She’s the one with the bangs. The fear of sharks. The pack a day voice. And doesn’t know the difference between a mortician and a vampire. In this exclusive interview with Possessionista, Rachel Truehart reveals the shoes you never saw, why fashion didn’t play into her Bachelor strategy, and who her favorite New York bachelorette is.
Possessionista: So you find out you are going on the Bachelor. How much of what we saw did you already own, and how much of it was new?
RT: I would say most of it I already owned, probably at least 80%. You really don’t have all that much time when you find out your going to be on the show and you have to get SO much in order before leaving. Luckily I have accumulated a substantial number of dresses over the years due to my boss always saying, ‘In NY, It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed’ and just being a bit of a shopaholic!
Possessionista: How many suitcases did you bring?
RT: I checked three bags and a carry on (two of them being 75+ pounds) We had to consolidate it to two after a couple weeks which was not an easy task.
Possessionista: You worked in fashion before coming on the Bachelor. How much did that influence your fashion on the show?
RT: That definitely helped, especially the first night! I went to Jovani’s showroom (they were a client of the company I worked for) and tried on a bunch of showroom samples for their upcoming season so that was really fun. I had first pick of dresses that weren’t even on the market yet.
In general though, I think the influence of working in fashion just helps you to see what’s out there trend wise and from there you have to develop your own style and see what trends and looks work for you. You can’t just copy one style you need to take it all in and develop your own look and what your comfortable in and feels like ‘you’.
Possessionista: Your bangs. I love them. Is that a trademark Rachel thing, or was it a newer hairstyle.
RT: Oh that’s been a “Rachel” thing for years. They started more swept aside and then a couple years ago my cousin Shelley (who is my hairdresser) had the genius idea to just go for the blunt straight across bangs and viola, here they are! Side note: I’ve lived in NYC for almost 6 years and still go home to Mass every month or two to get my hair done because she’s so great J
Possessionista: One of my favorite parts of writing about your fashion is that you have a great eye for affordable clothing. What are some tips for shopping on a budget.
RT: I consider myself a pro at shopping on a budget! I can always find a good deal. As much as I would love to adorn myself in designer clothing all the time it’s just not feasible. So, I like to find small boutiques (especially scour the ‘Sale’ racks), I LOVE thrift/consignment shops and they are everywhere in the city and then I of course I love my H&M, TJ max & Loehmanns. I also pop into forever 21every now and then, I can always find a good piece there.
I think it’s important to find those ‘basics’ that can go with anything and are on trend color wise as well. I tend to be a neutral’s kind of girl but I’m trying to branch out with some color especially for Spring!
Possessionista: When you and Blakely went salsa dancing, how did you pick your dresses? Were they in your wardrobes or lent by the show? Did you get to pick or were they assigned to you.
RT: Definitely NOT in our wardrobes! lol They were provided for us and they let us pick between the two and I quickly claimed the blue feather dress over the pink 80′s promdress haha I mean they were both tacky but I love feathers and it was fun to wear for salsa dancing. Although it was really tight and I split the inside seam on one of the ‘dips’ Oops! Luckily it was only the inside lining otherwise it would have been quite the display
Possessionista: When you and Blakely went salsa dancing, how did you pick your dresses? Were they in your wardrobes or lent by the show? Did you get to pick or were they assigned to you.
RT: Definitely NOT in our wardrobes! lol They were provided for us and they let us pick between the two and I quickly claimed the blue feather dress over the pink 80′s promdress haha I mean they were both tacky but I love feathers and it was fun to wear for salsa dancing. Although it was really tight and I split the inside seam on one of the ‘dips’ Oops! Luckily it was only the inside lining otherwise it would have been quite the display
Possessionista: You New York Girls are clogging up my Facebook timeline with your lovefests. But who would you rather share clothes with? Jaclyn or Jenna?
RT: Are you trying to get me in trouble?!? Haha That’s a tough one because the both have great style. Jaclyn and I share a strong obsession for Sequins while I think Jenna and I have a similar ‘downtown’ kind of look which I love. Jaclyn’s got some amazing dresses (Jenna has borrowed many of them actually) so I might take Jaclyn’s dresses and Jenna’s more daytime attire…best of both worlds!
Possessionista: You’ve remained friends with Casey and Courtney – two of the best dressed in the house – was that part of your strategy.
RT: I actually shared rooms with them a couple times (bc I love them both and not just for strategy!) and would always be so jealous of their clothes & shoes! I especially loved the way Casey just really owns everything she wears and takes risks, it makes her outfits look so effortless and unique which is hard to accomplish. Her look is very original.
Courtney has a great wardrobe as well (being a model has its perks!) and was actually nice enough to offer to let me wear her black Dolce & Gabbana dress for a rose ceremony (the one she wore the first night). However, I didn’t dare try to squeeze into it…I wish though!
Possessionista: Okay what do you think was your best fashion moment? What about your worst?
RT: Well the first thing that comes to mind is having YOU name a dress silhouette after me! ‘The Rachel’ – That was pretty epic…
The worst is probably just the little bit of regret I have on the dress I wore episode when I got the axe. As much as I do love that dress it’s just really casual and I wish I wore a different one to go more ‘out with a bang’ in! I had a different dress I was planning to wear, it was a white vintage dress with a silver metallic top over it but I like wearing it with these amazing Marc Jacobs Glitter heels that are one of my prized possessions (prob also one of the best deals I ever found!) and for that particular rose ceremony we were told we couldn’t wear shoes L (you can imagine I was not happy as in my opinion, shoes complete an outfit!). So I went more casual and really regretted it…and mostly just never getting to wear those shoes on the show!
Possessionista: If you were to do it all over, how would you pack differently? What are some tips to future bachelorettes? RT: OMG YES! At the risk of sounding shallow here, I had nightmares all the time while I was on the show about running out of clothes and wishing I could go shopping. I always felt like I was running out and had all the wrong ones, and wishing I had shopped for more before I left! Even after the show filmed I always was like “oh I wish I wore this instead of that”. I actually packed more for cold weather too for some reason which I really didn’t end up needing.
I think my biggest tip would be to borrow more clothes from friends and raid all your well-dressed friends’ closet. Maybe throw an “I’m going to be on tv and need amazing clothes so bring over your best’ party?
Click here for more Bachelor fashion posts.
Click here for more Bachelor fashion posts.
Rachel was definitely one of the prettiest in my opinion! She seems like a nice girl too. Didn't see much chemistry with Ben, I think she needs a more mature guy… And better looking too.
Rachel was definitely one of the prettiest in my opinion! She seems like a nice girl too. Didn't see much chemistry with Ben, I think she needs a more mature guy… And better looking too.
Very nice post. Gave a lot of guides and tips on how to wear your clothes.
Very nice post. Gave a lot of guides and tips on how to wear your clothes.