For Rihanna, Basic Maternity Clothes Were Never an Option
From barely-there Dior lingerie dress to unfortunately hot Alexander Wang leather mini skirts, Rihanna's maternity style has been nothing short of fire and there's a reason why.
If you used any social media platform on April 12, you probably saw Rihanna's epic Vogue spread trending at least once or twice (or all day long).
Rih and her baby bump command the feature's center stage, wearing looks by Alaïa, Rick Owens, and Dior.
In addition to churning out more style moments to add to her instant-classic maternity style timeline, Rihanna let us know something that we already kind of knew: typical maternity wear was never going to cut it for the bad gal famous for flexing vintage Galliano and fresh-off-the-runway looks.
"When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, 'There's no way I'm going to go shopping in no maternity aisle,'" Rihanna told Vogue.
"It's too much fun to get dressed up. I'm not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing."
While the Fenty Beauty CEO's game-changing maternal style brought out some critics who dared to say she looked a mess (how dare they!), nearly everyone else praised Rihanna for single-handedly redefining maternity style.
I mean, how often do you see women wearing heeled sandals, body-con dresses, and latex crop tops throughout their pregnancy? All while putting their growing tummy on full display — it's enough to make me tired.
For some women, pregnancy becomes a moment of introversion. In the worst cases, societal pressures may influence women to entirely hide their pregnancies, rather than celebrate them.
Maternity wear rarely helps the matter.
Sure, pregnancy clothing is specifically designed to be baby bump-friendly, immensely supportive, and comfort. Still, most brands sacrifice interesting designs for the sake of full coverage and oversized apparel — stuff that a non-expecting majority may think is appropriate for expecting women.
So yeah, Rihanna's pregnancy style is kind of a big deal, people. She's not only somehow keeping up with her unapologetically excellent style (with the guest appearance from her protruding plus-one) but she's also showing that there's no shame in the preggers game, with hopes of uplifting other moms-to-be.
"My body is doing incredible things right now, and I'm not going to be ashamed of that," Rih said. "This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?"
It's become downright rare and almost shocking when we don't see Rihanna's belly these days.
In line with her vow to excitedly embrace each trimester, Rihanna has successfully made her baby bump her newest — and best looking — accessory, giving the maternity patrol the finger.
We may not get new music from Rihanna any time soon but I welcome the deluge of baby bump action.
