I have 13 tattoos and several piercings, and I think they are all great.
shirt pride
oh, new jersey. the land of all-night diners and grease trucks, the turnpike, the parkway and i-295, where we shake our fists with enthusiasm, not gas. Misidentified by the rest of the world as “new joisey,” the garden state is in a prime location: no matter where you are, you can be in a major city (whether it’s new york or philadelphia) in an hour.
of course, it also has its drawbacks. We are the butt of many jokes, we are home to several landfills, and we are subject to strange odors, especially near Newark Airport. but a real born and bred jersey girl has a demeanor and attitude that is unparalleled: open-minded, down-to-earth, cool as hell (yes, I’m being biased). Is it any wonder we want to have our jersey pride permanently tattooed on our skin?
jersey pride tattoo ideas
state outline tattoo
Of course, nothing shows jersey pride like a basic state outline shaped like a man’s bust; that’s pretty much a given, and a simple silhouette is all you really need to get the message across. new jersey is amazing on its own.
tattoos based on facts of the state
but there are a zillion looks you can choose from to highlight your nj pride, as the people and images in this article have amply demonstrated. here are some basic facts:
- nickname: garden state
- area codes: 201, 732, 609, 856, 973, 908
- Sports teams: mets, nets, devils
- state capital: trenton
- state motto : “freedom and prosperity”
- state bird: eastern goldfinch
- state flower: purple violet
- points of interest: burlington county jail, monmouth battlefield, sand hook lighthouses, beach, lbi, atlantic city boardwalk and casinos
- phrases: nj pride, born and bred, born and bred, dirty jersey, jersey girl
- nj famous people: jon bon jovi, bruce springsteen, lou costello, whitney houston, jack nicholson, frank sinatra, ray liotta, meryl streep
jersey counterculture tattoos
but don’t be afraid to get creative and embrace the more underground side of new jersey culture, like its royal nickname, dirty t-shirt, or drawing attention to its long-time looming bogeyman, the devil of the shirt.
if you’re a fan of “weird nj”, another option is to get the name of your favorite place tattooed on you. Let it reflect the part of New Jersey you love, whether it’s your hometown or a local legend. and no matter what they say, don’t be embarrassed!
the girl in the sweater
Last but not least, it would be a glaring omission not to mention the Jersey Girl, one of the Garden State’s most endearing icons. jersey girls, in general, are self-confident, witty, independent, not afraid to speak their mind, family-oriented, and many other adjectives.
according to the star ledger:
a girl sweater is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. a jersey girl has the tenacity and drive of a new yorker, but with the beauty of the warmth and humility that comes from being jersey. do not mistake her harshness for a lack of refinement. don’t misjudge her sometimes ‘reckless’ mannerisms as a lack of ‘class’. In the center of the sweet and crunchy exterior, she is tuned in and knows how and what she is working on herself.
jersey girl phrases
- “diamonds are pretty and so are pearls, but nothing compares to a girl in a sweater.”
- “nothing matters in this wide world when you’re in love with a girl ” —bruce springsteen
- “sweater girls aren’t trash. trash gets picked up.”
- “sweater girls have that special inner sparkle that makes them more beautiful than any other girl.” —jon bon jovi
comments
will l. on September 20, 2014:
I was wondering where you found the photo of my tattoo. it is the first with the nj and the star my monmouth county
big tattoo on September 21, 2010:
I love your tattoos.
eyeofh of new jersey on November 19, 2009:
I love this center…I’m from jersey and I’m proud of it! thanks.
philip cooper of olney on September 24, 2009:
good interesting center. thanks.
