Big Bills For Big Love, ‘The Bachelor’ Contestants Fork Out The Cash For Clothes

The contestants on hit reality TV show The Bachelor tend to spend a ton of cash on clothes for their chance to find big love.

When you look at some of the dresses (and some of the suits) featured in the show, it should come as no surprise that some of the clothing runs into the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for even a single item.

When competing against a couple dozen people for the attention of one individual who will make or break your stay on the show, clothing counts. When most of the contestants are already good-looking, if not outright stunning, every little thing can count. The Bachelor merely brings out the need to stand out.

According to Style.Mic, one contestant on the third season of The Bachelor, claimed “Olivia said she spent, like, $40,000 on clothes. It’s insane.” While commentators have pointed out how unlikely it is that Olivia spent that much on clothes for the show, a few thousand is not unlikely.

Dana Weiss, a blogger with the handle Possessionista, told Mic“I know that there are women in the past who cashed out their 401(k)s for the show…. Not in this season, but some have gone into serious credit card debt.”

Jillian Harris, second runner-up on the 13th season of The Bachelor, said on her blog “I had re-mortgaged my house and I spent something like $8,000 on clothing (which is still a lot) … but now that designer labels are even more important, I can see how someone can spend that … easily!!!!!”

Ben Higgins commented on some of his fellow contestants spending habits, “I bought a new suit and also purchased some new T-shirt, dress shirts, etc. But, I didn’t go overboard at all. I do know that someone spent $4,000 on clothes, though,” claims Business Insider.

On the other hand, guys on The Bachelor or sister show, The Bachelorette, spend significantly lower amounts on clothing, but it still can be pricey. While most of the gals on The Bachelor will have several dresses, including several unique, fancy ones picked out for the Rose Ceremony, most of the guys can make do with just a couple of suits, a few shirts and ties, and a couple pairs of pants.

The pricey clothes purchased by The Bachelor contestants shocks even more, considering that the contestants are not paid. While many of the contestants do receive gift bags from various sponsors, they typically aren’t worth the amount contestants spend on clothing or lose from the time off their jobs.

On the other hand, the winner of the show does get a very expensive engagement ring, often valued at anywhere from $60,000 to $100,000.

While losers may not be financially compensated by The Bachelor, several of the former contestants have made decent money of public appearances or by creating their own lifestyle blogs. Careers in fashion may follow as well if someone is popular enough and utilizes the show to effectively boost their social media presence.

Sometimes the participation in The Bachelor can get a contestant a chance on The Bachelor in Paradise, a spinoff of the original show. Winners there can make $8,000 for getting into the final round. And since they are already at a tropical resort, everyone who gets selected could be considered a winner.

No doubt part of the fascination with clothes and appearance has to do with the public nature of The Bachelor. Millions of people watch, comment, and tweet about the stars and their performances. If someone is clearly wearing inferior clothing, or at least is perceived to be, they may find themselves blasted on social media.

It is the same way that the “villain” on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette gets chosen. Public perception creates a story for a particular individual that translates into a specific role for the show. The most popular love stories have a villain of some sort, an antagonist that fights against true love or, in the case of reality TV, is extra nasty or unpopular.

So what do you think of the spending habits for contestants on The Bachelor? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!

[Featured Image by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images]