To say that Rihanna’s maternity looks broke the internet would be an understatement.
Rihanna’s pregnancy outfits have completely redefined “maternity fashion.” What has traditionally consisted of garments meant to cover and conceal has become a wardrobe full of bump-bearing looks.
For Rihanna’s longtime stylist Jahleel Weaver, it was always going to be all about the bump. He told Vogue,
“The bump is now the focal point. This is her main attribute at the moment, and let’s just highlight it as best as possible.”
He added,
“To bring life into this world is such a gift. Why not highlight that part of your body?”
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Luckily for Jahleel, it sounds like Rihanna was on the exact same page from the getgo. In her Vogue cover story, she said,
“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. I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”
That meant no empire-waist dresses, no flowy tops, and absolutely no elastic.
Jahleel said,
“It’s not very sexy, and it kind of dumbs everything down a notch. You want to not feel as if you’re giving up quite yet, you know?”
With no elastic and Rihanna’s body constantly changing, that meant *a lot* of tailoring.
Rihanna joked,
“I know [Jahleel] loses sleep over it because my measurements can literally change from hour to hour. In fact, I’m sure he’s going to ask for a raise after this!”
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Based on what we’ve seen so far, Jahleel definitely deserves that raise.
Fortunately for Jahleel, he’s having a ton of fun collaborating with Rihanna on her maternity outfits. He said,
“It’s been, probably, the most fun we’ve had with fashion, ever, in my time working with her.”
Although pretty much every one of Rihanna’s looks has been show-stopping, her most daring outfit so far has been her look at the Dior show during Paris Fashion Week in March of this year. The outfit consisted of a completely sheer black baby doll dress, Amina Muaddi thigh-high black leather boots, and a Savage x Fenty thong.
Jahleel recalled,
“I loved the Dior show because it was such a scandal. I kind of knew it would be, but I really didn’t think it would be such an uproar.”
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The dress itself originally had an inner lining but the duo decided it looked way too “maternity” and removed it at the last second.
The stylist added,
“Some people thought it was really amazing and courageous. Some people thought it was a bit vulgar to see so much skin on a pregnant woman, but it’s her body. It’s her decision, and she felt amazing.”
For Rihanna, the dress was the closest thing to maternity that she’s worn so far and probably will ever wear.
She said,
“We hadn’t really done lady that whole time. So I was like, Let’s do lady!”
She added,
“Listen, they were going to see my panties regardless. So they’d better be mine.”
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Rihanna and Jahleel might not have set out to completely upend maternity fashion, but now that they’re here, Rihanna hopes that she’ll open the door for women in the future. She explained,
“I’m hoping that we were able to redefine what’s considered ‘decent’ for pregnant women.”
She continued,
“My body is doing incredible things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?”
Although Rihanna has not specifically revealed her due date, fans are predicting she’ll give birth sometime in April or May 2022.
Regardless of when the baby is born, one thing is obvious: the kid is set to be a style icon from day one. After all, it’s in their genes.
