Singer Billie Eilish blew up the internet when she revealed a new look for her newest album Happier Than Ever – and a complete departure from her signature style. The green and black hair has come and gone, and as we've seen in her photo shoot, so are her baggy and modest clothes.
In a shoot for Vogue UK, Eilish made a complete transformation from dark, gothic, and edgy to blonde bombshell with a polished and sexy look.
Updated on June 29, 2023: Although she enjoyed making waves with her platinum blonde transformation, the color didn't last long. In late 2021, Eilish dyed her hair dark brown and then back to black the following year. Billie seems to have found her new style, as she has been sporting her black hair and bangs combo while mixing her old-school style of baggy clothes and new style of tighter pieces as she's been touring.
Baggy Clothes Mean No One Can See You
From the moment she shot to fame with her 2019 debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Eilish became as well known for her trademark green and black hair and baggy clothes as for her hits. It’s a look she described in a 2019 Calvin Klein ad.
“That’s why I wear baggy clothes,” she said in the ad. “Nobody can have an opinion because they haven't seen what’s underneath. Nobody can be like, ‘she’s slim-thick,’ ‘she’s not slim-thick,’ ‘she’s got a flat a-,’ ‘she's got a fat a-.’ No one can say any of that because they don't know.”
“I never want the world to know everything about me,” she continues. “I mean, that’s why I wear big baggy clothes: Nobody can have an opinion, because they haven’t seen what’s underneath, you know?”
From Gothic Girl To Pin-Up Princess
Sharp-eyed fans had known for months that something was off when it came to Billie's green/black hair. Some noted that her part seemed out of place, and the green and black had moved around. One fan even posted a TikTok exposé in 18 parts.
In reality, Eilish had already dyed her hair blonde, but didn’t want to reveal it until the new music was ready to release. So, she wore a wig to essentially cosplay as herself. The problem was, the custom-made wig didn’t arrive at the exact moment she needed it, and Eilish had to buy a Halloween costume of herself in order to wear the wig for an unexpected video.
The official unveiling of her new blond locks on Instagram reached one million likes in just six minutes – the fastest post ever to do so. The transition from black and green to blonde took no less than four dye applications.
Gracing the cover of British Vogue, she talked about the transformation for the photo shoot – which was entirely her idea – in an interview. Despite admitting to a little apprehension before the shoot began, she was happy with the results. “I feel more like a woman, somehow,” she said.
Her look was inspired by Hollywood Golden Era pin-ups like Betty Brosmer. “If you feel like you look good, you look good,” she says. In the shoot, she’s wearing a custom Alexander McQueen corset dress and sandals, with latex stockings and gloves by Atsuko Kudo.
Eilish says that her body image became a problem for her when she had to quit dancing at age 13 because of an injury. She says the anxiety over body image caused depression when she was younger. The shoot is only the first step in healing.
“Because of the way that I feel that the world sees me, I haven’t felt really desired,” she said. “But that’s really my whole life, though, so I don’t know if it’s anything to do with fame.”
She chose a corset for practical reasons. “If I’m honest with you, I hate my stomach, and that’s why.”
Still, she sees the experience as uplifting. “Let’s turn it around and be empowered in that. Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you.”
As far as she’s concerned, there is only one thing to blame. “I really think the bottom line is, men are very weak,” she says.
It’s a completely new look, but it seems like fans are on board for it.
