20 night-one looks worn on ‘The Bachelorette,’ ranked from least to most daring

Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are the season 19 leads of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images “The Bachelorette” has returned for season 19, and for the first time, there are two leading ladies. For the premiere, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia wore different-colored glittery dresses.

Sparkles are a night-one classic, but some gowns have been more daring than others. Clare Crawley’s night one glimmery halter-neck dress seemed old school for what was going to be an unprecedented season. Clare Crawley on night one of season 16 of “The Bachelorette.

“Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty ImagesAs Bachelor Nation fans everywhere will know, first-night style staples on “The Bachelorette” include three things: sparkles, halter necks, and more sparkles. And this is exactly the direction Crawley went when she chose a Randi Rahm couture gown with mirror-like sequins, Refinery29 reported. Before she broke the show’s tradition by leaving early with her then-fiancé, Dale Moss, Crawley was already trailblazing by being the oldest lead chosen to be “The Bachelorette.

“At 39, she was one of only three others in “The Bachelorette” history to be over the age of 30, according to Vanity Fair. For such an unprecedented lead, it would’ve been great to see something edgier and refined. Desiree Hartsock was one of the first to wear the sparkly halter neck combo on her season in 2013, but even then it didn’t have too much of a wow factor.

Desiree Hartsock on night one of season nine of “The Bachelorette. “Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesDesiree Hartsock and her husband, Chris Siegfried, are one of only five couples from “The Bachelorette” still together. She may have been early to the halter neck, glittery dress combo but in 2013 it still seemed slightly done for what’s supposed to be one of the biggest nights throughout the whole season.

 Hartsock’s gray metallic floor-length gown perhaps could’ve been styled in a different way to make it pop onscreen, perhaps with a more daring hairstyle.  Andi Dorfman’s night-one Basler gown leaned slightly toward being like a 1920s costume. Andi Dorfman on night one of season 10 of “The Bachelorette.

“Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesIn 2014, Dorfman wore a Basler dress that she told her sister during the show was “very elegant,” according to Us Weekly.  The unique detailing and beading on the dress did provide a much-needed break from the purely sparkly traditional looks worn by most Bachelorettes on night one. However, it did come across almost like a costume from Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby,” released in 2013.

 The opening episode of season 11 of “The Bachelorette” had two leads, Britt Nilsson and Kaitlyn Bristowe, and both looked ready for prom. Britt Nilsson and Kaitlyn Bristowe on night one of season 11 of “The Bachelorette. “Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesIn retrospect, it seems like the Bachelor Nation franchise was dabbling in the prospect of having two leads when Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson were present for night one.

The twist was that the men on the show decided which woman they wanted to pursue, so Bristowe ended up being the bachelorette in the long run.  However, when it came to their style, neither woman had the edge over the other. Nilsson’s strapless ivory-white gown, which came with a chunky metallic belt, appeared too bridal for what is supposed to be a fun, light-hearted evening getting to know the cast.

Meanwhile, Bristowe’s was another play on the stereotypical halter-neck, sparkly look, albeit in a cool inky-blue color.  In scenes where the women are standing together, it almost came across like they were dressed up to go to prom.  While “The Bachelorette” was still relatively new when Ali Fedotowsky was the lead on season six, the show could’ve done more for her than have her wear a forgettable black dress.

Ali Fedotowsky on night one of season six of “The Bachelorette. “Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesSometimes a little sparkle is welcomed. There’s no better case in point than when Fedotowsky welcomed her group of men into the Bachelor mansion in season six wearing a loose, all-black dress.

While the gown helped the red roses she handed out pop, it didn’t do much to make her style shine.  Becca Kufrin’s bone-white column dress for her first night as the bachelorette was a little reminiscent of Rachel Lindsay’s, the lead on the previous season. Becca Kufrin on night one of season 14 of “The Bachelorette.

“Paul Hebert/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesKufrin, who proposed to fellow “Bachelor in Paradise” alum Thomas Jacobs in May, looked beautiful during the first night of “The Bachelorette. “The only issue with her dress, which cost $22,000 and was decked out in crystals, according to Page Six, was that it was eerily similar to the night-one dress worn by the most recent season lead at the time, Rachel Lindsay. Both women stunned in their bone-white column gowns, but it would’ve been refreshing to see Kufrin try something different right after Lindsay’s season.

