one sheet, parlor-wall style.

Koi, crashing waves and full-sleeve scenes belong to another tradition, found in Japanese tattoos. American traditional keeps it simple: one bold motif that reads in a second.

Size, spot and how long it lasts

Traditional tattoos suit the classic spots. Put the big animals on the forearm, calf, chest or shoulder, where a bold outline has room, and save the minis for a wrist or ankle. Placement changes the wear, too. Forearm, shoulder and upper back hold longest; hands, fingers and feet fade faster.

Wear it before you commit

Thinking about a permanent traditional tattoo? Live with the design for a week or two, at work and in the mirror; our guide to trying a tattoo before you get it covers the rest. Or just wear one to a rockabilly night, a gig or a festival, or for a week away. No needles.

Application takes two minutes, tops. At first the design looks pale, almost washed out. That's normal: over the next 24 to 36 hours the jagua ink darkens to blue-black. Keep it dry and don't rub it for 8 hours; after that it's waterproof and stays for up to 2 weeks, though long soaks, sweat and friction speed up the fade. Vegan, PPD-free, compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, suitable from age 3. Keep it away from eyelids, the eye area and mucous membranes.

Dreaming of a pin-up, a pirate ship, a dagger-pierced heart, an ace of spades or a name across the scroll? We can make it as a custom temporary tattoo: minimum 3 copies, made in 3 to 4 weeks.

Questions about the traditional style

What is the old school tattoo style called?

Most artists call it American traditional, or simply traditional. American traditional tattoos are defined by heavy black outlines, solid fills, a limited palette and a familiar set of motifs: sailor emblems, big animals, roses and hearts. Neo-traditional is a later, more detailed offshoot. Ours keep the classic look, in blue-black.

What does an old school tattoo mean?

It depends on the motif, and in the end the meaning is yours to choose. Sailors linked the swallow with coming home and the anchor with holding steady; the panther is often read as strength, and a banner heart as a tribute to someone close. Plenty of people just love the look.

How long do temporary tattoos last?

Ours last up to 2 weeks. The ink darkens to blue-black over 24 to 36 hours, then fades as your skin renews. Forearms and shoulders keep it longest; hands and feet lose it sooner.