Words by Flora Macdonald Johnston

You’ve probably seen the imagery by now (and, if you are yet to witness, I don’t mean to be rude but are you living under a rock?!) of Rihanna and her beau ASAP Rocky walking hand in hand through New York. But this wasn’t the usual pap shot of the famous couple looking glamorous - this was Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal.

Dressed in baggy jeans with matching pumps and a Pepto pink oversized puffer coat worn open, Rihanna proudly displayed her bulging baby bump adorned with vintage Chanel bling. Shortly after, she then uploaded two images to her Instagram, one, a side on view of her belly, while wearing a baggy basketball shirt, complete with matching tangerine elbow-length gloves; the other, a black string top that crossed down her open stomach, low slung jeans and a gigantic cropped black puffer jacket. It subsequently sent her 121 million Instagram followers and media alike into a frenzy. “Pregnant Rihanna Different,” commented @wizthekid, while DJ Khaled gave multiple fire emojis.

While Riri is certainly giving style lessons in how to make your baby bump look like it wouldn't look out of place on any respectable runway, she isn’t the only celebrity proving that pregnancy bellies shouldn't be subjected to dowdy maternity wear – gone are the days of elasticated waists and dresses that make you look like a human Glastonbury tent. Kylie Jenner, who recently gave birth to her second child, Wolf, is also a champion of pregnancy styling. During New York fashion week last September (days after it was revealed she was expecting), Jenner had not one but two outfits for a single day, all showing off her blossoming bump. The first was a cropped t-shirt, jeans, orange heels, and an orange leather coat; the second, a mesh jumpsuit that left little to the imagination styled with a black blazer.

Supermodel Gigi Hadid had her own pregnancy style too - no boring silhouettes here either (albeit a little more low-key). In one video on Instagram, Hadid delighted her followers wearing a green checkerboard shirt styled open. And in another, a Ralph Lauren pink shirt with sleeves rolled up. Keeping it casual, Hadid favoured short tank dresses and cropped t-shirts – and when I say cropped, I mean boob-skimming cropped. Notice a theme emerging here: the more bump on show, the better.

But fine, we can’t all be expected to walk around with bumps on display or wear mesh catsuits to the office, but what our celebrity mummas have proven is that maternity wear does not have to lack a high fashion edge. So, we’ve broken down their looks to a more daily digestible fashion dose.

THE SHIRT

Like Gigi and Kylie, the quickest and easiest way to style up your look is simply not style it at all, you don’t even need to do up all of your shirt buttons. Simply wear with low-slung tracksuit or jeans.

THE TROUSERS

So we already know that here we can embrace the hip huggers - but that doesn’t mean we should scrimp on colour and style. Opt for trousers that will give your look a mood boost as well as keep you comfortable. And, if you’re still heading into the office, seek out trousers that are tailored but feature a wider leg.

THE DRESS

Tent dresses be damned! There are no more rules here! Experiment: show your legs, arms, belly, whatever you choose, just ensure you feel utterly fabulous.