Arms/sleeves vs. Legs/???

May 24, 2011 8:12 PM

So if tattoos all over the arms are called sleeves, are tats all over your legs called stockings? socks? I'm serious.

This is bothering me.

posted by jfwlucy to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

I refer to tats on the thighs and calves as stockings, and any tats that appear on the tops/bottoms of the feet are socks.
posted by patronuscharms at 8:15 PM on May 24, 2011

I've always heard them referred to as leg sleeves.
posted by Zophi at 8:31 PM on May 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

Seconding Zophi. Dude at my work called his legtats sleeves. I am hideously jealous of him because I will never be brave enough to get that much work done on my body. Owww.
posted by Heretical at 8:38 PM on May 24, 2011

Nthing leg sleeves.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 8:45 PM on May 24, 2011

Best answer: I've always heard leg sleeves. As the owner of some, I don't really refer to them that way, I just say I have my lower legs and one thigh totally covered. But leg sleeves is the usual phrase all the other heavily tattooed people I know use.
posted by bedhead at 9:26 PM on May 24, 2011

I've always heard leg sleeves. As the owner of some, I don't really refer to them...

I find the choice of the word "some" here fascinating.

I'm nthing leg sleeves, regardless. It's the only non-cute and unambiguous term.
posted by rokusan at 7:06 AM on May 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Agree it's sleeves, but also adding that it makes more sense to me as a verb. As in, when I got my recent calf tattoo, an hour later someone asked "are you going to sleeve it?"
posted by pixiecrinkle at 7:57 AM on May 25, 2011

I've heard people say 'socks' to refer to from-the-knees-down (or between-knees-and-ankles) coverage, but I've heard 'leg sleeves' more often.
posted by box at 4:32 PM on May 25, 2011