The timeline of maternity fashion evolution now exists in two parts: Before Rihanna and After Rihanna. Until the superstar multi-hyphenate revealed she was expecting her first child in January 2022, bumps were often seen as unwieldy shapes to be concealed — slimmed down in all-black or obscured with busy prints.
Consciously or subconsciously, pregnant celebrities in the before-times (Before Rihanna, that is) would instinctively opt for more conservative cuts on red carpets and other public events. Grecian-draped column dresses, empire-waistline gowns or tastefully floaty skirts were the pillars upon which maternity fashion was built.
Now, Rihanna’s refusal to alter her high-octane style has caused a seismic shift in our understanding of baby-on-board dressing.
Although she isn’t the first to break the mould — pop culture enthusiasts might recall Demi Moore’s landmark 1991 Vanity Fair cover, for example, or Beyoncé’s Botticelli-inspired pregnancy announcement in 2017 — Rihanna’s sartorial rebellion has been the most consistent.
“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.’ I’m sorry — it’s too much fun to get dressed up,” she told Vogue for the magazine’s May 2022 cover. “I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”
Now, to celebrate Rihanna’s 35th birthday and the announcement of her second child, we’ve collected some of her most stylish pregnancy looks.
Top image: Rihanna for British Vogue, March 2023. The full feature is in the March issue of British Vogue available via digital download and on newsstands from February 21.
