The once-maligned tattoo has shed its taboo status and is now a celebrated form of body art. With women getting inked just as frequently as men, it's clear that tattoos are a popular way to express individuality. Let's explore the myriad of tattoo designs favoured by women.
Popular Women Tattoo Designs
In terms of location, tattoos above the ear, on the wrist, and on the ankle are increasingly popular. Design-wise, the range is vast, spanning from ornamental patterns such as lace, Polynesian and geometric designs, to nature-inspired themes like flowers, butterflies, and feathers. Other popular designs include mandalas, stars, and text-based designs like words, quotes and initials. Below, we delve into some of these designs in more detail.
Flower Tattoos
- Lotus flower: Represents beauty, purity, and spirituality
- Rose: A symbol of love, beauty, hope, balance, and fresh starts
- Orchid: Associated with heroism in Japanese culture, power in Aztec culture, and prosperity and fertility in Chinese culture
- Lily: Stands for purity, perfection, viability, understanding, compassion, and wealth
- Cherry blossom: Symbolises life, beauty, and morality
Each flower carries a unique meaning, allowing the wearer to express a specific sentiment.
Butterfly and Bird Tattoos
Butterfly tattoos are striking symbols of transformation, love, spirituality, and femininity, while bird tattoos are a testament to freedom, independence, hope, nobility, and more. Birds can also stand for protection, spiritual development, motherhood, family, beauty, elegance, love, peace, knowledge, and wisdom.
Mandala and Dreamcatcher Tattoos
Mandalas, religious symbols often associated with unity and perfection, are another common choice. Dreamcatchers, a Native American amulet traditionally used to ward off nightmares and bad spirits for sleeping children, have also found their way into tattoo designs.
Symbols and Positive Energy Tattoos
Tattoos can also serve as powerful symbols. The symbol of Venus, for example, is often used to represent feminine strength. Positive energy tattoos are also gaining traction. These designs often feature the flower of life, which symbolises the interdependence of everything, the life cycle, and positivity, or the Ankh cross, an Egyptian symbol of life and abundance.
As this exploration shows, the world of tattoo designs is varied and rich. The choice of design is deeply personal, making each tattoo a unique piece of body art that tells a story about its wearer.