The Bachelor and All Its Baggage
Grab your girlfriends and charcuterie board—Bachelor Monday is back baby! Season 24 of ABC’s The Bachelor has officially begun, and Bachelor Nation is tuned in to watch Peter Webber, lovingly known as Pilot Pete, find love!
So much goes on behind the scenes of the show with the cast, crew, production, and of course the dreamy destinations. Peter welcomed 30 women on night one of the season, but what viewers didn’t see are the huge suitcases the contestants brought with them! Seventeen's article “13 Things You Never Knew About Getting Dressed on ‘The Bachelor,’" gives all the fashion deets about the show.
The contestants don’t know how long they will be on the show so they need to pack for ten weeks. They also don’t know what kind of destinations they’ll end up in, so they have to bring clothes for any kind of weather. In the past, contestants have traveled throughout the US from LA to Newport and all across the world from Scotland to Greece.
Luckily, the contestants receive a packing list to help. But everyone knows the struggle of packing, so we can’t imagine how you prepare for a journey like the bachelor!
Group dates can be anything from an obstacle course to a shopping spree or a chill day exploring a city, so the girls need to have the right attire for any occasion.
Although the contestants are given a packing list, they’re pretty much on their own when it comes to packing. In the past, some contestants have gone to extreme lengths to have a killer wardrobe for the show. “‘I had re-mortgaged my house and I spent something like $8,000 on clothing (which is still a lot),’ Jillian Harris, who appeared on season 13 of The Bachelor and season five of The Bachelorette, wrote on her blog.” (Orenstein)
The women go all out—long gowns, hair, makeup, everything—for the season premiere! Think prom, but reality TV. Producers approve all of the women’s night one dresses to be sure no one steps out of the limo in the same dress. Did you ever have that nightmare where someone wore the same prom dress as you? Same. Now imagine if that happened on national TV.
If you are a devoted fan of the show and watch each week, sometimes you’ll see contestants wear the same dress or jackets. The contestants are cooped up in a house together all day when they aren’t out on dates, so they sometimes end up becoming close friends. Just like you and your friends may share clothes, they do the same!
Apparently, pink sport coats were popular in Hannah’s season.
There are some clothes the producers will say no to. They’ll let the contestants know if they are wearing something that won’t look right on camera. In the past producers discouraged stripes, certain patterns, and solid white, even if it looks bomb in person because it just won’t look the same on TV.
We can’t wait to see the outfits the contestants throw together this season to wear on their crazy, dramatic, unforgettable dates with Pilot Pete!