The shoulders are an excellent placement for women to get a tattoo on. It’s there that they can highlight their sexiness and feminity further by using body art. The best part about getting inked on the shoulder is your ability to show or hide your tattoo at will. For a woman, revealing the shoulder(s) is showing some skin rather than a lot. Also, shoulder tattoos for women are a great way to make a bold, elegant, or simple statement of their personality and feminity.
When it comes to the design selection for a shoulder tattoo, there are no limitations. However, according to what’s been trending, it’s safe to say some designs are more preferred than others. The most popular and preferred women’s shoulder tattoo designs include flowers, geometric designs, tribal designs, animal figures, lace patterns, colorful designs, and ornamental designs.
The 26 shoulder tattoos for women shown selected for this article are sure to inspire you. These designs are trending online and already inspiring many. So without further ado, let’s get started! In addition, the artist/source information is provided beneath each image to help you explore more of their work directly.
Classy & Eye-Catching Shoulder Tattoos For Women
If you are a woman of substance with bare shoulders waiting to be inked, look no further. These 26 stunning designs will give you a lot to think about. The inspiration you’ll get will bring you quite a few notches closer to an actual shoulder tattoo decision. Hopefully, you can picture yourself with one or several of these designs. If you still don’t know what to get, you’ll at least be in a position to sit down with your tattoo artist and discuss the possibilities. I wish you luck with your next shoulder tattoo.
#1. Grey And White Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The above shoulder tattoo design is subtle yet beautiful. It’s the perfect example of the appealing yet delicate type of design many women like to get. A significant benefit of black, grey, and white tattoos on a prominent body placement is their ability to match with most dresses. Since flowers are the most popular shoulder tattoo element among most women, a sparse, medium-sized design, such as the above, is a perfect choice.
#2. Sunflower Shoulder Tattoo For Women
Sunflower is an incredible element for a tattoo anywhere on the body. Thus, it makes perfect sense on a woman’s shoulder. All over the world, sunflowers are a highly positive symbol. Depending on the culture, the symbolism of sunflowers ranges from “loyalty,” “admiration,” to “strength and positivity.” Best of all, as per Chines culture, the meaning is “good luck” and “everlasting happiness.”
#3. Roses on Shoulder Tattoo For Women
Flowers are the number one choice for a shoulder among women. It shows the wearer loves nature and wants to show that as part of who they are. When the flower is a rose, that straightforwardly means the wearer is romantic, in love, loving, caring, or adore roses. In the tattoo depicted above, the artist has shown the roses in 3-dimensional form. There is a slight variation in color used for the shading among the two roses. Overall, it’s a beautiful design that fans are currently raving about on Instagram.
#4. Sugar Skull Shoulder Tattoo For Women
As I said in the intro, women’s shoulder tattoos can be of any theme. Of course, there are the preferred ones like floral, but the bold and more individual-centric designs like this sugar skull serve well to the wearer’s personality. A sugar tattoo is devoid of the sad and negative connotation of death. Instead, it carries the meaning of rebirth and the afterlife. Thus, a sugar skull is an excellent symbol of honor for a departed soul — the ancestors, for example. Further, as per the aesthetic appeal of this particular tattoo, the experience of the artist shows. The use of colors and technique for resizing the placement to suit the shoulder size look flawless.
#5. Magnolia, Lilacs, & Lavender Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The wonderful thing about the above magnolia, lilacs, and the lavender tattoo is that it pretty much restricts itself to the technical boundaries of the shoulder. Many of the other shoulder tattoos you’ll see on this list can go beyond the limit and extend down to the upper arm. There are no rules regarding the size as long as the shoulder is covered predominantly. Anyway, this particular tattoo is fantastic in pink, green, and violet. The colors and the design both spark sufficient feminity and add to the prettiness of her shoulder. That’s what women’s shoulders tattoos are purposed to do. When she wears her sleeveless top or dress, onlookers would be all praises for the bold yet beautiful body art.
#6. Lotus Flower Shoulder Tattoo For Women
There’s something extraordinary and distinct about beauty that emerges and grows out of an unexpected source. The wonderous, beautiful flower — the Lotus — depicted above is the number one example of that. No wonder this precious flower is considered a symbol of purity, rebirth, and self-regeneration in many cultures. It’s also a fantastic emblem of enlightenment. Its roots are in the filthiest waters. Yet, it grows into the most beautiful flower. The Lotus makes for an awesome shoulder tattoo to the wearer who believes life is full of surprises — outstanding ones. So, keep up the hope, and keep your dreams alive!
#7. Pretty Floral Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The pink and green floral tattoo sitting right on top of the shoulder is beautiful. It looks super sexy and feminine. The flowers are small and delicate, so are the leaves. The talented artist has done a neat job with the sketch, shading, and placement. With light-colored tattoos, they have to be especially careful since mistakes could look more vivid. However, a steady hand and the proper tattooing tools, along with the artist’s experience, speak volumes about outcomes that look like the above.
