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20 greatest red carpet maternity looks of all time
From Farrah Fawcett and Meryl Streep to Rihanna and Anne Hathaway, these are the maternity looks that made red carpet history
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- Ruairidh Pritchard
Published: August 18, 2026 at 6:35 AM
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Anne Hathaway's latest maternity red carpet moment has got us thinking about the famous mums who turned dressing a bump for the world's most photographed events into an art form.
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And while today's stars can confidently arrive in sheer fabrics, cut-outs and bump-skimming couture, celebrity maternity fashion hasn't always worked that way. Back in the 1980s, pregnancy was far less likely to become the focus of a red carpet look. Which makes photographs of stars including Meryl Streep and Farrah Fawcett dressing their bumps more than 40 years ago particularly fascinating.
From old-school Hollywood glamour to Rihanna rewriting practically every maternity fashion rule going, we're counting down 20 of the greatest pregnancy red carpet looks of all time.
20. Meryl Streep, Academy Awards, 1983
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Long before the phrase "maternity red carpet style" entered the fashion vocabulary, Meryl Streep attended the 55th Academy Awards while pregnant with her second child. Wearing a Christian Leigh gown, Meryl also happened to collect the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Sophie's Choice that night.
Meryl and husband Don Gummer welcomed daughter Mamie Gummer in August 1983. They were already parents to son Henry and went on to welcome daughters Grace and Louisa. Mamie, Grace and Louisa all followed their mum into acting, with Louisa working professionally as Louisa Jacobson.
19. Farrah Fawcett, Paris film festival, 1984
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At roughly five months pregnant, Farrah Fawcett attended a film festival in Paris with Ryan O'Neal in September 1984 wearing a low-cut white polka-dot dress. Instead of concealing her changing shape, the figure-hugging silhouette followed her bump, making the photographs look surprisingly modern more than four decades later.
Farrah was expecting her first and only child with Ryan, son Redmond O'Neal, who was born in January 1985. The couple had a long, on-off relationship but never married. Farrah died in 2009, aged 62, making this striking 1984 photograph part of an enduring archive of the star's life.
18. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Academy Awards, 2003
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Fast-forward almost two decades and Catherine Zeta-Jones delivered one of the defining maternity moments of Noughties awards season. Around eight months pregnant, she attended the 75th Academy Awards in a chocolate-brown Versace gown and went home with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Chicago.
Catherine and husband Michael Douglas welcomed daughter Carys just weeks later in April 2003. They were already parents to son Dylan, while Michael is also dad to Cameron from his first marriage.
17. Cate Blanchett, Academy Awards, 2008
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Heavily pregnant Cate Blanchett attended the 2008 Oscars in an intricately embellished Dries Van Noten gown. Its fluid silhouette nodded to more traditional maternity eveningwear, but the dramatic detailing made it unmistakably awards-night ready.
Cate and husband Andrew Upton welcomed their third son, Ignatius, that April. The couple are also parents to sons Dashiell and Roman and daughter Edith, whom they adopted in 2015.
16. Angelina Jolie, Kung Fu Panda premiere, Cannes Film Festival, 2008
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Pregnant with twins Knox and Vivienne, Angelina Jolie stepped onto the Cannes red carpet for the Kung Fu Panda premiere in a flowing green Max Azria Atelier gown. Soft, sweeping and gloriously glamorous, it became one of the most memorable maternity images of the Noughties.
Angelina welcomed Knox and Vivienne with Brad Pitt that July. The twins joined Maddox, Pax, Zahara and Shiloh, bringing the number of children in their family to six.
15. Heidi Klum, Primetime Emmy Awards, 2009
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Heidi Klum was approaching the end of her pregnancy when she attended the 2009 Emmys in a fitted black Marchesa gown. The strapless, fishtail silhouette hugged her bump rather than attempting to disguise it.
Heidi welcomed daughter Lou the following month with then-husband Seal. She was already mum to daughter Leni and sons Henry and Johan, making Lou her fourth child.
14. Natalie Portman, Academy Awards, 2011
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Natalie Portman's deep purple Rodarte gown at the 2011 Oscars provided a lesson in understated maternity glamour. Pregnant with her first child, the actress collected the Best Actress Oscar for Black Swan while wearing the off-the-shoulder design.
Natalie welcomed son Aleph later that year with Benjamin Millepied, whom she met while making Black Swan. Daughter Amalia followed in 2017.
13. Beyoncé, MTV Video Music Awards, 2011
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This wasn't just a maternity look, it became one of pop culture's most memorable pregnancy announcements. Beyoncé arrived at the VMAs in a vivid orange Lanvin gown before performing Love On Top and revealing her bump on stage at the end of the song.
Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z welcomed daughter Blue Ivy in January 2012. Five years later Blue became a big sister when Beyoncé gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir.
12. Reese Witherspoon, Mud premiere, Cannes Film Festival, 2012
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While expecting her third child, Reese Witherspoon attended the Cannes premiere of Mud in a shimmering blue Atelier Versace gown. The fitted design proudly framed her bump, proving maternity dressing didn't require sacrificing the full Cannes treatment.
Reese welcomed son Tennessee with then-husband Jim Toth in September 2012. She was already mum to daughter Ava and son Deacon from her marriage to Ryan Phillippe.
11. Olivia Wilde, Golden Globe Awards, 2014
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Olivia Wilde gave maternity sequins their moment at the 2014 Golden Globes in a fitted emerald Gucci Première gown. With long sleeves, serious sparkle and a silhouette that followed her bump, it's still one of the decade's most recognisable pregnancy looks.
