If you haven't seen the memes about Chris Brown and Drake crying on the phone to each other (or any male at that), do you even live in the year 2022?
Rihanna, the Queen of new age pop recently announced that she will be expecting her first child with Trap-Rap star and fashion icon A$AP Rocky. A picture was uploaded not on their personal Instagram's but via fashion platforms of the couple holding hands by a bridge in Harlem where the rapper is originally from. There had been sightings of her covering up her stomach and wearing oversized garments months before the update which now seems to be a thing of the past...
Everyday a new picture emerges of the singer, stirring a pot of mixed reactions on the social media as she sports very minimal outfits showing off the bump which is now starting to become her signature look.
Her pregnancy has already got the media questioning if this will impact young women to start having children of their own (if they don't have already). The outfit decisions also had a cause for concern if this will spiral into a new trend and I feel the answer is probably yes.
The Bajan singer/actress has never been shy to show off a bit off flesh and some, this has been captured many of times as she poses elegantly in something transparent. So why does it feel so different now? What has changed?
"Face good, body 'nuh ready."
It was interesting for me to see the different reactions these pictures had caused and why this seemed so unnecessary when before the bump arrived it was so cool, so fashionista, so feminism.
Pregnancy always had a question-mark over it when it came to attraction. The way women would look and feel about themselves would often be negative, swollen feet and ankles. The only compliment women would get during this time would be "your skin is glowing!" whilst men would still look how they did yesterday without any consequences. My pregnant friends had often struggled to look and feel attractive during and after birth. Not quite feeling confident in their looks or outfits like before, even though they had gone through something incredible. I had been scrolling through some of the comments on the underwear designers new pictures, and seeing things like "she looks vulgar (vomit face)" or "this is not attractive (thumbs down)".But when she attended the 2014 CDFA awards it seemed to be something of a revolution that she wore this beautiful mesh, Swarovski gown that left no secrets behind...
In this generation of artists and creatives we are pretty much seeing everything going on from outrageously explicit videos, pictures, art (the list goes on) that no young child should feast their innocent little eyes on, but no one seemed to care until pregnancy was involved which shouldn't be the case AT ALL!
In 2014, on a very wet and dismal afternoon I travelled to the infamous Notting Hill Carnival along with a group of girlfriends, and whilst we were parading through the West London streets, I landed my eyes on a young, heavily pregnant lady that was in the full carnival attire.
I said to myself "wow she's brave!" but other people had different opinions which is natural. My only main concern was for the safety of her and the baby, and whether this was the place for a heavily pregnant woman to be 'palancing'. It was the first time I had ever seen a soon to be mother in public wearing sequined underwear instead of hiding it under a frumpy, dire frock but instead she didn't give a damn about what people thought of her and I admired her courage. Maybe she decided, why not? I want to feel sexy and beautiful, just because there is a baby in the oven why should I not wear what I want? Why should I not wear what I've always worn and have fun? Maybe this was the unlabelled self love that us women should aim to achieve...
Is that such a bad thing?
Attention Seeking Or Standing Up For Women?
I personally don't believe pregnant women should hide their bump, it's the most beautiful and natural thing which shouldn't need to be sensitised, especially for some men who still find it weird.
Maybe she's celebrating this new chapter of women-hood and the complex dynamics of the female body, right?
Would I do this? No, but then again I'm not famous so there is no way it would go down as smoothly if I went to my corner shop in a lattice top and leggings whilst pregnant... The neighbours would have a hell of a time!
But at least maternity wear is finally becoming more creative...
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