It was the concert sign heard around the world. Kourtney Kardashian‘s headline-making pregnancy announcement with husband Travis Barker has gone instantly viral — and her attire for the occasion might be her most punk rock moment to-date.
On Friday, Kardashian shared an emotional Reels video on Instagram from Barker’s Los Angeles concert with Blink-182. The clip found the “Kardashians” star in the very front of the crowd’s mosh pit, wearing a sheer black long-sleeved bodysuit, leather pants and pointed-toe boots (which she’s since shared more photos of on social media). However, her outfit wasn’t the main focus; it was her energetic jumping up and down, a radiant smile across her face, while holding a large white sign proclaiming three words: “Travis I’m Pregnant.”
To understand the moment’s impact, however, we must take a trip down memory lane. Previously, Kardashian’s courtship, engagement and marriage to Barker became a steady stream of edgy style moments. Upon her initial relationship outing with the musician in early 2021, Kardashian’s darker style took a punky turn with a focus on all things leather, plus a heavy dosage of light-washed denim, lace-trimmed slip dresses, fishnet tights, motocross jackets and band T-shirts — occasionally swapped for a trendy outfit inspired by the ’90s or early 2000’s. Often in black, brown or blue tones, Kardashian’s clothes were also regularly accompanied by equally edgy footwear: combat, motorcycle and platform boots, as well as the occasional low-top sneaker or pointed-toe pump, from brands including R13, Prada, Naked Wolfe, Acne Studios and Balenciaga.
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The style shift cemented Kardashian as the “punk” sister amongst her family of influencers, models, denim designers and skincare moguls, often in stark contrast in decidedly trend-oriented suiting, gowns and athleisure compared to Kardashian’s grungier look. And the new chapter also came with a wave of new life experiences for the Poosh founder: an Oct. 2021 relationship parody on “Saturday Night Live,” based on her and Barker’s PDA-filled moments on and off social media, followed by a beachside proposal that made waves on Instagram and its portrayal in “The Kardashians.” 2022 found the couple hand-in-hand for their joint debut at the “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”-themed Met Gala in May 2022 (Kardashian and Barker both wore custom skirted Thom Browne outfits).
Most viral, however, was their wedding in Italy that month, sponsored by Dolce & Gabbana. For her big day, Kardashian wore a white corseted lace minidress with matching pointed-toe pumps and a dramatic flowing veil, inspired by Italian lingerie, Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” music video, Monica Bellucci’s ’90s Blumarine campaigns and Barker’s own face tattoos.
The duo even brought their romance to the front row while seated between Boohoo executives at Kardashian’s runway show for her collaborative line with the fast-fashion brand during New York Fashion Week’s Sept. 2022 season, including a soundtrack with several Blink-182 songs. Barker ended the show by making out with Kardashian after gifting her a large bouquet of congratulatory red roses.
Punk rock — and indeed, rock n’ roll itself — was established on the basis of being carefree, individual and (at least, where fashion is concerned) not dressing for the status quo. Though Kardashian’s announcement attire was simple in its palette and individual pieces, it still spoke volumes given the deeply personal, intimate nature of her viral announcement; in fact, it even put greater emphasis on the moment by removing the focus from what she wore. Actions speak louder than words, after all, and the star’s use of the aforementioned large sign ( a longstanding tradition for concertgoers to communicate with their favorite musicians over the years) arguably makes her pregnancy news the most rock n’ roll-worthy moment of her and Barker’s relationship to-date. It was expressive, made a statement and was undeniably personal. What’s more punk rock than that?
As for what the new rock n’ roll mom-to-be wears remains to be seen. However, it won’t take long for us to discover Kardashian’s new maternity looks behind, in front and outside of our screens in the coming months.