Olivia welcomed son Otis with former partner Jason Sudeikis that April. Their second child, daughter Daisy, followed in 2016.
10. Elsa Pataky, Academy Awards, 2014
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Pregnant with twins, Elsa Pataky chose a sparkling Elie Saab gown for the 2014 Oscars. The long-sleeved design closely followed the shape of her bump, putting her pregnancy firmly at the centre of the look.
Elsa and husband Chris Hemsworth welcomed twin sons Tristan and Sasha the following month. They were already parents to daughter India Rose, who was born in 2012.
9. Keira Knightley, Academy Awards, 2015
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Keira Knightley embraced a more romantic take on maternity dressing at the 2015 Oscars. Her Valentino couture gown was covered in delicate flowers, embroidery and handwritten-style wording, with a floaty silhouette that felt beautifully ethereal.
Keira and musician husband James Righton welcomed their first daughter, Edie, later that year. Their second daughter, Delilah, arrived in 2019, and the couple have largely kept their girls away from the spotlight.
8. Chrissy Teigen, Academy Awards, 2016
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While expecting daughter Luna, Chrissy Teigen arrived at the 2016 Oscars in an intricately embroidered Marchesa gown with sheer detailing, a plunging neckline and sweeping train. It was unapologetically full-scale awards-season glamour.
Chrissy and husband John Legend welcomed Luna in April 2016. They are now parents to Luna, Miles, Esti and Wren, and have also spoken publicly about losing their son Jack during pregnancy in 2020.
7. Blake Lively, The BFG premiere, Cannes Film Festival, 2016
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Blake Lively's 2016 Cannes maternity wardrobe could practically justify a list of its own. For The BFG premiere, while expecting her second child, she wore a shimmering pale-blue Atelier Versace gown featuring a one-shouldered neckline and dramatic thigh-high split.
Blake and husband Ryan Reynolds welcomed daughter Inez later that year, joining eldest daughter James. They subsequently welcomed daughter Betty and a fourth child, Olin.
6. Kerry Washington, Primetime Emmy Awards, 2016
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Kerry Washington brought a modern, minimal edge to maternity eveningwear at the 2016 Emmys. Her black Brandon Maxwell gown featured a strapless neckline and cut-out detailing, with its fitted shape celebrating her bump.
Kerry and husband Nnamdi Asomugha welcomed son Caleb the following month. They also share daughter Isabelle, and Kerry has generally chosen to keep her children away from the public eye.
5. Beyoncé, Grammy Awards, 2017
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Pregnant with twins Rumi and Sir, Beyoncé turned the 2017 Grammys into an unforgettable maternity fashion moment. After winning Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade, she appeared with her award in a spectacular red sequinned Peter Dundas gown that hugged her bump, complete with a plunging neckline and glittering statement necklace. It was a striking change from the elaborate gold look she'd worn for her performance earlier that evening.
Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z welcomed Rumi and Sir in June 2017, making daughter Blue Ivy, then five, a big sister. The twins arrived five years after Blue, whose own pregnancy announcement had become a pop-culture moment at the 2011 MTV VMAs. By her second pregnancy, Beyoncé wasn't simply dressing for the red carpet, she was making maternity style part of the show.
4. Cardi B, Met Gala, 2018
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Making your Met Gala debut is intimidating enough without doing it while pregnant, but Cardi B went gloriously maximalist. Expecting daughter Kulture, she arrived in a heavily embellished Moschino gown and matching headpiece created by Jeremy Scott for the Heavenly Bodies theme.
Cardi welcomed Kulture with Offset in July 2018. They later welcomed son Wave in 2021 and a second daughter in 2024.
3. Rihanna, Academy Awards, 2023
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Few stars have changed maternity fashion as dramatically as Rihanna. While pregnant with her second child, she arrived at the 2023 Oscars in a custom Alaïa look combining sheer mesh and leather, with her bump deliberately visible through the design.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky had welcomed their first son, RZA, the previous year. Their second son, Riot Rose, arrived in August 2023. Across both pregnancies, Rihanna consistently treated her changing body as something fashion could celebrate rather than conceal.
2. Sienna Miller, Vogue World: London, 2023
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Sienna Miller's Schiaparelli couture look at Vogue World took exposed-bump dressing to spectacular new territory. An oversized ivory skirt was paired with a cropped shirt that deliberately left her stomach bare, making her pregnancy the central feature of the entire outfit.
Sienna is mum to daughter Marlowe, whom she shares with former partner Tom Sturridge, and later welcomed a second daughter with partner Oli Green. Compared with Meryl Streep and Farrah Fawcett's maternity looks four decades earlier, Sienna's appearance shows just how dramatically attitudes towards dressing a pregnant body have changed.
1. Anne Hathaway, The End of Oak Street premiere, 2026
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Our newest maternity fashion moment goes straight to number one. Anne Hathaway's appearance at the 2026 premiere of The End of Oak Street is a fitting bookend to more than four decades of red carpet pregnancy style. Where 1980s maternity fashion tended to work around a changing silhouette, today's stars can make the bump the starting point for the entire look.
Anne is already mum to sons Jonathan, born in 2016, and Jack, born in 2019, with husband Adam Shulman. She's kept family life largely private, but her maternity appearances have given us some memorable fashion moments. From Meryl's Oscars gown in 1983 to Anne in 2026, one thing is clear: the maternity red carpet has come a very long way.
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Authors
Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead
Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.
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