Some buttons work harder than others, but Anne Hathaway just gave the bottom half of her denim shirt the night off. The pregnant actress arrived at Moncler's Fifth Avenue flagship opening in New York on 10 September in head-to-toe denim, leaving the lower buttons of her oversized shirt undone to frame her gorgeous baby bump comfortably.
It was maternity dressing with remarkably little fuss: no complicated styling formula, no attempt to hide the bump, and apparently no requirement that every button fulfil the duties listed in its job description.
Hathaway attended the celebration with husband Adam Shulman, pairing her belly-baring denim shirt with matching wide-leg jeans. Clearly, this blooming mother took the opportunity to once again show off just how stylish a baby bump can be.
Anne Hathaway Gives Double Denim a Bump-Friendly Twist
Hathaway's medium-wash denim shirt featured oversized front pockets and contrasting buttons, with its long sleeves rolled up for an easy, late-summer finish.
However, the lower half did most of the styling work by doing practically nothing at all.
Several buttons were left open around Hathaway's bare bump, creating a split effect that allowed the otherwise oversized shirt to fall naturally around her pregnancy silhouette. She paired the top with coordinating relaxed, wide-leg jeans, rolling the cuffs above black strappy sandals. A choker, watch, rings, and deep red manicure added polish to an outfit that otherwise appeared determined to keep things easy.
In other words, Hathaway did not necessarily need a special maternity version of double denim. She simply made double denim work for maternity. Sometimes, innovation really is just knowing which buttons to ignore.
From Lavender Glamour to Laid-Back Denim
The casual turn came just one day after Hathaway went more glamorous for Bulgari's Serpenti Infinito event on the High Line.
On 9 September, The Devil Wears Prada star wore a strapless lilac Alexander McQueen gown with a draped silhouette, metallic heels, and Bulgari jewellery.
Twenty-four hours later, the chiffon was probably on a well-deserved break, the jeans were cuffed, and Hathaway was holding hands with Shulman at Moncler's new Fifth Avenue space. The rapid wardrobe switch also demonstrated just how broad her maternity style has become.
Denim, however, appears to be earning itself a recurring role. At the 9 August premiere of The End of Oak Street in Los Angeles, Hathaway wore another bump-baring look, pairing a custom Atelier Prabal Gurung sculptural halterneck top with baggy low-rise jeans and colourful Aquazzura heels.
Maternity Fashion Without a Rulebook
Hathaway announced on Instagram on 19 June that she and Shulman were expecting their third child, captioning the pregnancy reveal, 'x Baby, I'm yours x.'
The couple, who married in 2012, already share sons Jonathan and Jack.
Since announcing the pregnancy, Hathaway has hardly committed herself to one maternity-fashion formula. Her recent appearances have ranged from dramatic gowns and sculptural pieces to low-rise denim and relaxed silhouettes. Her biggest fashion power move is making her baby bump part of each look rather than something the clothes need to disguise.
Her Moncler outfit may be the simplest example yet. After all, the foundation is hardly complicated: one denim shirt, one pair of roomy jeans, comfortable sandals, and several strategically unemployed buttons.
There may have been one very small plus-one along for the fashionable night out, and apparently, that plus-one is already very good at sharing a wardrobe.