 Speaking of Lindsay, here she is on night one of her season of “The Bachelorette,” right before Kufrin. Rachel Lindsay on night one of season 13 of “The Bachelorette. “Paul Hebert/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesAccording to Bustle, Lindsay’s dress was custom-designed by Randi Rahm.

It featured sparkles and a halter-neck but the pattern and sheer elements of the dress delivered a more sophisticated look.  Trista Sutter, the first bachelorette in Bachelor Nation history, wore a black gown with a plunging neckline for her night-one look. Trista Sutter on night one of the first season of “The Bachelorette.

“Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesIn 2020, Sutter told Us Weekly that she still had many of her dresses from “The Bachelorette” in 2003, including her night-one ensemble. The gown was a floor-length black halter neck that had a daring neckline.  “When we were watching the show with my girlfriends, the recap,” Sutter told the publication.

“My girlfriends made me put on my dress. The long black one that I wore the first night when the limos came. “The original bachelorette is still married to her final pick, Ryan Sutter, who she shares two children with.

Hannah Brown is yet another bachelorette to wear a sparkly Randi Rahm night-one gown, but hers featured a daring side slit. Hannah Brown on night one of season 15 of “The Bachelorette. “John Fleenor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesBrown’s $12,500 heavily-beaded metallic dress was pretty sleek, as designer Rahn told Glamour.

But it did follow the established pattern of a whole lot of sparkle.  That said, the neckline and thigh split added a sexy element to the gown. “It’s a very sensual but approachable piece,” Rahn said.

Brown was a pageant participant prior to her stint working on “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” which is why Rahn said she wanted to design her dress with a “little edge” to it. “Hannah’s new look is about having more of an edge and stepping out of the pageant world that she was in. “Emily Maynard’s single-sleeved dress was relatively daring considering the demure nature of most of her predecessor’s dresses.

Emily Maynard on night one of season eight of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesMaynard, who was 26 at the time of her experience on “The Bachelorette,” was wearing a $40,000 nude-colored Randi Rahm gown with streaks of sparkles on her first night as the lead, according to her stylist Cary Fetman, Today reported at the time.  Katie Thurston’s bold orange night-one dress was more vibrant than any previous lead of “The Bachelorette.

“Katie Thurston on night one of season 19 of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty ImagesThurston not only pushed Bachelor Nation’s boundaries for her openness to discussing her sex positivity on the show, but she also broke from tradition when it came to style.  Most Bachelorettes opt for nude-colored sparkly ensembles.

However, Thurston chose an orange sequined dress, designed by Randi Rahm, with a daring neckline. “What I loved most about this dress is that we tweaked it to be unique to me. The outside layer was actually on the inside,” she told Bachelor Nation at the time.

“We redesigned the dress to match what I wanted. It’s this one-of-a-kind look that’s bright and fiery. It’s different than what you typically see on the first night.

I’m not a neutral girl. That’s not my personality. I can be a firecracker sometimes!”Jillian Harris’s night-one dress was all about simplicity in the front, party in the back.

Jillian Harris on season five of “The Bachelorette. “Adam Larkey/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesHarris, who dated her final pick for a year after she was the bachelorette in 2009, went for a Grecian goddess-like dress for her first night on the show.  While the gown may look relatively modest from the front, photos of the back show it to be more daring than expected.

It also may have inspired leads in later seasons, like Kufrin and Lindsay, who wore similar ensembles.  Michelle Young’s night-one look reportedly took 672 hours to sew, but it’s the cutouts that really stole the show of her premiere episode. Michelle Young on night one of season 18 of “The Bachelorette.

“Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty ImagesRandi Rahm was back in the design saddle for Young’s season of “The Bachelorette” in October 2021.  The designer told Page Six that the dress was very unique, partly because it was a special “soft lime” color. “I knew I wanted to create something sleek with openness that is still a classy and sophisticated look,” Rahm said.

“With Michelle’s elegant beauty and stature, I felt she was the perfect fit for this architectural piece. ” Though the dress was stunning, it was the more revealing cut-out elements that really gave Young a bold night-one impression. JoJo Fletcher wore a mermaid-style gown with a low neckline on the night she met her now-husband, Jordan Rodger, on “The Bachelorette.

