More and more women are getting tattoos. In the past tattoos were associated with gangsters and women of "questionable virtue"; tattoos are now seen as an artwork and a form of personal expression. That being said not everyone wants a skull or a heart with "Mom" written through it (no disrespect to anyone's mom!) Women in particular want more delicate pretty tattoos, and for this reason bow tattoos have become increasingly popular.Bows have long been associated with girls and women, worn in their hair and on their clothes as a fashion statement. I see tattoos as a personal and fashion statement, so it seems only sensible to me that they are making a more permanent statement and having them tattooed on their bodies. We can spend hours choosing the right clothes to wear, and applying make-up, if you already have a bow tattoo that is one form of beautification already taken care of, after the initial inking, it takes no time to apply and it will be washed every time you are.
The position of your bow tattoo is equally important; do you want it on prominent public display? Or are you going to keep it under wraps, showing it only when you choose? This will depend not only on your personality and how confident you feel displaying your tattoos, but also on your lifestyle, if you are a corporate business woman you might need to keep yours undercover at work! One particularly effective option is to have a slender part of the body, finger, wrist or ankle circled with an inked ribbon and finished with a bow tattoo. This can resemble jewellery as can bow tattoos on earlobes. If you want to be able to cover up at times, consider having your bow tattoo inked on your shoulder, lower back or thigh.
There is an old saying/tradition that uses knots or bows of string tied around fingers or into clothes to remind you of something, a bow tattoo can be used in the same way to remind you of a special person or event, a birth or anniversary for example. Bows have been used in art for hundreds of years to symbolise the fragility of life, it can be beautiful, just like a bow, but also like a bow life can be unravelled quickly. Yellow ribbons tied around trees have been used in more recent history, as a symbol that someone is waiting for the return of a loved one from war or a long journey. Pink bows or ribbons are now used to raise awareness of, and support for, women suffering from breast cancer. These are all powerful symbols and therefore anyone wishing to get a bow tattoo should think carefully which color and shape of bow to have inked, choose something that means something to you, it will be with you for a long time and will be a reflection of who you are to the world.
By Zoe Witchip