#8. Linework Floral Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The black linework in the above piece is pretty solid. The lines are clearly defined and visible from afar. The fabulous thing about black and grey tattoos is that in the future, the wearer can decide to get the color filled if desired. However, the above tattoo looks splendid as is drawn initially. The flowers, leaves, and overall composition sits perfectly on the shoulder placement and slightly around it. This shoulder tattoo for women is a remarkable piece for sexy halter dresses or sleeveless outings out.
#9. Pink Butterfly On Flowers Shoulder Tattoo
Once again, the subtleness of a shoulder tattoo goes quite far in accentuating feminity and overall appeal. The pink butterfly resting atop the beautiful flowers is a scene rooted in the best of backyard glory. Butterflies are a symbolism of life and mystery. They are also representative of spiritual rebirth, change (transformation), and hope. Although pink is very difficult to reproduce in nature, and in all likelihood, real pink butterflies may be hard to find, the pink one in the above tattoo adds further uniqueness to the design — I love that!
#10. Tribal Shoulder Tattoo For Women
Tribal tattoo designs are commonplace in many cultures — ancient to modern. Among both men and women, the shoulders are the top priority when it comes to the placement of such tattoos. In the above tribal tattoo, the refined use of geometric shapes in the center and the solid black and negative spaces for the rest of the design give it a striking appeal. Many women are bold and love a touch of masculinity in their designs; this design is aligned with that preference.
#11. Peony Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The above peony tattoo is placed around the shoulder yet extends to the collar bone and upper arm. It’s a beautiful trailing design with excellent shading and use of color. The butterfly gels with the background as it’s not the focal element. Nevertheless, it’s noticeable and appealing. The use of color is subtle yet striking and remarkable. The artwork, on the whole, is quite praiseworthy. Peony symbolism is exceptional; the flower primarily symbolizes wealth. Chinese emperors used peonies, and so did the Japanese. The latter believed it to be a potent symbol of bravery, good fortune, and great honor. As a general rule of thumb, you can take peonies at face value for meaning love, honor, good luck, and prosperity.
#12. Large Floral Shoulder Tattoos For Women
Such more prominent tattoo coverage is in line with the love and experience of tattoos. It’s not a first-time tattoo for sure. In this case, the wearer knows what they want and why. The orange theme and large, spaced-out petals on both sides are perfectly symmetrical. This type of tattoo involves multiple sessions on the tattoo chair and a significant degree of pain and expense. The areas of the body that have thin skin over dense, bony regions are painful while the needling process is going on. However, the pain, expense, and time spent on getting such remarkable designs inked on your body will always be worth it because of the great outcome.
#13. Tiny Butterflies Shoulder Tattoo For Women
All good things come in small packages. The small pair of butterflies flying freely over the shoulder represents both purpose and beauty. The fine line work, delicate shading, and incredible placement add volumes of appeal to the overall look of the tattoo. If there was one word to describe this stunning piece — it’s “elegance.”
#14. Little Humming Bird Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The hummingbird is a tiny bird which colossal symbolism. It represents incredible joy, good luck, healing, and much much more. For a small bird, it packs a lot of punch and positive energy. Women prefer tiny yet meaningful elements on their shoulders. The reason behind that is the emotion, love, and meaningfulness of such characteristics that they attribute to their personalities. That said, the above tattoo is perfection personified. The hummingbird is right behind the shoulder with its beak pointing at the shoulder blade. It appears to be landing on the women’s shoulder.
#15. Whale In The Bottle Shoulder Tattoo For Women
In this watercolor-style tattoo, there’s a while inside a potion bottle. This tattoo design is representative of strength, peace, faith, solitude, wisdom, and attraction. If you associate yourself with kindness, compassion, and the meanings mentioned above, this tattoo will be perfect for you. The design overall is bolder than most shoulder tattoos for women because of the dark colors and the uniqueness of the design. Yet, if you’re creative and like quirky imagery, this one is a great option.
#16. Jelly Fish Shoulder Tattoo For Women
In this tattoo, the jelly fist is inked in shades of grey from the shoulder downward. It’s a subtle tattoo with incredible meaning. Like all creatures, Jellyfish are at one with nature. They symbolize instinct and flow. Hence they let spirit guide them towards their path. For human beings, the significance and learning to derive are that we should let life show us naturally instead of resisting life.
#17. Arrow Moon (+ Lettering) Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The free-handed tattoo of the arrow and moon shown above represents the divine masculine and feminine coming together. There is also a symbolism of the deep connection to nature. This type of tattoo doesn’t necessarily have to be covered at the job place. It’s very subtle, and one has to go up close to make out the custom lettering.
#18. Colored Hummingbird Shoulder Tattoo For Women
In this tattoo, the hummingbird is in ornamental form. It is a designer hummingbird, not a realistic one. Colored line work and dot work techniques give a vivid effect. Red and green are the only colors used for the emblem, like the back of shoulder placement design.
