Billie Eilish on Body Image and Unfair Double Standards

In a recent interview with Dazed, Billie reflected on some of the hurtful comments she received last year after posting a photo of herself in a tank top, instead of the usual baggy clothes she’s often seen wearing. “I saw comments like, ‘How dare she talk about not wanting to be sexualized and wear this?!’” the singer-songwriter recalled.

Billie added that she received additional offensive comments after posting a photo wearing a bathing suit while on vacation. “It was trending,” she said of her vaca ‘gram. “There were comments like, ‘I don’t like her any more because as soon as she turns 18 she’s a whore.’ Like, dude. I can’t win. I can-not win.”

While no one should ever feel like they need to hide their body to avoid being harassed, Billie has been upfront about the reasoning behind her signature oversized shirts and pants. “Nobody can have an opinion because they haven’t seen what’s underneath,” the “Bad Guy” singer said in a 2019 Calvin Klein ad. “Nobody can be like, ‘she’s slim-thick,’ ‘she’s not slim-thick,’ ‘she’s got a flat ass,’ ‘she’s got a fat ass.’ No one can say any of that because they don’t know.”

In conversation with Dazed, Billie emphasized that she’s struggled with body image for a long time, telling the outlet that there was even a point where she didn’t even recognize herself. “It’s not that I like (my body) now, I just think I’m a bit more OK with it,” she said of how she feels today.

Ultimately, whatever Billie decides to wear is her choice. It shouldn’t matter if she’s decked out in a baggy sweatshirt or sporting a bikini; no outfit is an invitation for harassment, period. It’s a sentiment that Billie seems to agree with as well, as she told Dazed: “I can’t stress it enough. I’m just wearing what I wanna wear. If there’s a day when I’m like, ‘You know what, I feel comfortable with my belly right now, and I wanna show my belly,’ I should be allowed to do that.” We couldn’t agree more.

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