Billie Eilish is one of the most interesting characters on the music scene right now. If you have ever listened to her lyrics or watched one of her bizarre music videos, you’ll know she is never afraid to be her authentic self. She dresses like every day is a casual day at home, makes headlines with her distinct mismatched clothes and only features in magazines with her oversized clothing looks. Here’s how her decisions are changing women’s fashion standards.
Nowadays, clothes are a way to say who you are without having to speak. Many of us have a special relationship with clothes. They are very meaningful to us and say a lot about us. To others, they may serve as a judge of character, wealth or style. If you dress the part of the sad girl who’s clothing looks baggy and unfortunate, it is publicly assumed you are projecting a closet of volatile depression out into the world. However, fashion standards are meant to be broken when it comes to Billie Eilish. As one of music’s most likeable celebrities, she seems to blur the definitions of feminine and masculine fashion effortlessly.
Yet the media continues to feed us what the ideal person should wear. They rob us of our security and insist that it wasn’t considered cool for women to wear baggy pants until Billie made it more appealing. And so, we end up a slave to fashion standards. It is no surprise that fans are still quick to speculate not just on Billie’s body, but her approach to keeping it hidden. Rather than taking the scrutiny lying down like most celebs, the singer has decided to express her thoughts. In an interview with Elle last year, she spoke out about the negative attention placed on female looks, “the point is not: Hey, let’s go slut-shame all these girls for not dressing like Billie Eilish.”
When you are a celebrity, it is well known that your style persona changes all the time. From Lady Gaga to Cher, their personalities may be at odds, but amazingly, they remain inspirational by knowing how to work a look and showcase some wacky ensembles. However, it’s strange to think Eilish doesn’t really know what her style is saying about her. She just believes she doesn’t give in to the pressure of looking a certain way. I think her style shows us how important it is to appreciate what makes you different because standing out shouldn’t be a fashion choice. It’s about taking risks, being creative with your career and letting people see you for you.
With this message in mind, Billie released a short film titled, NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY, on social media where she makes a promise to banish negative, body-bashing thoughts. Throughout the video, Billie questions if her worth is based on the world’s perception of her and highlights the pressure she is under to change. I think Eilish’s video tries to show us that fashion standards should allow us to accept ourselves and to feel happy in our clothes. That clothes are meant to be worn for expression, comfort and to feel brilliant about ourselves no matter what people think or say about us.
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