InkCraftFemale Shoulder Tattoo Ideas Between the Straps
27 women's shoulder tattoos photographed on skin for InkCraftBy Uladzimir TumanauUpdated
A woman's shoulder is often narrower and more sloped, and it is crossed every day by straps. These shoulder tattoos for women are photographed mostly in sleeveless and off-the-shoulder tops, with how to fit a design between strap lines and let it lead onto the collarbone or the back.
- Japanese · colourTry it on — Color Japanese koi fish tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal anchor tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- tribal · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white tribal tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- neo traditional · colourTry it on — Color neo traditional wolf tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical sun tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- illustrative · colourTry it on — Color illustrative tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork sun tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork lips tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork bee tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tiger tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line heart tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- traditional · colourTry it on — Color traditional tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- illustrative · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey illustrative tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork eye tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- new school · colourTry it on — Color new school bird tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- fine line · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white fine line moon tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- dotwork · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey dotwork tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- ornamental · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey ornamental snake tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- biomechanical · black and greyTry it on — Black and grey biomechanical tattoo on a woman's shoulder
- blackwork · black and whiteTry it on — Black and white blackwork tattoo on a woman's shoulder
Every pair is one tattoo: the design as it was drawn, and a photograph of that same design on the body.
These 27 tattoos on women's shoulders, in numbers
- Body parts
- 1
- Black and grey
- 19
- Colour
- 8
- Most common style
- dotwork
A sloping shoulder and the straps that cross it
On a narrower frame the shoulder cap is smaller and falls away more steeply from the neck, so a design sits more on the side of the arm than on top of it. Round designs still suit the joint, but they need scaling to the cap you actually have, and many sit best a little lower and further back than they would on a broad shoulder.
Bra straps, top straps and bag straps all run over the top of the shoulder, each in a slightly different place. Ink directly under a strap line is covered and rubbed every day, and a strap crossing the middle of a design cuts it visually in two. Place the design to one side of those lines, or make it large enough that a strap reads as passing over it rather than dividing it.
Halternecks, off-the-shoulder and where it leads
Necklines decide how much of a shoulder piece anyone sees. A crew neck t-shirt hides it, a vest top shows the cap, and off-the-shoulder, halterneck and strapless styles show the whole shoulder together with the collarbone and upper back. If you wear those often, the shoulder piece is really a piece about the collarbone and the top of the back as well, and it looks best planned that way.
That is also the direction it tends to grow. A shoulder design can curve forward onto the collarbone, back toward the shoulder blade, or down into an upper half sleeve, and on a narrower frame each of those is only a short step. Leave the edge facing the way you might go. For pain and healing, see the shoulder page.
Common questions
- Where should a shoulder tattoo sit relative to bra straps?
- Beside them rather than under them, if you want it seen. Wear your usual bra when the stencil goes on and mark where the straps run; a design placed just in front of or behind that line stays clear, while one centred under it is covered most days and rubbed constantly.
- Front, top or back of the shoulder for women?
- The top shows in most sleeveless tops and is crossed by straps; the front leads naturally onto the collarbone and shows in wider necklines; the back is the most private and leads to the shoulder blade. Choose by the neckline you wear most and the direction you might want to extend.
- Can a shoulder tattoo continue onto the collarbone?
- Yes, and on a narrow frame the two are close enough to read as one piece. Plan the curve with the stencil on while you stand naturally, because the collarbone moves with every shrug and a line that flows in the mirror can kink when you lift your arm.
- Which shoulder tattoo designs suit women, flowers included?
- Round ones, because the cap is a dome and a design with a centre reads from the front, the side and the back. A flower opened to face out, a sun or a moon sits neatly between strap lines in dotwork or fine line; ornamental, new-school and illustrative pieces need slightly bolder outlines to hold on a narrower cap.
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.