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Billie EIlish calls out people who use her baggy clothes to slut-shame other girls
21 August 2019, 16:40
Billie Eilish also opened up about sleep paralysis and how badly it affects her.
Billie Eilish has discussed baggy clothes, slut-shaming and sleep paralysis in a new V magazine interview.
Ever since Billie Eilish first rose to fame with 'ocean eyes', she's been known for her baggy clothes. Discussing her signature look in a recent Calvin Klein campaign, Billie said: "I never want the world to know everything about me. I mean, that's why I wear big baggy clothes. Nobody can have an opinion because they haven't seen what's underneath. Nobody can be like 'oh, she's slim thick. She's not slim thick. She got a flat ass. She's got a fat ass.'"
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Now Billie Eilish is calling out people who use her baggy clothes to slut-shame other girls.
Speaking to Pharrell Williams for V about how she dresses, Billie said: "It’s a weird thing because I know a lot of what I hear is a positive or people trying to be positive about how I dress; how I am never really out there wearing nothing, or wearing dresses. I’ve heard that. [Even] from my parents, [the] positive [comments] about how I dress have this slut-shaming element."
She then explained: "Like, “I am so glad that you are dressing like a boy, so that other girls can dress like boys, so that they aren’t sluts.” That’s basically what it sounds like to me. And I can’t [overstate how] strongly I do not appreciate that, at all. And they aren’t specifically saying that, but it feels like that.
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Billie continued: "I have never ever looked at a girl who feels comfortable in her clothes, body, and skin and thought, “Ew, that’s gross, she is showing too much,” or, “I wish people wouldn’t wear that. I have never in my life felt that way. I have always supported and fucked with and just loved when a woman or a man or anyone in the world feels comfortable in their skin, their body, to show just whatever they want."
"I don’t like that there’s this weird new world of supporting me by shaming people that [may not] want to [dress like me]."
Billie also spoke at length about her experiences with sleep paralysis: "I have never had a good relationship with sleeping or anything involving sleeping. From since I was really young, I’ve had nightmares and sleep paralysis. It takes me hours to fall asleep. I only last year started having sleep paralysis, but I would say that might be one of the worst things in the whole world. I just have been imprisoned in my nightmares, night terrors, lucid dreams, and sleep paralysis."
She went on to state: "At a certain point I was like, “Yo, this is ruining my personality.” There was a point where I was having the same nightmare for two months, and it was getting into my head. It was making me talk different, it was making me treat people different, and kind of manoeuvre different. It was weird to see that because it’s literally a fake thing in your own mind, but it affects you in this insane way."
However, Billie did try to work through it: "Instead of letting myself suffer in it, I was like, “You know what, I’m going to take this shit and I am going to turn it into art,” and I literally did. I made a whole album out of it and I made a video. I made an experience and exhibit about it. The thing is, my dreams haven’t changed. If anything it made it worse, because I kind of spooked myself."
Billie finally added: "Like I kind of creeped myself out because, after we shot the 'Bury A Friend' video, which is very kind of horror movie-esque, I started having these horrible nightmares. I saw [things] outside my window and I couldn’t sleep for days. I may have sabotaged myself but at least I made a fucking work of art out of it."
