A baby bump — the lockdown influencer’s secret weapon
They are used to showing off hot designer accessories, free trips to the Maldives and their front row seats at fashion shows, so pity the poor influencer who was struck down by this pandemic.
When life got cancelled (you know, the first time) so did their bragging rights. Suddenly their content was no more aspirational than the rest of ours. Look! They’re in their kitchen — again! Their eyebrows are feral too! They have even stooped to recording TikTok dance routines (FYI this is something it is only acceptable for teenagers to do).
No wonder, then, that these women had to get creative. And it wasn’t long before another trend emerged — and just kept growing. It’s round, has a nine-month waiting list and is best shown off in a tight dress or crop top. No, it’s not a corona-stone — it’s the Insta-bump.
That’s right: this autumn/winter it’s all about pregnancy. The French influencer Jeanne Damas dresses her bump in silky dresses; the Italian fashionista Chiara Ferragni prefers crop tops and shorts. The actress Emma Roberts has spent her lockdown pregnancy dressed in floaty mini and maxi frocks, bringing, as she captioned herself, a whole new meaning to the baby doll dress.
Yet it is Emily Ratajkowski, the actress, model and — yes, OK — the most desirable woman on the planet, who wins the prize for best pregnancy-flex. For reference, this was previously held by Beyoncé, who you may recall broke the internet with her 2017 Botticelli-esque pregnancy portraits on Instagram.
Ratajkowski’s efforts went one step further — and on to the cover of American Vogue. She looked glowing and not a little smug as she stroked her swollen belly beneath a peach satin nightie across the fashion bible’s November issue — as well she should, safe in the knowledge that no one would beat her big reveal.
I jest (sort of), but, really, who can blame them? There has been nothing else to do this year, and children will offer years of content (roughly 18). Fashion’s future is uncertain, but yummy mummy blogging is thriving. Plus, most importantly, nothing garners likes like a baby bump.
The Times.