Billie Eilish pushes back against criticism of her style change: 'Let women exist'

Billie Eilish is making it clear that what critics think of her evolving style is "not (her) responsibility."

Eilish took to Instagram over the weekend to address the flack she’s received for embracing a more feminine style in recent years.

"I spent the first five years of my career getting absolutely obliterated by you fools for being boyish and dressing how I did (and) constantly being told I’d be hotter if I acted like a woman," Eilish wrote on her Instagram story. "Now when I feel comfortable enough to wear anything remotely feminine or fitting, I changed and am a sellout."

"Let women exist!", Eilish continued. "Did you know that women are multifaceted? Shocking right? Believe it or not, women could be interested in multiple things."

Eilish became a breakout star in pop music in her teens thanks to the release of the 2017 EP "Don’t Smile at Me" and her 2019 debut album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" The singer-songwriter also became known for her signature tomboy style which consisted of loose, boxy clothing that concealed her body.

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"I never want the world to know everything about me," Eilish said in a 2019 Calvin Klein ad. "That’s why I wear big, baggy clothes. Nobody can have an opinion because they haven’t seen what’s underneath."

More recently, the 21-year-old star has experimented with more feminine looks. In June 2021, Eilish appeared on the cover of British Vogue sporting a form-fitting pink corset. At the Met Gala earlier this month, Eilish walked the red carpet in a gothic black, semi-sheer halter dress.

"It made me really offended when people were like, 'Good for her for feeling comfortable in her bigger skin,'" Eilish told British Vogue at the time. "The more the internet and the world care about somebody that’s doing something they’re not used to, they put it on such a high pedestal that then it’s even worse."

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Experts say Eilish, along with female stars such as Taylor Swift, Lizzo, and Khloé Kardashian, face an unspoken pressure to stay current by reinventing themselves several times, although they also receive criticism for these changes.

"Many feel that multiple different aesthetic eras cannot all be genuine to one person’s true self, so they assume female pop stars are changing purely to fit the times, and not as a means of self-expression," StyleCaster fashion and lifestyle editor Bella Gerard told USA TODAY in May 2021. "Some people might go as far as arguing that staying the same over time is a sign of a male star’s commitment to identity."

But Gerard said that just as everyday people may dress differently at various stages of their lives, artists can also change their minds about what self-image they want to project through fashion.

"A change-up every few years is a genuine way of letting fans know where the star is at," Gerard said. "We shouldn’t be surprised when someone’s wardrobe reflects a new era in their life."

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Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Billie Eilish responds to criticism of style transformation