“JoJo Fletcher on night one of season 12 of “The Bachelorette. “Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesFletcher tied the knot with Rodgers in May after a six-year engagement. According to longtime Bachelor Nation stylist Cary Fetman’s Instagram, her night one dress was designed by Randi Rahm.

 Although Fletcher’s nude-colored and heavily-beaded dress was very much in line with style stereotypes from “The Bachelorette,” it featured a daring neckline and a unique mermaid design that made it slightly more memorable than others in the past.   Gabby Windey’s paneled ink-blue dress on her first night on “The Bachelorette” was the perfect mix of daring and timelessness. Gabby Windey on night one of season 19 of “The Bachelorette.

“Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty ImagesSpeaking to PopSugar about her thought process on choosing a dress for the first night of her stint on “The Bachelorette” alongside Rachel Recchia, Windey said: “You want to look back on this in a couple years and be like, ‘Oh my god,’ not be like, ‘What was I thinking?’ It was hard for me in the beginning because you want to keep up with the trends that are relevant on social media now. “The nude squares of the gown, designed by Randi Rahm, according to Page Six, added a level of sultriness to the gown while the glitter and cut were classics — a perfect blend between modern and traditional.  Meredith Phillips’ black gown was deceptively simple in the front but daring in the back.

Meredith Phillips on night one of season two of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesFor night one as the second-ever lead on “The Bachelorette,” Phillips opted for a simple black dress that hid a very daring, sparkly element at the back. The bedazzled strappy back is why this dress makes it so close to the top of the list, especially given that this season was filmed all the way back in 2004.

 Season four lead DeAnna Pappas wore a shimmery gold dress with a plunging neckline on her first night on “The Bachelorette. “DeAnna Pappas on night one of season four of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesIn what’s probably the most unique dress ever worn on the first night of “The Bachelorette,” Pappas opted for wearing a gold dress with a shimmery texture to it.

But the boldest element was the plunging neckline, which concluded in a flower-like design close to her navel. Ashley Hebert made a lasting fashion impression by being the first lead to wear such a glittery, extravagant gown on night one. Ashley Hebert on night one of season seven of “The Bachelorette.

“Rick Rowell/Walt Disney Television via Getty ImagesLooking back, it’s clear that Hebert pioneered many night-one fashion staples. Before her, there had never been a lead who rocked up to the mansion wearing a floor-length sparkly nude-colored gown, daring neckline, and loose hair.  According to InStyle, it was a $26,190 Randi Rahm design that originally featured a simple square-cut neckline that was specially tailored to become a deeper V-neck.

 Thigh slits are nothing new, but Rachel Recchia pushed boundaries with her higher-cut design on night one of season 19. Rachel Recchia on night one of season 19 of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty ImagesRecchia, 26, may not be the only lead starring in season 19 of “The Bachelorette,” but she left a distinguished, daring impression with her night-one dress.

Like Windey, her gown was designed by Randi Rahm, Page Six reports.  The halter neck and the nude-color design were in keeping with the tradition of the show, however, the slit in the dress came up to her hip, kept together with silver straps. Essentially, Recchia took Bachelor Nation traditions and brought them to new heights.

 Tayshia Adams may have worn a Randi Rahm design on night one of her surprise stint as the bachelorette, but it was unlike anything viewers had seen before. Tayshia Adams on her first night on season 16 of “The Bachelorette. “Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty ImagesAfter Crawley left “The Bachelorette” two weeks into filming to pursue a relationship with Dale Moss, Adams took up the mantle.

Her time on the show was totally unprecedented, and she ended up having one of the most memorable night-one dresses so far in the history of “The Bachelorette. “The dress was designed by Randi Rahm, who called it the “Rachel gown” in an interview with Page Six. “I was so happy she pulled that gown,” she said.

“It’s a complete different style than anyone’s ever worn on opening night, and with her gorgeous tone of skin — she has the most gorgeous coloring I’ve ever seen — she’s like a blank canvas. Anything you put on her — pink, olive green, coral — she is just gorgeous. “Read the original article on Insider.