If you didn't know Cardi B was pregnant, that's because she didn't want you to.
One of her tricks? An illusion bodysuit that, from the front, shows a taut tummy. Once she turns to the side, her pregnant belly appears.
"How would they know?" she joked on Instagram, where she posted a TikTok showing the illusion in action.
It is quite a visual trick. But how does it work?
"The dark panels down the center and on the sides of this jumpsuit create the optical illusion of slimmer midsection," said New York City stylist Samantha Brown. "The dark panel in the center completely camouflages the bulge of a pregnancy bump. The body positioning in the photo (arms overhead and legs crossed) also helps to lengthen her frame and minimize the width in her midsection."
Cardi revealed her pregnancy on stage on Sunday at the BET Awards 2021. It's her second time expecting a baby with rapper Offset. She showed off her baby bump—this time, without the illusion—while performing alongside Migos, her husband's hip-hip trio.
She also announced the news on Instagram with a picture of her nude torso covered in white paint.
"#2!" she wrote, tagging her husband.
Offset and Cardi B's daughter (and future big sister) Kulture Kiari will turn 3 in July.