#19. Simple Heart On Shoulder Tattoo For Women
The minimalistic, free hand-drawn heart with the signature across its center is a deeply personalized tattoo. It looks astounding inked on the front of the shoulder. Lovebirds often like a stunning yet emotional design such as this.
#20. Small Sunflower Shoulder Tattoo For Women
In this tattoo, the very bright color of the sunflower gives it a visually appealing effect. Even though the flower is small, it speaks loud. It looks like a painted flower, although the tattooed design looks like it does because of its impeccable solid coloring. As far as the symbolism goes, sunflowers are loved for representing loyalty and good luck.
#21. Skelebunnies Shoulder Tattoos For Women
Inspired by the comic, these skelebunnies look adorable. The technique is delicate linework. It’s a more straightforward tattoo, yet the skeleton part has some detail. The standout feature of this tattoo is the red eyes. That’s the only amount of color, yet it strikes the onlooker because of the overall composition. If you like bunnies, this is a suitable shoulder option.
#22. Elegant Shoulder Piece Shoulder Tattoo For Women
Women who love jewelry, necklaces, in particular, would love this shoulder piece. The ornamentation is not precious stones but flowers. The choice of color is emerald green, while the basic pattern of this piece is black and grey. It’s a highly creative tattoo with the main shoulder blade being left untouched (negative space).
#23. Floral Beauty Shoulder Tattoo For Women
She sprouted love like flowers, grew a garden in her mind, and even on the darkest days, From her smile, the sun still shined.
#24. Lightening Shoulder Tattoo For Women
A tattoo of lightning is not very common. Lightening is a traditional symbol of sudden illumination. It also represents the destruction of ignorance. In this shoulder piece, black ink creates a simplified bolt of lightning. There are other tattoos in the vicinity of the arm, which is why the lighting looks in place more.
#25. Goldfish Shoulder Tattoo For Women
If you’re a fan of koi fish designs, you’d love this single goldfish tattoo, too. The pretty orange fish looks realistic. It seems like it’s swimming across your shoulder. The visual appeal and meaningfulness of this design make it another popular option for your shoulder. Traditionally, goldfish, particularly Koi, symbolize good luck.
#26. Snake Shoulder Tattoo For Women
If you have a serpent tattooed on your shoulder, it has a significant meaning. In different cultures, the definition may differ, yet the common belief is that they represent fertility and creativity. Snakes shed their skins, which makes them representative of transformation, rebirth, and immortality. As per ancient beliefs, a snake symbolizes patience, fertility, knowledge, and wisdom. The above tattoo is a bit more special than all that. The snake has a flowery, leafy pattern on one side and fine dot work on the other. Furthermore, the tongue is in the form of leaves (red ones). That in itself is astounding creativity.
FAQ’s
Ans. The most significant benefit is that shoulder skin doesn’t age like other skin on your body does. It doesn’t stretch as aging skin does on your other body parts. Also, shoulder tattoos won’t fade fast since the shoulders are covered by clothing for most of the year. Moreover, the colors get preserved better. As a result, you’ll have bright, vivid-looking tattoos for longer. Generally, life is a lot easier when dealing with a tattoo on the shoulder. For instance, aftercare becomes relatively more straightforward.
Ans. Every tattoo hurts. Yet, some hurt more than others because of the tattoo’s placement, size, and density. Tattoos get engraved by inserting ink in the second layer of your skin using fast-moving needles. Shoulders are relatively less painful to tattoo because there is a thicker layer of fat there. Also, the shoulders have a lower density of never endings, which reduces the potential pain from tattooing.
Ans. If your tattoo shop has an hourly rate, then the price of your shoulder tattoo will depend on its size and complexity. The more complex the design, the longer it’ll take to ink it; hence, the higher you’ll end up paying for the tattoo. Moreover, the hourly rate depends on the artist’s experience mainly. That said, you can expect to pay between $100-$250 for most average-sized shoulder tattoos. However, if the tattoo has extensive detail and large size, expect to pay much more.
Conclusion
Like wrist tattoos, shoulder tattoos are highly prevalent among women. Women can opt for shoulder tattoos of various sizes, though generally, the tattoos are small to medium. The reason is that there are so many styles to choose from. The most popular are the floral designs, followed by tribal, watercolor, geometric, and realistic designs. Among the elements in shoulder tattoos, besides, of course, cherry blossoms and flowers, butterflies and hearts are equally sought after.
Shoulder tattoos are tattooed solely on the shoulder to begin. But many times, they are bigger and extend to other body parts. They often extend as sleeve tattoos or upper back tattoos. Those, however, are the larger designs that require more time and cost to do. Women often combine quotes, animals, creatures, characters, and symbols within their overall shoulder tattoo theme to make it look great.
The tattoos designs I shared in this article were all hot topics on the internet. They are sure to inspire you to indulge in further search.
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