Reclaiming Tramp Stamp Tattoos: How a Shamed ‘00s Staple Became a Sign of Resilience for Gen Z

In the last few decades, tattoos have become a mainstay in pop culture. As parlors around the world get ready to celebrate Friday the 13th with flashes galore, our Pop-ink package examines how these skin markings have evolved beyond their traditional roots — from fandoms to family. In this reported feature, writer Kara Nesvig outlines the rise, fall, and rise of the lower back tattoo (a.k.a. the tramp stamp) and how Gen Z is reclaiming not just the tattoo but its somewhat controversial name, too.

Twenty-plus years ago, you couldn’t get away from Britney Spears’s tattoo. Her covetable little fairy, right in the center of her lower back above her hips, was winking at you from all angles: on the pages of your favorite teen magazines, onstage at TRL, and in the iconic music videos for “I'm A Slave 4 U” and “Overprotected,” among others. Given that Spears and other pop stars and celebs of her ilk were wearing the lowest-rise jeans on the planet and cropped tops to match, there was really no missing the lower back tattoo — or, as its critics called it, the tramp stamp. It was the signature tattoo of the Y2K era, with everyone from Christina Aguilera to Jessica Alba to Kate Moss showing off their ink.

But when high-waisted jeans came along to erase any trace of the tramp stamp and Kim Kardashian proclaimed that “you can’t put a bumper sticker on a Bentley,” the tramp stamp began to fade away, feeling like a souvenir of a time long past. People who had gotten them in their younger years hid them like a shameful secret, had them removed, or posted cheeky videos about their youthful tattoo regrets on TikTok.

The trend tides never stay stagnant for long, though, and slowly, the long-joked-tramp stamp began its rise again. Miley Cyrus got one, a sure indicator of cool factor, and as Gen Z’ers began bringing back practically every trend from the ‘90s and ‘00s, it was pretty much a given that the tattoo placement would make a comeback, too. Not only is Gen Z embracing the tramp stamp, they’re also reclaiming its name.

A brief history of the tramp stamp

While we tend to think of tramp stamps as a ‘90s and 2000s trend, their history goes way, way, way further back than that. According to the Science Times, ancient Egyptian women may have gotten lower back tattoos as a symbol of protection and tribute to the deity Bes, the god of women and childbirth; two mummies found in 2022 had symbols tattooed on the remaining preserved skin of their backs, leading researchers to believe that the tramp stamp has extreme, centuries-long staying power.

The tramp stamps of today gained popularity during the 1980s, especially as more women began to get tattoos. Lower back tattoos were cute, feminine, and easy to cover up on a daily basis. “Tribal” designs, butterflies, flaming hearts, and birds became the go-to designs then and in the decades to come, and though the trend was typically embraced by women, even soccer superstar David Beckham got one, inking his eldest son Brooklyn’s name on his lower back.

The tramp stamp backlash began in the late 2000s, in part as a misogynistic reaction to the super-sexualized culture of the time. Much of the negative connotation surrounding tramp stamps came from pop culture, including the infamous line from Wedding Crashers about it being a “bullseye” for men guaranteed to find an easy conquest. SNL poked fun at the tattoo, as did Amy Schumer in her book The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.

Lower back tattoos began to be seen as trashy — TMZ even once called them “the new scarlet letter” — and many celebs got theirs removed ASAP. Khloé Kardashian and former Girls Next Door star Holly Madison both said goodbye to their tattoos, a “Daddy” tribute and cross for Kardashian, and a pink Playboy bunny for Madison. Nicole Richie got hers removed on an episode of her TV show Candidly Nicole, saying of her oversized cross design, "It just means a certain thing, and I don't want to be part of that group.” Eva Longoria also announced on Instagram that the cross she sported on her lower back in the '00s was no more. For years, that was the reigning stereotype of the tramp stamp: a tattoo for bimbos and empty-headed, spray-tanned starlets of the tabloid era. But the ‘00s are long gone.

Gen Z takes back the tramp stamp

Phoebe Esperanza, now 23, always wanted a tramp stamp; it’s been their dream tattoo since they were just five years old. “I’ve always loved how provocative the tramp stamp looked and how it was so taboo and controversial yet sexy and fun,” Esperanza explains to Teen Vogue. “Growing up in the 2000s, the culture of the carefree low-rise-wearing girls’ energy was irresistible to me.”

In the 2010s, when the Tumblr aesthetic was at its peak, Esperanza saved photos of tramp stamps on their phone and loved applying temporary tattoos in that spot. “It’s silly to write out I’ve always known I’d get a tramp stamp, but I never doubted it as an option for myself or grew out of the thought of it.” Esperanza made their tattoo dreams a reality in February 2023 and chose a heart surrounded by “Grimes alien scars” on either side. “I’m naturally a confident person, so rocking a tramp stamp just enhances my flair and spunk.”

