Top 100 Best American Traditional Tattoo Ideas For Women – Old School Designs

One of the most popular and identifiable tattoo styles out there, American Traditional is perfect for an individual tattoo or a more adventurous piece in a sleeve or full back ink.

While you can turn anything into an American Traditional tattoo with the right artist, there are some symbolic tattoos that have been around and continue to be popular choices for novices and vets of this style tattoo.

Flowers, especially roses, are quite popular for both men and women. A deep red in the rose can represent love or desire, and look fabulous with a thick outline to define the flower beautifully.

Animals are another subject you’ll see a lot in traditional ink. Tigers are a top predator and represent that strength. Just because this animal is powerful doesn’t mean a woman can’t get it, show your inner strength with this impressive creature.

For a more feminine tattoo, butterflies are naturally beautiful and represent transformation as they transition into a colorful and wonderful creature.

No matter what the dagger means for you, it’s an iconic symbol for American Traditional tattoos. Add a flower or leave it alone, either way you’ll have a statement piece that people will want to know more about.

A true old school tattoo, the gypsy girl represents the gypsy way of life while portraying a the portrait of a gorgeous woman. In general, portraits of women are quite popular and some of the most amazing traditional tattoos, but the gypsy girl is freeing and independent for women who are the same.

Check out other iconic symbols and ideas from this classic and old school style for a perfect choice on your next tattoo.

 

This woman’s sleeve of American traditional tattoos is bright and bold. She wears a blue rose on her wrist, below a little bee and a bright red heart with an arrow piercing through it. A pastel sparrow carries a daisy above the cursive name of a loved one. A colorful butterfly floats below a horse’s face framed in a horseshoe below a woman’s profile.

How cute is this little tea cup drawn up in cool old school, American traditional style! The cup is adorned with little flowers in red and yellow. The tag from the tea bag hangs from the cup, decorated with a red heart. Curls of dotted steam evaporate from the hot tea. Placed above the ankle on the leg, this cute teacup could also look wonderful on the bicep of the arms or inner forearm.

This woman’s sad heart tattoo design is bright and bold. Colored with striking pastel red, the heart is crying fat blue tears from her big green eyes. A black frowny mouth and round little nose complete the despairing face. Most of us know the feeling of such a sad and broken heart.

This bright, colorful butterfly tattoo design idea is surrounded by a background of sunset colors. A setting sun is depicted in the lower wings of the butterfly. The insect hovers above a couple flowers in blue and purple. Clean black line work makes this girly design pop.

This traditional anchor wrist tattoo is a colorful spin on a classic design. The Anchor is black and red, with a decorative blue flower wreathed with light and dark green leaves. Lines and dots embellish the pointed anchor.

The colors in this traditional style tattoo are so rich and saturated! A bright blue rose on a thorny stem winds around a shockingly red heart. Negative space between the bold black lines and the blue of the rose makes the color really pop. Yellow accents along the thorns make them look even more vicious.

This black and grey leopard leg calf tattoo is dynamic and really beautiful. The big spotted cat saunters through tropical palm fronds and leaves. The shading is expert, and I love the details in the wide paws with long pointed claws. The Leopard appears to be walking right out of the design.

The cute tropical scene portrayed in this pastel retro tattoo is situated within a heart, and surrounded by pink and blue flowers. The scene depicts a tiny island with a single palm tree, heavy with coconuts, leaning over the ocean. The sun is setting over the water in the background, as a couple seagulls fly overhead.

I really love this unique bat tattoo design for women! The purple, black and grey bat hangs upside down from a cherry blossom branch, full of pink flowers. The bat’s wide, round eyes are yellow and striking. The bat’s wings are folded around its body, and the animal appears to have just been awoken.

The color palette used to create this American traditional tattoo design is just gorgeous! The tattoo depicts a black, red, white and forest green vase, full of flowers in the same colors. The textures the artist achieved in petals and leaves of the flowers, as well as the smooth surface of the vase are very skillful.

This woman’s American traditional tattoo sleeve is both colorful and dark. I love the consistent color palette used throughout. There’s a scene of Rio de Janeiro above a red rose and below the word “Home.” A black, blue and red butterfly soars above that, below a couple of sparrows, one carrying an olive branch.

This black and grey tattoo depicts a black heart, blooming with grey and white flowers and leaves, divided by a banner proclaiming “stay weird” in uppercase letters. White accents along the leaves catch the eye. The line work is clean and beautiful.

This woman’s American traditional tattoo sleeve is done in black and grey. A white snake, curving down the stem of a jet black rose, hovers above a floral skull. A subtle little dagger floats nearby. An envelope, surrounded by white flowers it’s etched with the words “It’s ok.”

This woman has a whole back and sleeve of American traditional tattoos! There’s a huge moth across her shoulder blades in black and grey, a woman’s profile, a cowboy scene on her lower back, a lion on her wrist, another month (this time in color,) a spider web around her elbow, and a woman’s face peering out of the center of a red rose.

This female pastel tattoo idea is bright and cheerful. The tattoo depicts a bright green cactus, fading from dark to light, in a mustard yellow pot beside two pink and purple flowers. The background is sunset red, and contrasts the green cactus, really making it pop.

This traditional women’s tattoo design idea depicts a soft butterfly perched upon a bright red budding rose. The thorny stem has been severed short. The butterfly is green, red, and orange, with yellow accents on the tips of its antenna. This color palette continues throughout the design.

This simple, classic girl’s tattoo is fun and cute. A couple of cherries dangle from a shared stem. Two green leaves sprout from the tip of the stems. Light reflects off the red cherries, and simple little black stars twinkle in the background. A pair of red lips smiling with white teeth float nearby.

