Billie Eilish is opening up about the deeper meaning behind her signature oversized fashion, and it’s more personal than fans might think. The 24-year-old Grammy winner, known for her baggy, unconventional looks, addressed her style choices in a candid interview, revealing they stem from a complicated relationship with her body.
Eilish didn’t hold back while reflecting on her past struggles, admitting her fashion choices were initially rooted in discomfort. “I had a really, really toxic relationship with my body. I had a lot of eating issues. I remember putting on, like, a big shirt and the relief that I felt,” she told ELLE.
Over time, Eilish says her style evolved into something more intentional, tied to her identity and self-expression. She pointed to influences like Harlem fashion figure Bloody Osiris and artists like Missy Elliott and Tyler, The Creator, explaining that her aesthetic is connected to both hip-hop culture and how she views gender.
“At the same time, it was my love for hip-hop culture and wanting to be a man,” she said, before also acknowledging the internalized beliefs that shaped her thinking at the time. “This is the misogyny that we all have within us…which is that I didn’t want to be seen as feminine, and therefore weak. It’s not right. I’ve found a good way of not feeling like that.”
Eilish Says Body Image Struggles Began At Age 11
Long before her signature oversized style became a defining part of her image, Billie Eilish says her relationship with her body started to shift at a young age. Reflecting on her early years, the singer shared that her style wasn’t always rooted in baggy silhouettes.
As a child, she gravitated toward dresses and skirts before a turning point around age 11, when she became fixated on the one-size clothing brand Brandy Melville, a phase that ultimately impacted her self-image. “What’s really interesting is that when I was a little girl, I loved big dresses,” she said last December. “All I wore was fairy dresses and skirts. I never wore pants or shorts when I was a little kid.”
She explained that struggling to fit into the brand’s limited sizing, combined with early physical development and her time in ballet, contributed to the beginning of her body image issues. “But when I got to be about 11, I got obsessed with this brand called Brandy Melville,” she continued. “And they only sold clothes in one size. I was chubbier, and I was obsessed with these clothes, but I’d buy a shirt, and it wouldn’t fit me.”
Billie Eilish Opens Up About Turning To Baggy Clothing For Comfort
Eilish added that this period marked the start of her struggles. “I wasn’t slim,” she shared. “Also, I was in ballet, and that’s this whole world of body problems.”
From there, she began leaning into looser clothing as a way to feel more comfortable and separate her appearance from her identity. “I didn’t want my body to be part of my outfit,” she said. “I wanted my outfit to be my outfit, and my body happens to be inside it.”
Eilish Says Feminine Era Was Her Way Of ‘Proving A Point’
When Billie Eilish embraced a more traditionally feminine look during her “Happier Than Ever” era, it wasn’t random; it was intentional. The Grammy winner explained that the shift was her response to ongoing criticism about her appearance, particularly claims that she “doesn’t look like a girl.” Instead of subtly adjusting her style, she leaned all the way in.
“So of course, classic me, I had to go with the completely extreme version of it,” she said. “I couldn’t just, like, wear a skirt once. I had to completely reverse everything and be this girly girl for a second and have these pink nails, blonde hair, skirts, dresses, button-ups, bras, and lingerie.”
Billie Eilish Reclaims Her Image
For Eilish, the moment was about reclaiming control over how she presents herself and making it clear she can shift between styles on her own terms. “I was just like, ‘F-ck you guys. I can do whatever I want. And then I can go back to what I was doing before, and you guys can eat it.’”