Nun's the word, it seems, in the world of celebrity fashion trends these days.
And Lily Allen, 40, was the latest to indulge in a spot of 'convent dressing', wearing a nun's habit and smoking a cigarette in the music video for her song P*y Palace, the seventh track on her new album, West End Girl.
Dressed in the familiar black-and-white garb and adding sheer tights, Allen reeled off the alleged indiscretions of her ex-husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour.
Her ironic take on the Catholic get-up is indicative of celebrity's latest obsession - a phenomenon that was dubbed 'nun-mania' by Spanish paper El Pais.
From Madonna's Like a Prayer video featuring stigmata and a kiss with a saint to Lady Gaga as Mary Magdalene going clubbing with Jesus in her son Judas, Catholic iconography has long been deeply embedded in popular culture.
Last year, actress Sydney Sweeney, 28, the leader of any fashion trend, starred as a secretly pregnant nun in the film Immaculate - and since, the trend has exploded.
Wimples, tunics and veils have become increasingly popular on the catwalk, as seen in Max Mara's autumn/winter fashion show, while supermodel Bella Hadid wore headgear reminiscent of a nun's habit at the Coperni Fall-Winter show in 2022.
Why the sudden frenzy towards religious-inspired dressing? According to fashion expert Lisa Talbot, it's fitting with a tension designers and celebrities love: 'the mix of innocence and provocation'.
Lily Allen, 40, was the latest to indulge in a spot of 'convent dressing', wearing a nun's habit and smoking a cigarette in the music video for her song P*y Palace
Lisa told the Daily Mail that 'a traditionally sacred silhouette worn in a secular, high-fashion or even edgy way creates instant drama'.
She added: 'It makes people stop scrolling. You've only got to look at Rihanna’s nun-inspired cover shoot, or the runway moments from brands like Coperni and even older references like Jean Paul Gaultier, to see how striking that contrast can be.
'And then there’s nostalgia. Pop culture has always been obsessed with the ‘mysterious nun’ archetype, part spiritual, part rebellious. Fashion is simply tapping into that again.
'So yes, it’s aesthetic, but it’s also emotional. Convent dressing speaks to a desire for clarity, discipline and identity in a world that feels visually overwhelming. It’s simplicity as a statement.'
Real nuns, however, are less likely to be convinced.
Sister Karen Marguerite d'Artois, a member of Rosary Priory Convent in Bushey, told the Telegraph that the trend 'demeans' the habit 'and those who wear it'.
She said: 'It's very off-putting. The religious habit is a rich symbol of a life consecrated to God in the Church and to the service of God's people.
'Too often it is stripped of this symbolism and reduced to a costume which demeans it and those who wear it.
Last year, Sydney Sweeney , indicative of any fashion trend, starred as a secretly pregnant nun in the film Immaculate - and since, the trend has exploded
However, Reverend Emily Kolltveit at St Jude on the Hill in north London said she had 'enjoyed' seeing the trend.
She said: 'I'd prefer people to engage with the ideas and imagery of God's Kingdom rather than ignore them. As children learn through play, I think the same is true for adults. If we never see it, how can we ever explore it?'
The Fenty make-up founder was seen wearing a black and white habit, the traditional garment worn by members of religious orders - but many saw the images as 'provocative'.
Rihanna sported a small cross tattoo drawn on her face and an exposing unbuttoned Dior blouse.
One person wrote at the time: 'So tired with all this unholy imagery!!!!' while another called the concept 'religious mockery.'
A third commented: 'I love Rihanna but I never understand why the obsession with sexualising religious representations.' 'Isn't this blasphemy??' another asked.
Rihanna previously dressed up in a racy papal outfit at the Met Gala in 2018.
Even the Kardashian sisters, Kim and Kourtney, and their mother Kris Jenner, have revealed their take on convent dressing.
Halsey, meanwhile, dressed up as a 'sexy nun' for Halloween in 2020, while in 2019, rapper Cardi B combined Poison Ivy with a nun.
Spanish singer Rosalia also dressed up like a nun on her cover of her new album, Lux, released earlier this month.
Gen Z It girl Sabrina Carpenter recently filmed her video for hit single Feather in a Catholic church, which caused a furore.
