Billie Eilish Just Single-Handedly Redefined Red Carpet Dressing For A New Generation

The red carpet can be a tricky space to navigate, particularly as a woman. You might think that at just 18 years old, choosing something to wear to walk the most-watched red carpet of any given year would be a daunting prospect, one which may encourage you play it safe. Not Billie Eilish. The teenager (!) remained faithful to her idiosyncratic style, foregoing a gown for an oversized, custom-made Chanel trouser suit and many, many Chanel accessories.

With her green and black hair, long nails and fingerless gloves, Eilish wasn't just showcasing her personal style, she was also helping to redefine red carpet dressing for the next generation. Rather than succumbing to expectations and convention, Eilish refuses to engage with society's rather sexist approach to female celebrities and the constant scrutiny of their appearance.

Speaking in a Calvin Klein campaign video, Eilish has previously 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, you know? Nobody can be like ‘oh she’s slim-thick, she’s not slim-thick, she got a flat ass, she got a fat ass.’ Nobody can say any of that because they don’t know.'

She also discussed her perspective on clothes, as well as slut-shaming and body image, with Pharrell Williams in V Magazine, telling him: '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. 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.'

Eilish works with stylist Samantha Burkhart, who helped create her Oscars look. Not only was Eilish wearing multiple Chanel jewels and brooches pinned to her suit, she also tied a Chanel scarf in her hair. It was her first time attending the awards, where she was performing.

While Eilish's choice of clothing should by no means be the most important topic of conversation surrounding her appearance at the Oscars (the focus should really be on her incredible achievements), it is heartening to see a young woman dressing exactly the way she wants, unapologetically.

SEE: All The Best Looks From The Oscars Red Carpet