Rihanna’s aesthetics continue to make headlines, for good or bad. Three months after giving birth to her baby son, the pop star has returned to the public eye replete with her trademark edgy style.
The “Umbrella” singer, 34, was photographed wearing a loose T-shirt, mini skirt, and thigh-high boots outside a Manhattan restaurant last week. Her public appearances have been rare following the birth of her and A$AP Rocky’s first child in May, but paparazzi have waited anxiously for a glimpse of her postpartum. However, much of the internet discourse has been about her body instead of focusing on her highly lauded style.
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Throughout her pregnancy, Rihanna made headlines for her bold outfits showing off her bump, but now that she’s given birth, the simple fact that she’s out in public is news. The narrative has shifted from fashion to one that analyzes her body rather than the clothing she wears, under the guise of body positivity.
Some critics and commentators are commending the beauty mogul’s postpartum wardrobe of oversized casualwear and for not conforming to “snapback” culture, which dictates that women quickly return, or snap back, to their pre-pregnancy weight and appearance after giving birth. Pregnant women whose bodies undergo significant changes cannot meet such unrealistic expectations.
Even so, Rihanna’s fanbase rallied on social media to defend her from fat-shaming and any hyperfocus on her size. In response to one fan who tweeted about a photo, “She is real here….not like this(sp) celebs who lose weight immediately [after] they delivered,” a user wrote, “I totally agree, but I’m not sure I would say Amazing. She just looks like a normal new mom who is losing her weight slowly. jmo.”
One person commented, “Rihanna walking around proudly with her post-pregnancy weight shouldn’t be controversial. Women giving their bodies time to heal and rest after giving life instead of immediately getting on an operating table or heading to the gym should not be controversial.”
“Saw a Rihanna tweet applauding her for not feeding into ‘SnapBack culture’ after having a baby & I think we should just stop commenting on women’s bodies, period. A simple ‘she looks beautiful’ would suffice,” another Twitter user wrote.
Regardless, the famous performer appears unconcerned by the rhetoric and concentrating on motherhood.”Rihanna’s not in a rush to lose the baby weight. She’s really embraced her body and doesn’t feel pressure to lose it quickly,” said an insider source to US Weekly last week. “Rihanna is a workaholic, so it’s nice to see her taking the time to flourish in motherhood.”
The Grammy-winning artist told Vogue in May that she was too busy dressing her newly pregnant body to worry about her figure. “I’m enjoying not having to worry about covering up my tummy,” she said. “If I feel a little chubby, it’s like, whatever! It’s a baby!”
While the superstar faced backlash for wearing crop tops and skintight dresses, she refused to tone down her appearance because of her baby bump. “I’m hoping that we were able to redefine what’s considered ‘decent’ for pregnant women,” Rihanna stated. “My body is doing incredible things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?”
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