--- title: The Bachelor: Women Spend More Money Than Men For Show description: Women tend to spend much more money than men on clothing for the reality show 'The Bachelor.; canonical: https://time.com/4381986/the-bachelor-spending-differences/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-06-24T17:36:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:02:48.675Z og:title: Why Being on 'The Bachelor' Is More Expensive For Women Than For Men og:description: There's a big difference between what male and female contestants spend og:url: https://time.com/4381986/the-bachelor-spending-differences/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96320d7e4a2102da/69889958428a9ef146cd32ed/bachelor-men-women-spending-differences.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: ABC's "The Bachelor" - Season 20 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Being on 'The Bachelor' Is More Expensive For Women Than For Men twitter:description: There's a big difference between what male and female contestants spend twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96320d7e4a2102da/69889958428a9ef146cd32ed/bachelor-men-women-spending-differences.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Being on _The Bachelor_ Is More Expensive For Women Than For Men by [Hayley Wilbur / Mic](https://time.com/author/mic/) ## Hayley Wilbur / Mic Jun 24, 2016 5:36 PM UTC  THE BACHELOR - Ben Higgins, the handsome software salesman who was sent home by Kaitlyn Bristowe last season on "The Bachelorette," confessed to Kaitlyn that he thought he was "unlovable." Even so, he saw a "great life" with her, only to have his hopes dashed and his heart broken when he was left without a rose. Now, Ben is ready to open himself up again to love, but he still has the lingering fear of being unlovable. He will attempt to put his heartbreak behind him and overcome that fear as he searches for his one true love and, maybe more importantly, a woman who loves him back. (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images) THE BACHELOR - Ben Higgins, the handsome software salesman who was sent home by Kaitlyn Bristowe last season on "The Bachelorette," confessed to Kaitlyn that he thought he was "unlovable." Even so, he saw a "great life" with her, only to have his hopes dashed and his heart broken when he was left without a rose. Now, Ben is ready to open himself up again to love, but he still has the lingering fear of being unlovable. He will attempt to put his heartbreak behind him and overcome that fear as he searches for his one true love and, maybe more importantly, a woman who loves him back. (Photo by Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images)Craig Sjodin—ABC/Getty Images by [Hayley Wilbur / Mic](https://time.com/author/mic/) ## Hayley Wilbur / Mic Jun 24, 2016 5:36 PM UTC Agreeing to be a contestant on ABC’s _The_ _Bachelorette_ or _The Bachelor_ might seem like an easy commitment. All you have to do is throw some of your belongings in a suitcase, fly to Los Angeles and go on a number of dates — maybe even find love. Easy peasy, right? Wrong. Besides having to compete for the someone’s attention with 25 other people, as well as having every one of your interactions broadcasted on television — including but not limited to eating a [whole sweet potato](http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/06/this-is-how-bachelorette-chad-eats-sweet-potato.html) — the people competing on _The Bachelor_ have to dish out a hefty sum of cash prior to arriving to the California mansion, as [_Mic_](https://mic.com/articles/133529/here-s-what-it-really-costs-to-get-dressed-as-a-bachelor-contestant#.KkLI5T4lP) previously reported in January. Take [Olivia Caridi](http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor/cast/olivia) for example: the 23-year-old news anchor who competed for Ben Higgins’ heart on the 20th season of _The Bachelor._ She supposedly [spent](https://mic.com/articles/133529/here-s-what-it-really-costs-to-get-dressed-as-a-bachelor-contestant#.KkLI5T4lP) “like, 40,000 on clothes” and also became known as the girl [left on an island](https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleregna/rocks-near-the-blowhole). But, what about the dudes who are trying to find love on _The Bachelorette_? Are they spending just as much as the women even though they don’t need a sparkly, cut-out dress for every single rose ceremony? Can’t they just simply throw on the same suit each week? As it turns out, they too often have to drop some cash — although, not nearly as much. **_Read more:_** [_Amber Rose Just Nailed the One Thing About Stretch Marks That All Women Need to Hea_](https://mic.com/articles/147020/amber-rose-just-nailed-the-one-thing-about-stretch-marks-that-all-women-need-to-hear#.Qx0DBlqZC?utm%5Fsource=TIME&utm%5Fmedium=readMore&utm%5Fcampaign=partner)_r_ **The men require less clothing than women:** Contestants need outfits for ten weeks of rose ceremonies in addition to dates that can range from a casual day usually involving a [hot tub ](http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelor/video/a-celebration-of-love)to a romantic dinner followed by a private [concert](http://www.refinery29.com/2016/06/111556/the-bachelorette-season-12-episode-3-tv-recap-jojo). “\[Packing\] is one of the hardest things to do!” [Higgins](https://www.instagram.com/higgins.ben/?hl=en) said in an interview. “I had a bunch of people over to my house to help me pack and pick out clothes.” While the ladies, need around ten dresses (unless they plan on swapping) men are told to only bring 2-3 suits with “a few different shirts, and ties so that they could be mixed and matched” Joshua Albers, who vied for Kaitlyn Bristowe’s heart along with Higgins on Season 11, said in an interview. **Men aren’t completely off the financial hook.