In Rihanna’s home, style is a language spoken from day one. In 2022, the multihyphenate redefined maternity style in a series of antenatal ensembles — including low-rise jeans and bras — fit for a runway show. Since giving birth to her son on May 13, 2022, the “Diamonds” singer has announced her second pregnancy — in a Loewe jumpsuit at the Super Bowl, no less. In her British Vogue cover story, released on Feb. 15, the megastar opened up about the responsibilities of being a new mom and the sartorial wisdom she hopes to impress upon her children.
“I like to dress him in things that don’t look like baby clothes. I like to push it. I put him in floral stuff. I put him in hot pink. I love that. I think that fluidity in fashion is best.”
At the height of her first pregnancy, Rihanna’s wardrobe rotation was nothing short of exquisite. Few could forget her sequined bikini in Barbados or her crystal Miu Miu set for a Mother’s Day dinner date with A$AP Rocky. “Dressing for pregnancy was such a piece of cake,” she said. Once her son was born, though, cultivating a postpartum wardrobe proved tricky.
“But dressing in postpartum, what the f*ck do you do?” she said. “The week that I came home from the hospital — that was nothing but sweats and hoodies. But the weeks after that, you don’t know what to put on. Everything is too small or too big.” Ultimately, Rihanna decided to “wait it out,” she explained. “Otherwise you end up buying so many clothes you’re not going to use. Well, unless you get pregnant again.”
With her second baby on the way, she’ll revisit postpartum style soon. In the meantime, she’s enjoying dressing her new fashion muse: her 9-month-old baby. “One of my favourite outfits he has is a miniature version of one of Rocky’s,” the new mom said, detailing her son’s custom tartan kilt worn over a pair of jeans she ripped a hole in herself. “I like to dress him in things that don’t look like baby clothes. I like to push it. I put him in floral stuff. I put him in hot pink. I love that. I think that fluidity in fashion is best. I always shop in the men’s department, you know.”
On their joint British Vogue cover as a family, Rihanna’s son is wearing a Chrome Hearts diaper cover that she loves. “Oooh that little gothic look,” she said, praising the monochrome ensemble. She added that finding clothes for her baby off the rack, though, usually results in disappointment, as most brands feed into the “boring” baby aesthetic.
Instead, Rihanna commissions custom pieces for her son. “When you come up with something in your head, half the time it is not available because kids’ clothes are so [deep sigh] they’re sooo boring,” she said. “I’m like, ‘This is what y’all been doing to these people’s kids all along?'”
But there is hope for the future of fashion. When presented with the idea of a Fenty babywear collection, Rihanna said, “I feel like the kids need it. Let’s get these kids cool. These kids deserve to be cool.”