For Ame Gomez, 20, from Nashville, her tramp stamp tattoo — a cyberscript butterfly design — was another way to express her love of fashion, particularly the trendiest looks of the Y2K era. “Von Dutch, Juicy Couture tracksuits, Baby Phat coats, and more styles have been resurfacing on social media and making it back in people’s closets, including low-rise jeans, which have been added to my wardrobe,” she shares. “What better way to present my style than also seeing a tramp stamp above the hem of my jeans or shorts? I think it’s such a cute addition.” Gomez got her tattoo in August 2023 and documented the process on TikTok.

Gomez has no time for any stereotypes or derogatory feedback about her tattoo, which she says makes her feel confident, feminine, and fashionable. “It allows me to feel confident when wearing low-rise jeans because I do want to present the beautiful art piece. Tattoo pieces are art and can display your interests, characteristics, or even a story,” she explains. “If strangers feel a certain way, I can’t let their thoughts affect me because they don’t know me or the reason I got my stunning lower back tattoo.”

Esperanza agrees. “I think we’re at a point in time where girls are winning the IDGAF war and doing what makes us happiest,” they share. “I know the preconceptions of women with ‘these kinds of tattoos’ being scandalous or promiscuous, but so what? Who cares if I’m getting laid more than the average girl because I have a silly heart above my ass? Good for me!” To Esperanza, tattoos are extremely personal. “I’m always going to be someone who criticizes character first and the superficial stuff last. The girls that get it, get it, and the girls that don’t, don’t!”

OG tramp stampers speak up

We can’t talk about the resurgence of the tramp stamp without talking to those who were there first: Gen Xers and elder millennials who warmed the tattoo chair long before Gen Z.

Monique F., 40, from Minnesota, has mixed feelings about her tattoo, a woodblock print-style fish that she drew in college and got tatted when she was 19. “The way I feel about my tattoo ebbs and flows,” she explains. “Most often, I think about having it removed, then sometimes I am fine with it, just another piece of history I have gathered on this body throughout my life.” Monique’s vintage-inspired style means she wears a lot of high-waisted items, which makes it easier to cover up the tattoo. “Some people have known me for years and never even seen it, even in a bathing suit; I do love that.”

Victoria Carter, age 39, from California, got her lower back tattoo, a flaming lotus, when she was 18. Today, there are a few things she wishes she’d done differently. “At nearly 40, I have a very different relationship to cultural appropriation than I did at 18,” she explains. “I would never get this tattoo today. There are many cultures that revere the lotus as an important symbol, and none of those cultures are ones that have anything to do with me and my life. I borrowed imagery, misunderstood its symbolism, and then put my own spin on it. A perfect storm of cringe!”

While Carter may not be the biggest fan of her teenage design choice (she eventually hopes to cover the tattoo up with something else), she does love the “tramp stamp” moniker and the placement. “I am delighted by the term ‘tramp stamp’ and have gleefully reclaimed it from those who would seek to use it against me,” she says. “I happen to think my tramp stamp is super dumb, but I'm all about the tramp stamp as a concept. I think tattoos look great there, and I'd get another one in that spot in a heartbeat.”

“I always thought the lower back was such a great spot for a tattoo, and you can really design it to fit your body, and it can be super flattering,” says Florida-based tattoo artist Erin O’Dea. “It’s a shame that the ‘tramp stamp’ moniker given to this tattoo hindered it for so long.” O’Dea herself has a tramp stamp, a nautical star with sparrows flanking either side. She got the tattoo in 1999 when she was 16 years old. “It’s great that Gen Z doesn’t care about these kinds of labels and don’t take it so seriously. Everything comes back around, and I realized recently that my tramp stamp is older than some of the kids requesting them now, which is a real gut punch some days.”

The tramp stamp of the 2020s

While some of today’s tramp stamps share DNA with their elder sisters, this new generation of lower back tattoos feels softer than their predecessors. Minimal designs are popular, including words like “princess” and “angel” that lean right into the Y2K of it all, as are more delicate designs by tattoo artists like Doldol, who frequently shares tramp stamp inspo.

For Esperanza, that long-dreamed of tattoo was well worth the wait. “Looking at my behind in the mirror has never ignited a spark of insecurity or regret from within. I love how dainty but noticeable my tattoo is, and she is a part of me. She encourages me to get my squats in, so my ass stays cute and perky,” Esperanza says. “I was definitely scared of my mom’s reaction when I first got it done, but she couldn’t get mad because she knows who she raised. It’s not surprising but fitting that I got a tramp stamp, and I carry her with honor.”

Maybe the rebirth of the tramp stamp is a tribute to the Y2K era in all its messy and magical glory. Maybe it’s a reclamation of bimbo culture and a celebration of femininity. Maybe it’s just a really cute spot for a tattoo — or maybe it’s all of the above. “Being a tramp stamp girlie means I’m taking a stand against patriarchy and professionalism, and there’s no going back,” says Esperanza. “You can’t get a tattoo like this and hide it for the rest of your life; there’s no fun in that. To have a tramp stamp is to be free.”