Billie Eilish has opened up about how she became self-conscious of her body image at a heartbreakingly young age, which moulded her style as an emerging artist, before leading her to an 'extreme' shakeup.
The 22-year-old singer from Los Angeles, California, was just 10 years old when she started to suffer 'body problems', brought on by a mix of puberty, ballet, and the fact her favorite clothing brand, Brandy Melville, famously only make clothes in one size.
From the launch of her music career as a teen, Billie became known for her distinctly rebellious and angsty loose-fitted streetwear style, which she told Complex magazine was a way to feel more 'comfortable' with her shape.
As a child, she 'loved big dresses' and had a 'real fascination with fashion', 'never' wearing shorts or pants.
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But Billie's love for girly clothes all changed when she turned 11, as the 'What Was I Made For?' singer became 'obsessed' with Brandy Melville but said her 'chubbier' frame couldn't fit into the clothes that she bought.
She continued: "That's when my body problems started.
"I got boobs at like nine, and I was just developing really early. I wasn't slim.
"Also, I was in ballet, and that's this whole world of body problems.
"I was wearing all these baggy clothes, and it was my style, but at the same time, it was how I could feel comfortable in my body and not feel tied to how my body looks.
"I didn't want my body to be part of my outfit. I wanted my outfit to be my outfit, and my body happens to be inside it."
Around the time the singer released her 2021 album 'Happier than Ever', she became tired of being labelled by her baggy-style look and rebelled by creating an 'extreme' girlier image.
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Billie explained: "When I was around 16, I was put in such a box of, like, 'Billie Eilish wears baggy clothes only. And she's not a woman. And she doesn't look like a girl. And she's not desirable'.
"So when I made 'Happier Than Ever', I was kind of like, 'OK, people have decided that I'm this one thing. And I am that thing. But I'm also all these other things'.
"So of course, classic me, I had to go with the completely extreme version of it.
"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.
"I really just did it to prove a point. I was just like, 'F*** 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.' "
Reflecting on the switch up, Billie said she is 'really grateful' for the change, adding: "I feel like I freed myself from the box."
If you have been affected by any of the body image issues in this article and wish to speak to someone, contact National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). You can reach them on their free hotline at 1(888)-375-7767, which is open Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm CST.
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