In case you missed the memo, being pregnant and dressing in sexy, revealing clothing aren’t mutually exclusive, and if anyone’s proving that point, it’s Rihanna. The mom-to-be has been showing off her stomach since the moment she announced she was expecting a baby with A$AP Rocky. Those iconic photos of the singer and fashion designer, decked out in a bright pink, partially unbuttoned coat that revealed her bump and an extra-long necklace, have already gone down in fashion history.
She’s also continued the trend over the past few weeks, attending fashion shows and other events in belly-baring designs.
Yet, while Rihanna may have everyone falling in love with pregnancy crop tops and rethinking maternity wear, she’s far from the only celebrity to pull this particular move. Long before RiRi put her headline-making spin on the look, complete with cutouts and Y2K-inspired styles, a handful of other stars did it first.
For instance, Back in 2014, Kerry Washington arrived at the SAG Awards wearing her own embellished pregnancy crop top with a long black skirt. The attention-grabbing ensemble was custom made by Prada, and was arguably a bold choice for the typically-private star.
There’s also model Iskra Lawrence, who was famously a fan of skin-baring designs before giving birth to her son in 2020. While pregnant back in 2019, she told that, although she had been gravitating toward stretchier pants, she was “still working the crop tops and going all out” — something she later proved on the red carpet.
With so much inspiration, it’s no surprise that the pregnancy crop top has truly taken off. Shay Mitchell, who is pregnant with baby number two, has also worn a few of her own, posting a cute yet casual option on her Instagram while informing everyone she was in her third trimester.
While the look isn’t for the faint of heart, there are definitely positives for embracing this shrunken staple during those nine months.
“My personal opinion — it was uncomfortable wearing a bunch of clothes [while pregnant], so I get why people want to wear crop tops,” singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor told InStyle at a Frida Mom event back in February. “I think it’s awesome. If you feel hot and sexy wearing a crop top, do it, queen. But yeah, the less clothes, the better. It feels really hard to wear clothes when you’re pregnant.”
Selling Sunset‘s Christine Quinn also weighed in on the trend, adding that slipping on a crop top can be more of an emotional experience for moms-to-be.
“Pregnancy is so special and we, as women, are incredible — not only are we able to grow a human, but pop one out and raise one. Seeing the photos of Rihanna, I was just so proud of her. I did it a few times and I felt really empowered, so it’s a definite yes for me.”
However, our ultimate fashion rule is that there are no rules, so if your personal preference is sticking with full-sized shirts or baggier styles while pregnant, that’s great, too. Nicky Hilton, who is currently expecting her third child, doesn’t mind sitting this one out, either.
