The Not-So-Rumored Pregnancy: How Rihanna Pulled It Off and the Fashion Behind It
COURTESY OF DIGGZY/SHUTTERSTOCK
After long awaited unanswered questions, Rihanna is pregnant. What was her secret to hiding this prolonged rumor? Well, we can blame fashion. With the trends of baggy clothes, Rihanna walked out of Pastis Restaurant in New York City wearing a Martine Rose black and blue zipped-up bomber jacket over a mini dress on January 28th and looked super fly. While strolling the city this same week she set the bar high with her fur-lined, bright pumpkin orange coat. Oversized puffers, long coats, t-shirts, and dresses being accessorized to the nines made her baby bump unheard of and most definitely has been her go-to wardrobe these past few months. Was fashion a distraction?
Dating back to her “Umbrella” days in 2008, Rihanna always had her style of wearing street-inspired looks made chic and cool. With her body changing form, nothing has kept her from wearing what she loves.
In late November, Rihanna wore an orange slip dress with her hands clasped over her stomach during her trip to her homeland in Barbados in celebration of Barbados becoming a Republic.
While accepting her National Hero of Barbados award, Rihanna utilized layers in a white dress and buttoned blazer to cover her early weeks into pregnancy (?). At the Basquiat exhibit in New York City December 3rd, Rihanna sported a shiny purple mini skirt with a black t-shirt underneath a red, white, and blue colored puffer paired with bright blue high-knee boots. Through December into January, the progression of Rihanna’s outfits grew baggier, but of course, still chic.
The Savage x Fenty designer has included inspiration from the early 2000s, with baseball caps, wide leg, baggy cargo pants, mesh, cut-out tanks, and tracksuits galore. She was able to keep the pregnancy a secret by choosing more baggy, loose fitting pieces of clothing. Here are some examples:
COURTESY OF BACKGRID
COURTESY OF GOTHAM/GETTY IMAGES
COURTESY OF RAYMOND HALL/GETTY IMAGES
Just weeks after announcing her pregnancy, Rihanna has already reinvented bump style forever. Here, she is styling low-slung Vetements jeans, strappy Tom Ford sandals, a Jacqui Aiche diamond bra, Fendi crop top and a patchwork coat – and topped the look with a classic Noughties camo cap.
COURTESY OF BACKGRID
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky announced their pregnancy the same week of serving looks going to the hottest restaurants in New York City. Shot by Miles Diggs, also referred to as Diggzy, a 26-year-old celebrity photographer, embraced the art of fashion and pregnancy through his talented skill behind the camera. Transitioning from a fully-covered, elegant ensemble to now, a more revealing ensemble, Rihanna wore a vintage Chanel long, quilted hot pink puffer coat from the Fall 1996 collection posing in the street beneath Riverside Drive with ASAP Rocky. The jeweled gold buttons were unbuttoned most of the way leaving one closed beneath her breastbone to sculpt her beautiful, growing baby bump. To spice it up even more, Rihanna added a vintage Christian Lacroix multi-colored jeweled cross necklace draping down her bare stomach with a Chanel black and gold chain belt looped through blue ripped jeans. ASAP Rocky is sporting a Carhartt denim jacket, cream and brown hooded varsity sweater, leather pants, and a black beanie while kissing Rihanna’s forehead in the images she posted from the photoshoot that blew up the Internet (also shown above).
COURTESY OF DIGGZY/SHUTTERSTOCK
Not only is her pregnancy exposed, but so are her iconic outfits. RiRi stepped out in Los Angeles wearing a Jean-Paul Gaultier lace-up knit top underneath a Carhartt x Wardrobe NYC reversible canvas jacket showing off her pregnant body. The Attico stirrup leggings were paired with her sleek all-black outfit. She also added Jimmy Choo Saeda Pumps with Balenciaga sunglasses and a diamond bra.
While fashion may have been a distraction to hide her baby bump, we can’t help but acknowledge how fashion has also embraced her baby bump. RiRi is turning the tables and providing us with fabulous maternity looks.
