Rihanna’s Groundbreaking Maternity Style
Pregnancy is a magical feat. It is a celebration of what the human body can endure; the very creation of life. Yet for the last few centuries, female pregnancy has become moralized. Maternity wear has been synonymous with modesty; swathing the burgeoning belly in swaths of fabric, shapeless muumuus, and maternity dresses that obscure a woman’s changing body.
Over the last three decades, there has slowly been a push towards embracing the beauty of pregnancy. Recently, Rihanna has sparked widespread controversy and admiration for her shameless embrace of her own pregnant body, shifting the perception of what it should mean to be pregnant.
Photo: Getty Images via Vogue
For most of history, maternity clothing has not existed and pregnancy was considered something to be celebrated. Since the commercialization of fashion in the 19th century, there has been a shift into pregnancy as something to be concealed instead. This can be especially true in Hollywood, where conventionally attractive bodies, thinness, and optics are so highly valued. Over time, however, there are examples of women in Hollywood who have pushed against this stigma and brought on changes in the industry.
In the 1950s, Lucille Ball became the first pregnant woman seen on television in her famous series I Love Lucy. Even then, they were not allowed to use the word ‘pregnant’ onscreen, instead opting for the apparently less controversial term ‘expecting’.
Photo: Getty Images via InStyle
In 1991, Demi Moore decided to pose nude on the cover of Vanity Fair, showing off her large belly in a photograph shot by Annie Leibovitz. Today, there have been so many recreations of this iconic moment that it might not seem like much of a big deal, but at the time, it was groundbreaking. This moment opened the door for other pregnant women to own their sexuality, their body, and their clothing choices.
Photo: Annie Leibovitz via Sotheby’s
Most recently and most consistently, Rihanna has been turning heads with her fashion choices during her two pregnancies. A lover of fashion, she has used pregnancy as an opportunity to experiment with her style, often emphasizing her bump, using it as her best and most important accessory, instead of hiding it. She is redefining maternity fashion, championing ‘rebellious’ clothing like low cut pants and skirts and crop tops.
Photo: Kevin Mazur via Harper’s Bazaar
In March of 2022, Rihanna showed up at the Dior show during Paris Fashion Week wearing a sheer lace negligee under a black leather coat. She has been seen wearing mesh, crop tops and mini skirts just as often as she has worn oversized vintage t-shirts and jeans. Most recently, she wore a two piece leather set over a sheer turtleneck top to the Oscars.
Photo: Kevin Mazur via Harper’s Bazaar
The 35 year old singer has no interest in complying with what is expected of pregnant women. Maternity collections lack creativity and style, so she doesn’t want to wear them. Instead, she is embracing the incredible feats that her body is doing, hoping that she can redefine what is considered ‘decent’ for pregnant women.
What Rihanna is doing is not necessarily new, but her huge platform means that her actions are significant. She is challenging societal norms about pregnant women, and in doing so, encouraging an important conversation about the experience and role of being pregnant.
For Black women especially, Rihanna’s embrace of motherhood is inspiring. In the United States, the mortality rate in relation to pregnancy is disproportionately higher for Black women than for white women. This is regardless of socioeconomic status: Black mothers simply don’t receive as high quality of care as their white counterparts do. These are the kinds of conversations that something as simple as a fashion choice can make, and one can only hope that it will lead to real action.