InkCraftChest Tattoo Ideas for Women Above the Neckline
20 women's chest tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
On a woman, a chest tattoo usually means the upper chest, between the collarbones and the top of the bust. These chest tattoos for women are photographed above a scoop-neck, tank or strapless neckline, so the frame a neckline gives is part of the picture.
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative sunflower tattoo on a woman's chest
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's chest
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's chest
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's chest
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's chest
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's chest
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a woman's chest
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line tattoo on a woman's chest
- biomechanical · colourTry it on — Color biomechanical tattoo on a woman's chest
- geometric · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white geometric tattoo on a woman's chest
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a woman's chest
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework tattoo on a woman's chest
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's chest
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's chest
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional tattoo on a woman's chest
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional tattoo on a woman's chest
- biomechanical · colourTry it on — Color biomechanical tattoo on a woman's chest
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a woman's chest
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a woman's chest
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal lion tattoo on a woman's chest
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 20 tattoos on women's chests, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 13
- Colour
- 7
- Most common style
- illustrative
The neckline decides the edges
Upper chest pieces live with necklines more than with anything else. A scoop or square neck frames a design that ends just above it, a V-neck cuts through anything wide, and a crew neck covers most of it. Strapless and off-shoulder tops show the whole span from shoulder to shoulder. Decide which of those you wear most and set the lower edge of the piece by it.
Wide, shallow compositions suit this area: a spread of flowers, wings opening from the centre, a moth, an ornamental piece symmetrical about the breastbone. Tall designs run down into the neckline and are cropped by nearly every top. Bra and top straps cross the outer ends near the shoulders, so those are the parts of a wide piece most often covered.
Skin that stays put, and skin that changes
The skin just below the collarbones lies over bone and thin muscle and changes little across the years. Lower down, breast tissue changes with weight, age, pregnancy and breastfeeding. A piece kept on the upper chest holds its shape through all of that; one that reaches onto the bust will move with it, which is worth knowing rather than a reason to avoid it.
Lower on the sternum, under the bust where a bra band covers it, is a separate placement with its own logic, and not the one pictured here. For the sternum itself, session length and healing under straps, see the chest page.
Common questions
- Which chest tattoo styles suit a woman's upper chest?
- Linework suits a small piece just below the collarbones, where fine lines stay clear on thin, steady skin. Illustrative work carries a wider subject, a sunflower or a lion's head centred on the breastbone, and watercolour adds colour without heavy outlines. Tribal patterns can mirror on either side of the sternum, which suits the natural symmetry of the upper chest.
- Which necklines show a female chest tattoo?
- Scoop, square, sweetheart, strapless and off-shoulder tops all show an upper chest piece, and frame it when it ends just above the neckline. A V-neck shows only the centre, while a crew neck or buttoned shirt covers almost all of it. Setting the lower edge with your own wardrobe in mind avoids a design that always looks cut off.
- Will pregnancy or breastfeeding change a chest tattoo?
- A piece on the upper chest, above the bust, usually changes very little, since the skin there sits over bone and thin muscle. Work that extends lower, onto breast tissue, moves with it through pregnancy, feeding and weight change. Flowing designs cope with that movement better than precise geometry.
- How wide should an upper chest tattoo be?
- Wide enough to use the span below the collarbones, narrow enough to stay inside your bra straps if you want it seen whole in everyday tops. That usually means ending a few centimetres in from each shoulder. Wider work, reaching the shoulders, shows in full only in strapless or off-shoulder clothes.
See it on your own skin first
InkCraft places a design on a photo of you — scaled, wrapped and shaded to the spot you pick, so you can judge the size against your own body before it is permanent.