Gabriella Ferlita
Rihanna practically broke the internet with her trend-defying maternity fashion looks which have been the receiver of both praise and controversy since she announced her pregnancy at the end of January.
Of course, the Fenty founder revealed she and A$AP Rocky were expecting in true Rihanna style: By taking a walk in a pair of low-rise ripped mom jeans with a pink longline puffer jacket which was popped open over her stomach, debuting her growing bump.
Nothing would stop this high-profile expectant mother from wearing what she wanted when she wanted. Not even the backlash from that sheer Dior dress would be enough to encourage Rihanna to cover up one of the most natural and beautiful phenomena to grace humankind.
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Soon, other pregnant celebrities would be following suit, with Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima admitting herself that Rihanna ‘opened the door’ for pregnant bellies to be shown in all their glory.
Enter, the #BellyOut trend. Charlotte Crosby, Tammy Hembrow, Millie Mackintosh and Sam Faiers have all jumped on the bandwagon.
Essentially, the style steal sees expectant mothers donning patterned midriff co-ords, low-waist skirts and belly-busting blazers - and absolutely no maternity stretch jeggings.
In other words, styling anything which shows off your growing bump, and wearing nothing which hides it. Even non-celebrities have taken to the trend, and have thanked Rihanna for it.
“Please tell me who wore their belly out before Rihanna? And I’m not talking bout a magazine spread. I’m talking slaying in their day-to-day. Cuz y’all can never give my sis her props when she’s due,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Y’all was begging Rihanna to cover up her belly, now more celebs showing their belly out but it’s not Rihanna impact,” another tweeted.
“Rihanna’s power is completely undeniable,” another wrote of a magazine spread of a pregnant Honey Lee on Vogue Korea.
“Rihanna got all these girls out here with their bellies out,” another noted.
Someone else added: “We got the belly out just like Rihanna taught us. Letting the yute dem breathe, I feel you now girl.”
Now, it’s important to note that Rihanna was not the first celebrity to bare all during pregnancy.
Fashion-lovers will of course recall Christina Aguilera, Demi Moore and Britney Spears gracing the front cover of magazines with their baby bumps out.
But fans have argued that it’s Rihanna ‘who made women feel like it’s okay to walk around freely with their belly out’ in public, not just during photoshoots.
The people have spoken.