Want to know how old someone is? Cast your eyes over their ink.
Influencer Jenna Barclay, 37, says you can predict a person’s age by the placement of tattoos on their body — but the declaration has sparked fierce debate.
“As a middle millennial, some popular placements that stand out from my teenage and young adult years include the lower back, hip bone, shoulder blade, top of the foot, rib cage, forearm, inner wrist,” Barclay told Newsweek.
“There were also more specific tattoo trends like the mustache on the inner finger in the early 2010s and backward writing on the collar bone like Rihanna,” she continued.
Barclay admitted that, like many fellow millennials, she followed these trends in her own tattoo placements, but now she’s curious about what today’s cool kids are choosing.
She first set tongues wagging when she first asked her Instagram followers to identify which tattoo locations best represent the 2020s, saying: “What’s the tramp stamp of 2024?”
“What’s the quintessential tattoo placement of this time period?” she asked. “Not focusing on the design, but rather on the location that will someday identify tattoos as products of the 2020s.”
The question quickly went viral, with her post amassing over 4.2 million views and 27,700 likes, along with thousands of comments.
She said that “the random-feeling sticker style placement of small tattoos, above the knee, back of the arm above the elbow, and sternum were probably the most common responses.”
Tattoo artists also weighed in agreeing with the trends.
The video has also highlighted how quickly trends evolve today, with tattoo placements and designs spreading and changing quickly in large part thanks to social media.
“Trends spread and evolve differently now with social media. I think it’s harder to agree on an answer because trends move so quickly now, and people want to feel unique or like they’re onto the next thing before it blows up,” Barclay said.
This comes as millennials and Gen Z continue to disagree about a closet full of trends.
For example, millennial fashionistas are staunchly defending their love of jean jackets, a fashion statement popular since the 1950s.
When one woman on TikTok who goes by Birdie tried to suggest that her fellow millennial women should stop wearing blue jean jackets, begging them to “please hang them up,” many of her generation strongly disagreed.
“The congregation has collectively spoken and said no! Very respectfully!!!” the most liked comment said.
