While her appearance, tattoos and style may draw attention, Clo is an introvert who loves her own company. Born and living in England, Clo represents her love for horror, fashion and music through her own tattoos and personal style. With a book always in hand, she aspires to further develop her passion of writing and other creative avenues, including content creation. It was a pleasure to speak with Clo and learn about her style, interests, uniqueness, and what she has in store for her tattoos and life.

Hey Clo! To start off, give us a little background on yourself. Where you grew up, where you are currently living, what do you do for work? A little about who you live with/your family/pets/etc.?

Hey! So I grew up in Norfolk, England out in the sticks. It was our house and two others, with the closest town being 7 miles away – it meant a fairly isolated upbringing for my brother and I – but I was very fortunate to have my still now best friend living a short walk away in another village. We were glued to the hip as kids.

I still live in the area now with my husband, our sausage dog Vinnie, and our cat Malcy. Work wise, I qualified in digital marketing back in 2018 and currently work as a website administrator for a local business, as well as a content creator on the side! 

I’m in love with your spooky, witchy personal style. How would you describe your style and yourself? What is it that makes you unique?

Thank you so much! I get asked this a lot and I’m never quite sure how to answer as my style can change and vary so much. I guess I would go with “’80s Glam Rockin’ Cowgirl” if I had to really choose ha ha! 

My style is quite contradictory to my personality – my style is pretty “out there” and unique, yet I am quite reserved as a person. Besides my closest friends and family, I tend to keep a lot of things to myself. I really enjoy my own company and have a pretty low social battery! As someone who struggles with anxiety, my style and hair is often a great conversation starter which I really love. Maybe my style is compensating for the fact I’m actually a huge introvert. Fun fact, I took drama at A-Level thinking it would bring me out of my shell… it did not. 

Based on your Instagram, you seem really into art, horror and fashion! Talk to us about these interests.

I am definitely a creatively driven person, I express myself through writing, digital art, and personal style. They’re really great ways to channel my creative energy. As for horror, I have a massive morbid curiosity with true crime and disturbing cinema – I think it’s so interesting! But I also love ’80s horror which I think is where my love for glam rock and ’80s styling come from (and my music taste)  – the fashion was sick back then. Also, I am convinced I have seen every found footage horror movie, it’s one of my favourite sub-genres. I’m a bookworm too, I always have a thriller/horror book on the go, and I will stress if I finish my book before having another one lined up! 

Your tattoos are absolutely beautiful! They compliment you and your style perfectly. How would you describe your general tattoo aesthetic? What makes this style representative of you, your personality and your interests?

Thank you! I guess my tattoo aesthetic is fairly macabre with a dash of floral. I like to choose things that I think are pretty yet are quite dark and non-conventional. While a lot of my tattoos have no meaning, I have picked a few that represent my interests and personality – the crow’s foot with rosary beads and the stringed teeth were chosen to speak for my love of horror. My leopard was chosen because of their symbolism of strength and ferocity.

How would you describe the tattoo scene in the area where you live? What’s special about your specific tattooed community?

I would say tattoos are generally accepted here unless you have them on your neck or face – then people will give you disapproving looks here. Sadly, businesses around here are still discriminating against people with ink, and require you to hide it if you want the job! Head a little further towards Norwich and you’ll find that the tattoo scene totally flourishes – there are more people than not that have tattoos in Norwich, and the city is home to some really incredible and unique artists. 

Let’s talk about your first tattoo! Tell us the story behind it. What was that experience like?

My first tattoo was two days after my eighteenth birthday – it was the roses on my forearm. I chose roses because it’s my middle name, but truthfully, I’m not that fond of it anymore. But it is what it is, and I think it blends well with the rest of my sleeve! The experience was a breeze, one of the easiest and least painful tattoos I’ve had, which meant I was in for a shock when I started getting ones that really hurt. 

What made you want to start getting more tattoos? Was it more of an aesthetic, stylish choice, or more meaningful and sentimental? With that, where do you typically find inspiration for your tattoos now?

I just love the aesthetic! I think tattoos add that little extra to an alternative style. I’ve never been one for sentimental tattoos, but I wouldn’t say I’d never get one – I’ve always said I’d get portraits of my pets one day, I normally find inspiration from artists I follow on social media, and a lot from Pinterest, but my inspiration can come from anywhere these days. I’ll catch someone walking down the street with some cool ink and be like “ooooo.”

Your arm sleeve is stunning! Could you tell us a little about the tattoos that make up your sleeve? Are you looking to add more to it, or do you have plans for tattoos elsewhere?

Thank you! Butterflies, mandalas, animals, jewels, macabre bits, and lots of floral make up my sleeve. Plus a random sweetie I got at Pride flash. At this time, I’m not planning to add anymore to my arm. But I am booked in in October to make a start on my collarbones/chest. I won’t tell you exactly what it is, though, You’ll have to wait and see… 

When you’re getting a new tattoo, is it more of a spontaneous decision, or do you methodically plan them out? Also, who do you typically go to for your ink?

I always know where I want my next tattoo, and I’ll have ideas and inspiration for the piece, but usually something comes along, either on Instagram or Pinterest, and I’ll be like, “THAT – I WANT THAT,” and then my chosen artist will draw me up something similar. 

Artists who have done more than one of my tattoos are @jadereevetattoo and @inkniktattoo – I’m seeing Nik again next month for my chest. 

Tell us about some of your other passions and hobbies outside of tattoos! What are some things that you really love to do? 

Besides reading, art, and watching horror movies – I really love going to the gym. I’ve been into weight training for five years. It’s not just a physical thing for me, like looking good and being healthy, but it’s also been amazing for my mental health. As someone who has really struggled with anxiety in the past, I found the gym has been a really good coping mechanism. 

I’ve also love writing – I have entered short story competitions and often write them just for myself because I find it so therapeutic – I used to be a writer for a local student magazine. I’m also a huge foodie; eating out at new places is one of my favourite things to do at the weekend!

What are some of your career goals, and tattoo goals? Where do you see yourself in the future, and what is something you’d really love to accomplish?

I’d love to do content creation full time, but that feels like a fair way off. I could easily go part-time with work at this point but it’s a big step to take – maybe in the new year. On the other hand, I’d love to be a writer, but that would involve actually letting people read my work, ha ha! In the future, I see myself doing one of those, and moving somewhere a little more built up; I love the countryside but with my job becoming more demanding and needing to travel to London more often, I need to be somewhere a little better connected. 

Tattoo-wise, I’d love to be covered, but I don’t think I’ll ever go that far. More out of respect to my husband and family who aren’t huge tattoo enthusiasts. But I won’t let it stop me from getting quite a few more yet… 

Thank you so much for sharing with us! Could you leave us with one of your favorite quotes or messages you’d like to share with the world?

“Not everybody’s cup of tea.”

Thank you for talking to me.

Thank you Clo!

Keep up with Clo on by following her on Instagram @clogascoigne, Twitter @clogascoige and checking out her website at https://linktr.ee/clogascoigne.

 

Love Clo’s story? Read about more of our other tattooed women below:

Erika is a Tattooed Mom, Makeup Fanatic, and Horror Lover

Loz is a London Tattoo Artist and Tattooed Woman Doing What She Loves

Skye Hall: Inked Magazine’s 2022 Cover Girl