Fashion

19 Back Of The Neck Tattoos Just Like Cara's

by Gina Jones 2

Another day, another celebrity tattoo: This time it's Cara Delevingne's neck tattoo making the rounds as the model-turned-actress added to her growing ink collection with a tasteful realistic eye tattoo on the back of her neck. This is far from the first celebrity tattoo in a less than conventional place either, as only recently did it come out that Kendall Jenner has a lip tattoo and it feels as though new celebrity tattoos get revealed every other day.

Delevingne's neck tattoo hasn't yet been explained by the British star (although she has gone into great detail explaining her bacon tattoo) so the meaning of the piece is as yet unknown. That said, do tattoos even need an explanation? As long as they're pretty and as long as you love it, there doesn't have to be some deep, dark, mysterious meaning for your ink.

So if Delevingne's new ink has inspired you, or you've been considering a back of the neck tattoo for a while, the following ink will hopefully help in choosing your own (meaningful or not) design. Or if you're not getting tatted and you're just here to look at pretty tattoos, you're in luck: These tattoos are cool, pretty and almost everything inbetween.

But first, let's look at Cara Delevingne's new tattoo for comparison against the rest of this ink.

1. Voodoo Girl

This pins in heart tattoo on feminist artist Sophie Skye Jones is inspired by the poem Voodoo Girl by Tim Burton but makes a great case for using illustrations for your tattoo. It makes your reference instantly recognizable to those who will recognize it as well as just looking pretty damn cool.

2. Feminist Fist

This powerful feminist icon will portray your politics immediately to anyone who sees it, as well as making for a fierce image for a tattoo. Hebe Grace works with LGBT youth in Manchester, so this tattoo perfectly suits not just her stance on social justice, but everything her life revolves around.

3. An Eye

This tattoo is similar to Cara Delevingne's own neck tattoo but in lieu of two eyes, there's one. The hyper realism of this tattoo matches Delevingne's exactly, but seamstress and textile artist Jessie Stringer-Fewtrill definitely had hers first.

4. Biju Belinky

Writer Biju Belinky's neck tattoo features a musical note in a cameo frame for a more traditional kind of look. Traditional tattoos are a great way to be sure you don't fall victim to trends and your tattoo never goes out of style.

5. Mandala

Mandalas are known for intricacy, which leads to some pretty stunning tattoo concepts. This particular mandala fits into the back of the neck perfectly — it makes great use of the space to make something beautiful.

6. Minimalist Lotus

But just as beautiful as an intricate tattoo can be, so to can a minimalist tattoo like this one. Just a few small strokes to pull together into a gorgeous piece of ink.

7. Clothes Hanger

Fashion design student Rosie Newton got a clothes hanger because, well, her passion lies in designing, wearing, and styling clothes. This is a great simple tattoo but with a personal meaning not everyone will understand.

8. A Butterfly

This pic is fresh from the needle, so please excuse the blood, but this bright and beautiful butterfly proves that neck tattoos don't have to come in black and white.

9. A Wreath

This simple wreath tattoo on writer Olivia Wedderburn showcases perfectly how botanicals can be used in your neck tattoo.

10. Aquarius Symbol

Using an astrology sign for a tattoo is so on trend right now, plus it makes for a great conversation starter!

11. Origami Boat

This super simple but super pretty origami boat can be inspiration for a number of origami themed tattoos, so find one that speaks to you and go get your neck inked!

12. Unalome

The unalome symbol stands for enlightenment, which is something we can all aspire to and makes for a great, minimalist tattoo.

13. Flowers

These gorgeous traditional flowers with adjacent petals on Londoner Hannah Tadd are a perfectly pretty way to get a neck tattoo that isn't too out there.

14. A Dagger

This tattoo is a hand poked design that shows just as a tattoo can be super sweet, it can be equally as punk rock. Plus this is a great example of a different tattooing technique that you may want to consider.

15. Mario Mushroom

This 1Up mushroom tattoo from Super Mario Bros. is the best reminder that tattoo ideas don't need to be particularly serious — you can just get something for the hell of it, nobody's stopping you!

16. Silver Butterfly

If the color butterfly earlier in this list didn't quite take your fancy, this simple, silver butterfly is a great option if you definitely want a critter tattoo.

17. Mandala

Another mandala, but this mandala helps to prove how versatile this design really can be. As well as a totally different design, the placement on this tattoo is perfect for anyone with a shaved head or undercut.

18. Moon And Sun

This design is simple, cute and instantly recognizable as a sun and moon — another great case for something a little less complicated.

19. Cat Mandala

Don't forget, a mandala doesn't have to be just a mandala: If you want something personal incorporated into the design, just ask your tattoo artist for advice and ideas!

Remember: Stealing tattoos is frowned upon by literally everyone ever, but that doesn't mean you can't draw inspiration from other people's ink. If one or more of these take your fancy, take them in for your local artist to reference while they make a neck tattoo that is totally original and totally yours.

Images: Courtesy of Jess Turner; Hebe Grace; Jessie Stringer-Fewtrill; Biju Belinky; Rosie Newton; Olivia Wedderburn; Hannah Tadd; Kirsty Webb