InkCraftHip Tattoo Ideas for Women, Waist Curve to Thigh
24 women's hip tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
On many women the hip is the widest point of the body, curving out from a narrower waist and down onto the thigh. These hip tattoos for women sit beside their flat designs, many of them in bikini bottoms by a pool, where a hip piece is actually on view.
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor tattoo on a woman's hip
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school dragon tattoo on a woman's hip
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line shark tattoo on a woman's hip
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese koi fish tattoo on a woman's hip
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a woman's hip
- biomechanical · colourTry it on — Color biomechanical tattoo on a woman's hip
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's hip
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor skull tattoo on a woman's hip
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a woman's hip
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional lotus flower tattoo on a woman's hip
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional wolf tattoo on a woman's hip
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork crow tattoo on a woman's hip
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese rose tattoo on a woman's hip
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional raven tattoo on a woman's hip
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework eagle tattoo on a woman's hip
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional tattoo on a woman's hip
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional tattoo on a woman's hip
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor peony tattoo on a woman's hip
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal sun tattoo on a woman's hip
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework raven tattoo on a woman's hip
- watercolor · colourTry it on — Color watercolor dragonfly tattoo on a woman's hip
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork stars tattoo on a woman's hip
- linework · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white linework moon tattoo on a woman's hip
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental lily tattoo on a woman's hip
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 24 tattoos on women's hips, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 10
- Colour
- 14
- Most common style
- neo-traditional
Following the curve from waist to thigh
The outward curve from the waist to the widest point of the hip gives a flowing design a natural path. A vine climbing from thigh to waist, a snake, a dragon or a spray of flowers angled with the curve reads as part of the body's outline from the side. From the front the same piece shows only a slice, so decide which view matters; most hip pieces are drawn for the side.
The tie or string of a bikini crosses the hip at an angle, and where the design sits against that line is the main decision. Above it, the piece shows with most swimwear; below it, towards the thigh, it shows mainly with high-cut styles. Many hip pieces are drawn to curve around the tie line, so they look deliberate in swimwear rather than interrupted.
Stretch marks and a hip that changes
Hips and upper thighs are common places for stretch marks, from growth in the teenage years as well as from pregnancy and weight change. A tattoo can go over settled pale marks, and a flowing design with shading and texture blends them in. The hip also widens and narrows with weight over the years, and an organic subject follows that change where a rigid shape or straight lettering does not.
Waistbands of jeans, leggings and underwear cross the upper hip daily. The hip page covers what that means while it heals, and how the bone at the top of the hip feels under the needle.
Common questions
- Will a hip tattoo show in a bikini?
- In most styles, yes. A piece above the tie line shows in almost any bikini, and one lower towards the thigh shows in high-cut bottoms. A one-piece swimsuit with a high leg shows the lower part and hides the upper, so the swimwear you wear most is worth bringing into the decision.
- What hip tattoo designs suit a curvy hip?
- Designs with movement that follow the curve from waist to thigh: vines, florals, snakes, feathers, ornamental trails. They read along the outline of the body from the side. Circles, grids and straight text depend on a flat surface and look bent across the widest part of the hip.
- Can a women's hip tattoo continue onto the thigh?
- It can, and the hip runs into the outer thigh so smoothly that many pieces are planned across both. A hip-to-thigh piece shows in swimwear and in shorts cut high on the leg. If you start with the hip alone, ask for the lower edge to be left open so it can carry on later.
- Which tattoo styles suit a small or side hip piece on a woman?
- Watercolour and neo-traditional work suit a side hip piece seen mostly in profile: colour and soft shading follow the curve and blend in settled stretch marks. Japanese-style subjects, a koi, a dragon or a peony, are drawn to flow and can carry on down the thigh. For a small hip tattoo, linework or dotwork on the flatter skin in front of the hip bone keeps its lines clear.
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.