** In an exclusive [promo](http://video.glamour.com/watch/heres-what-the-bachelorette-contestants-really-pack-in-their-suitcases) obtained by _Glamour,_ of the dudes packing for the current season airing on ABC, [Chad Johnson](https://www.instagram.com/realchadjohnson/), a luxury real estate agent who was eliminated week four, explains how he “probably overdid things a little bit,” adding, “I spent like seven grand on clothes just for this.” As seen in the [video](http://video.glamour.com/watch/heres-what-the-bachelorette-contestants-really-pack-in-their-suitcases), as long as it fits into their allotted two suitcases, the men can bring as many as they want. “I think I have like six suits,” [Christian Bishop](https://www.instagram.com/mrchristianbishop/?hl=en), a telecom [consultant](http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/cast/christian) who was eliminated at week three said in the video. “I was only told to bring two.” Albers did, in fact, bring two suits, along with three shirts and three ties. He estimates that he spent about $1,000 for the suits, including having them tailored. Others, like Higgins, simply recycled the pieces that they brought. “I always re-wore suits to the rose ceremonies,” he said. “If I didn’t re-wear a whole suit I would switch up the jacket with pants or maybe go jacket-less. The guys often share suits as well if they are the same size.” “I think \[buying a new wardrobe\] is a personal preference,” he adds. “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.” **_Read more:_** [_Ariel Winter Responds to Body Shamers: “If You Hate It, Don’t Buy It.”_](https://mic.com/articles/146877/ariel-winter-responds-to-body-shamers-if-you-hate-it-don-t-buy-it#.MeqeU3jS5?utm%5Fsource=TIME&utm%5Fmedium=readMore&utm%5Fcampaign=partner) **But the ladies are still dropping more cash.** “Women’s gowns are far more than a guys suit,” Albers said. “A lot of the guys have to wear suits for their career already, so they didn’t have to buy much of anything unless they wanted. I’m a welder, so I had nothing remotely close to what’s required for a rose ceremony.” But it’s not just clothing that women are spending more on. Prior to the show, many [women](http://www.allure.com/celebrity-trends/2015/bachelor-contestant-beauty-secret-confessions?currentPage=6) get extensions, acrylics and spray tans, while the guys often focus on their hair. Although the women have to buy more, many are in fact [gifted](http://www.possessionista.com/2016/02/shop-amanda-and-laurens-bachelor-fashion.html) clothing prior to the show for publicity. Additionally, _The Bachelor_ has become a launching point for the ladies’ careers, specifically in the fashion world. Back in May, Bristowe [released](http://www.racked.com/2016/5/10/11648674/kaitlyn-bristowe-chelcey-tate-fashion-line) a clothing line, while Dorfman [designed](http://southwardapparel.com/blogs/news/16056789-andi-dorfman-for-southward-apparel) a T-shirt with Southward Apparel back in September. Besides clothing collections, [Bristowe](http://kaitlynbristowe.com/), [Harris](http://www.jillianharris.com/) and [Hartstock](http://desireehartsock.com/) are just some of the previous bachelorettes to have since launched style related blogs. **_Read more:_** [_How Blue Ivy Carter Is Already a Worthy Heir to Beyoncé’s Style Icon Throne_](https://mic.com/articles/146071/how-blue-ivy-carter-is-already-a-worthy-heir-to-beyonc-s-style-icon-throne#.DJGJnIpY1?utm%5Fsource=TIME&utm%5Fmedium=readMore&utm%5Fcampaign=partner) **How much do the clothes even matter?** As much as you might not want to believe it, people do judge books by their covers. “Clothing is absolutely a factor \[for attraction\] for it changes the appearance of a person \[and\] influences the impression of what one thinks about another,” [Dr. Karen Ruskin](http://www.drkarenruskin.com/), a marriage and family therapist, explained in an interview. “The fact is, visual is the first thing we ‘see’ before we experience anything else. Certain colors affect one’s experience of the person (e.g., light blue is warm and inviting to have a dialogue, red represents power, whether the outfit is tight fitting to the body or loose fitting can invite thoughts of sexuality vs. relaxing laid back, etc.)” It might be a factor, but that doesn’t mean it affects the outcomes of the shows. “The funny thing is, Ben \[Higgins\] and all of the other guys don’t give a sh\*t!!! I bet you they don’t even notice a difference,” Jillian Harris, the lead of season 5 of _The Bachelorette_, previously wrote on her [website](http://www.jillianharris.com/everyone-wants-know-bachelor-much-clothing-girls-given/). (You’re saying Lauren B.’s Cinderella-like dress didn’t leave a lasting impression?!) “I mean its the look good, feel good, date good kinda thing right?” Higgins said. “I do think clothes help a person look better and feel better so in that since they may be more confident going on dates or being themselves.” So, will _The Bachelor_ or the _The Bachelorette_ cost an arm and a leg? Yes, likely so. But chances are you’ll find love or, at least, people will be talking about you on Twitter on Monday nights until the next season comes around and you’re forgotten about. Plus, you get a gift bag. And who doesn’t love a gift bag? _This_ [_article_](https://mic.com/articles/146109/here-s-how-much-more-women-have-to-pay-to-be-on-the-bachelor-franchise#.pfjNf495C?utm%5Fsource=TIME&utm%5Fmedium=readMore&utm%5Fcampaign=partner) _originally appeared on_ [_Mic.com_](http://www.mic.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4381986/the-bachelor-spending-differences/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4381986/the-bachelor-spending-differences/"},"headline":"Why Being on The Bachelor Is More Expensive For Women Than For Men","datePublished":"2016-06-24T17:36:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:02:48.675Z","description":"There's a big difference between what male and female contestants pay","url":"https://time.com/4381986/the-bachelor-spending-differences/","keywords":["motto","Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96320d7e4a2102da/69889958428a9ef146cd32ed/bachelor-men-women-spending-differences.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Hayley Wilbur / Mic"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96320d7e4a2102da/69889958428a9ef146cd32ed/bachelor-men-women-spending-differences.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"ABC's \"The Bachelor\" - Season 20","caption":"ABC's \"The Bachelor\" - Season 20","creditText":"Craig Sjodin—ABC/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4381986/the-bachelor-spending-differences/","name":"Why Being on The Bachelor Is More Expensive For Women Than For Men"}}]}] ```