Rihanna Changing What Motherhood Looks Like

Becoming a mother comes with an abundance of expectations. Dressing modestly and covering your “baby bump” is what society encourages. However, throughout her pregnancy, Rihanna has fought this stigma with her bold, skin-tight, glamorous outfits.

“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 People Magazine. “It is too much fun to get dressed up. I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”

Although her body changes almost every minute, she is still dressed in her usual stunning designer clothes.

One of her glamorous outfits is this sheer black dress she wore to the Dior Autumn Winter 2022 show.

Rihanna’s goal in sharing her pregnancy with her fans is to show them that pregnancy is one of the most beautiful processes of life, and it should not be hidden under drab, oversized clothing. Instead, women should feel confident in whatever their body looks like, especially if they are making another human life.

Rihanna tells People Magazine, “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?”

Vogue interviewed the new mother and fashion consultant Solange Franklin on Rihanna’s maternity looks. She said Rihanna’s style accurately represents what it means to have a baby in 2022—surviving a pandemic and the Black maternal health issues. Franklin shared that “gritty optimism” is what mothers need in recent years.

Franklin shared with Vogue, “For so many Black women, we choose defiance. Part of that defiance is visibility.”

Furthering this conversation of visibility, Vogue interviewed a six-month pregnant beauty writer, Janell Hickman-Kirby. She commented, “Outside of Rihanna, Beyonce, and Cardi B, we haven’t had a lot of Black female celebrities to look up to surrounding pregnancy style.”

Rihanna has inspired many other moms to embrace their new bodies. Maggie Maurer, a pregnant model, shared she was scared of not being able to work since her weight would change with the baby. However, at the Nensi Dojaka show, she followed in Rihanna’s footsteps and wore a black nude dress.

Pregnancy should not be seen as a limitation but instead a tool of empowerment for women, just as Rihanna exemplifies.