This simple moon tattoo design for girls is really well done. The crescent moon is adorned with a red flower, and cascading leaves. A lovely pink flower, with a second set of pointed petals, rises from the inside curve of the crescent. The red, blue, yellow green and black ink is rich and saturated.

This colorful tattoo depicts a crescent moon with a face, smiling above an orange sunset scene of white clouds over pine trees. Stars twinkle in the sky, and outside the scene, a pink cherry blossom adorns the design.

This woman’s American traditional tattoo sleeve has lots of rich, dark, muted tones and whimsical illustrations. There’s a brown frog sitting up to eat a fly. There’s a couple of yellow lemons on the branch, a stairway framed inside a black heart, and a fat moth. On her upper arm she has the side profile of a lady’s face, gently smiling. Large sea shells decorate the lady’s black hair.

This tattoo depicts the side profile of a Native American woman’s face. She wears three feathers in her hair, attached to a patterned headband. She stares up into the sky with green eyes. She has rosy cheeks and red lips.

This awesome contortionist themed tattoo design is really fun! The tattoo portrays a slender woman with black hair in a tiger striped leotard, doing a handstand with her legs curved back behind her head. Her body is covered in blue tattoos. Pink flowers complete the design.

This American traditional tattoo portrays an anatomical heart, in black, white and red. Red and black flowers with cascading leaves pour out of the severed veins and arteries. Small line work details adorn the different sections of the hearts.

This bright, colorful gemstone tattoo depicts a large, faceted purple stone heart. The heart stone is set into a bright blue background. Two yellow flowers with round orange centers float on either side of the gem heart.

This abstract flower design is really unique and aesthetic. A budding mandala flower with saturated color and bold line work buds from a jagged, thorny stem. The stem is severed short and close to the flower, bearing a single leaf. The color pallet is striking, and consists of turquoise, pink and orange.

This classic tattoo design shows a black and grey sparrow soaring over a bright, cherry red rose. Deep forest green leaves surround the rose, and a thorny stem is cut close to the flower. Negative space near the tips of the petals adds dimension and depth.

This simple, black and grey flower tattoo is classic and very pretty. The petals of the flower are striped with white accents. There are white dots encircling the round center of the flower. Lots of slender leaves grow in a circle around the flower, and two little buds peek out from behind the leaves.

This graceful and colorful tattoo depicts a woman’s hand with red nail polish, daintily holding an arrangement of flowers. The flowers are all different varieties and colors, with a big red peony in the center. Foliage in various shades of green decorates the arrangement as well.

This bright, hot air balloon tattoo is really cheerful and uplifting! The balloon is striped with red, pink, yellow and blue, and decorated with banners and bows. A red flag flies overhead. A golden yellow basket swings empty below. Blue Flowers peek out from behind the balloon.

This sweet portrait tattoo depicts a young woman with rosy cheeks and freckles holding an orange cat. The girl wears a green sweater, and her black hair is up in two buns on either side of her head. She has big, heart shaped hoop earrings, and a small smile. The orange cat wears a friendly expression.

This fun, trapeze woman tattoo has a traditional red, green, yellow, and black color palette. The woman swings on one leg from the flying trapeze. She gazes into a red, long stem rose that she holds daintily by her fingertips. A big orange flower is tucked into her black, flowing hair, and her body is covered with tattoos.

This American traditional style tattoo portrays a woman’s side profile. A peacock is nestled in her thick, black hair that cascades down her shoulders. She wears eyeshadow blush and red lipstick. She has big gold hoop earrings and an angular silver necklace. She stares upwards, forlorn.

This woman’s American traditional tattoo sleeve is bright and fun. She has a hand of playing cards on her wrist, a globe, a small red flower by her elbow, and a wine glass of red liquid containing a skull with a smoking cigarette in the background. On her upper arm, she has a compact, a tube of red lipstick, and a mirror reflecting a woman’s face.

I love the largely black and red color pallet used in this American traditional tattoo sleeve. This woman has red roses tattooed on her wrist and shoulder. Between the roses, there’s a flying bald eagle reaching for a moth, two small flowers, and a wolf face with a dagger piercing through the back of the head.

This black and grey horseshoe tattoo is a real classic. The horseshoe is positioned toe down, to ensure the luck doesn’t drain out of it. Three flowers, wreathed in leaves, decorate the design. The black ink is really saturated, and the shading is minimal.

This abstract flower tattoo is bright and vibrant. A stylized, rainbow colored flower grows on a long, thorny stem. The flower has layers of patterned petals, growing out like a mandala. Green leaves grow up the stem, and the thorns are bright red.

This silver crescent moon tattoo is decorated with a pink flower and lots of green leaves. A red flower bud reaches up behind the moon. The word “lunatica” is written in simple, uppercase letters along the curved edge of the moon.

This unique female traditional tattoo depicts a curling banner in front of two, shaded pink flowers. Upon the banner is a detailed set of eyes, belonging to a woman. She has suspicious eyebrows, brown eyes, and you can just see a hint of her blushing cheeks.

This strange, surreal tattoo design is whimsical and really fun to look at! The tattoo portrays a set of red lips with white teeth, biting down upon a very unusual flower. The center of the red and white flower contains a narrow yellow eye. Green leaves and other smaller flowers of different colors all grow from the same, thorny stem.

This surreal, traditional rainbow flower tattoo design for females is really bright and colorful. The abstract flower grows in layers of patterned petals from a thorny stem. A drop of red blood drips from the short cut stem. The design is very sharp and angular with a dangerous sort of beauty.