30 Sexy Garter Belt Tattoo Designs for Women – Designs & Meanings (2019)

One tattoo you don’t see easily is the garter belt tattoo, and this is because it is worn on the thigh. Sorry for the guys, this one is a mostly girl thing, although they have also been used by men.

There weren’t elastic materials back in the eighteenth to twentieth century, and stockings had to be held up by a garter made of solid’ material. In fact, back then it was worn below the knee.

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With the advent of elastic materials, garters were work around the thigh, and over time even the stockings were made elastic and even the garter became obsolete. Like all good things, they are still appreciated as an essential accessory, although now the garter is less functional than it used to be.

Meaning of the garter belt tattoo

The garter belt is a very feminine accessory, and it accentuates that, nothing says, ‘I’m a lady’, more than a garter belt. It does have a naughty implication to it, though, depending on the type. The knotted garter, for example could say ‘Untie me right now’, as a challenge to the guy who has made it that far.

This original interpretation has been transferred onto the inked version, the garter belt tattoo. It’s a simple, small and usually concealed tattoo with a loaded message. It is the perfect tattoo for the girl who would like a sexy tattoo that won’t take away from your professional life.

Types

• Simple garter

A classic, original and unaltered garter will always be fashionable, especially for those who prefer the classic style. The simple garter design is exactly like the original garter, it goes all around the thigh and is consistent in pattern, shape and colour all round.

You can always add a bit of variety in patterns, for example, some garters have a continuous rugged, zigzag, edge all round instead of a smooth edge. The garter itself could be either shaded or could just be an outline, your choice. The shading could be done in colour to make it unique, but more commonly the garter is patterned, to depict the weaving that is done on an actual garter. On the other hand, you can just keep the outline of a garter without shading if you want something simple.

• Ribbon and garter

In order to create some uniqueness, and also to improve the effectiveness of the garter belt, a ribbon was added within the garter material. This improved the tension in the garter and also broke the monotony of the plain colours; the same could be done for your tattoo.

Usually, the ribbon has a colour that stands out from the rest of the garter, for example, a red ribbon against a cream or white garter material draws attention to it. This design is only a slight deviation from the classic garter if you would still like to retain the classic design but with a bit more character.

• Tight lacing

This design is very common because the tattoos are smaller and therefore less complex and thus easier to cover. In fashion, lacing is used to tie a corset into place, exaggerating the feminine figure; as such, the lacing garter belt tattoo can be used to indicate a kind of pure femininity.

However, with these tattoos being placed mostly on the thigh, the meaning has evolved to be more provocative.

• Knotting

The original garters were complete and continuous, and therefore didn’t have a need for a knot. To add more beauty, though, garters had knots included which would tie either ends of the garter and draw attention to itself rather that the garter itself.

The same could be applied for the garter tattoo, too, because it makes the tattoo stand out strongly.

A knot could only be placed on the ribbon, if your garter belt tattoo included a ribbon, or a larger one tying the entire garter belt together. Either way, the knotting makes the garter a bit cuter. The choice of knotting is also a choice, depending on what you prefer.

The most common knot is the butterfly knot, which looks like the four wings of a butterfly. A flower knot, too, can be used, it’s more rounded and could be larger and more detailed than the butterfly one.

Alternatively, a simple tie could be applied, which looks like just two strings tied around each other. For the ultimate unique look, use something that offers a certain meaning to you, like a crucifix, for example.

• Lacey garter belt

Since garter belts were used to hold the stockings in place, they had to be sturdy and strong. A tattoo doesn’t have to be, a thin lace around the thigh, or several, could also be considered as a garter belt. The various strings could have the same colour, but you can always alternate to make it appealing.

• Accessorized garter belt

As the garter belt became a more common accessory in the past, the ladies started purposing them for different uses. If you have ever watched a spy movie with a female agent, they have used the garter belt for holstering their gun, and strangely, this is the most common accessory in any garter belt.

There is really no limit to what you can add to your garter belt, and you can put anything there, from a crucifix to a knife, whatever you like.

• Suspender clips

Perhaps the simplest iteration to the garter belt tattoo is the independent suspender clips. A garter belt could also be held up with suspenders which are then tied to a material around the waist. We can’t have all the complex materials, though, in a tattoo, so the simple suspender clips are used.

They are smaller and thus easier to hide if you want, plus, it’s guaranteed to make someone take a second look because they are… weird. I like them, though, but I have to admit it looks a bit graphic especially when extremely detailed.

The placement of the tattoo makes it very personal, and you should thus choose the colours, accessories or knotting you like most. Remember to also take the placement into consideration, place it too low and it will be visible every time you wear a short skirt, unless that’s what you want.