Even the Kardashian sisters, Kim and Kourtney, and their mother Kris Jenner, have revealed their take on convent dressing - and it even sparked a feud between them.
Kim and Kris were seen wearing convent-esque garb during a Dolce & Gabbana event in 2023.
Kris wore a statement cross, while Kim was seen in a sheer, black veil adorned with lace-trim.
Kourtney famously wore a matronly veil for her wedding to Travis Barker in 2022, and a white Dolce mini dress. Four months later, Kim collaborated with the luxury brand for Milan Fashion Week.
In an episode of the Kardashians, Kourtney tearfully admitted: 'There's an abundance of opportunities.
'It's not about business and there's so much, it takes precedence over hurting your sister. It's legit copying my wedding.'
Discussing the trend, Lisa told the Mail: 'We're seeing a real rise in what I'd call convent dressing, those clean, structured silhouettes, high necklines, veils, and the almost monastic simplicity that feels very 'nun-inspired.'
'And while on the surface it might look like just another aesthetic, there's definitely more going on underneath.
'Fashion is so noisy right now. Everything is bold, fast or hyper-trend-driven. So these pared-back, almost austere looks feel like a palate cleanser.
'They're calm, controlled and quietly powerful. It's a reaction to the chaos; a return to modesty; minimalism; shape.'
Popular accounts on social media include Sister Mary Blaze ('nun, but make it fashion') - 722,000 followers and 32 million likes. She says she is 'the messiest nun you will ever see'.
The Daughters of St Paul, two nuns from Boston also known as the 'media nuns' have over 150,000 followers.
There's the more serious nun content too: Ascension Press are 'Unabashedly devoted to sharing the Catholic Faith with passion, truth,& beauty'.
In January, a new poll found that teenagers and those in their early twenties are half as likely to identify as atheists than their parents.
Those aged 18-24 - who are all Gen Z - are the most spiritual age group in the UK, with just 13 percent identifying as atheists.
Another 62 percent describe themselves as 'very' or 'fairly' spiritual, the research by OnePoll found.
The rise of Christianity and religion in Gen Z has been seen on TikTok, where 'Catholic core' has swept across the site.
Maya, 22, who grew up as a 'feminist with purple hair' in Czechia which she describes as an 'atheist country', has built up a following online going by the 'veiled convert'.
She wears a lace mantilla because she believes 'covering her hair gives all her glory to god', having built up more than 40,000 followers sharing Bible passages and pictures of religious candles,paintings of Saints and rosary beads in her home.
Maya says that she converted after suffering with her mental health during the pandemic and meeting a 'scientist' who was also a convert.
Elsewhere,Aussie TikTok star John is Catholic,20,having racked up more than 100,000 TikTok followers for sharing videos about religion.
Delphine Chui told the Evening Standard she's seen more and more Gen Zers going to her church St Bede's in Clapham.
'I think what draws Gen Z to Catholicism is how radically different it is to our modern secular culture.
Where the secular culture pushes us toward infidelity,Catholicism encourages monogamous,loving relationships.Where culture draws us toward over-indulgent consumerism,Catholicism inspires us to be temperate and find satisfaction in what truly matters -- our relationship with Christ,'she said.
She has also seen more people embrace traditional Latin mass or TLM.
'I think there's a big kind of trad aesthetic.I think Gen Z are drinking less these days,sleeping around much less -- they're much more conservative than millennials.A lot of my younger friends in their 20s are married with children,'she added.
In May,dancing nuns,Sisters Marizele Rego,44,and Marisa de Neves,41,went viral after they performed their beatboxing routine during an interview on TV Pai Eterno.
The holy servants were promoting a weekend retreat and took center stage at the Catholic television network's studio as Rego sang her song,'Vocação de Amar e Servir' [Vocation to Love and Serve] and began to beatbox.
De Neves fulfilled her backup dancer duties by 'two-stepping' before Deacon Giovane Basto joined in the fun.
The clip of this impromptu performance racked up more than 4 million views on Instagram.
'We went to promote the vocational retreat and since the presenter already knew the talent,she asked us to give a 'hint','Rego told Brazilian news outlet G1.
'We know it's something of the moment;our real daily life continues!'