I spend at least part of every single day in workout pants, so having the most-perfect pair is crucial. Too wedgie-inducing? My peaceful daily run is ruined. Fabric that pills? I’ll pick obsessively until it snares. Too sheer? My Pilates classmates discover that I accidentally bought underwear with “I’M COCO-NUTS!” written across the butt. Workout pants matter more to me than most of the rest of my wardrobe, so I put a lot of thought into choosing them. I’m not afraid to spend, either, so I’ve tried plenty of pairs that were a shipping-and-handling fee away from $150. The ones I keep going back to, though? Old Navy’s High-Rise Compression Crops, which are regularly priced at $26.99. (But because this is Old Navy, they’re almost always marked down to $22, and pretty much always eligible for a 20- to 40-percent discount code.)
In a world of celebrity-endorsed, cost-more-than-a-one-way-plane-ticket workout pants, why are these the unicorn? Let me count the ways…
1) The high waist.
Things Lauren Conrad and I have in common:
Fashion empire.
Reality TV stardom.
Would not wear combat boots to the beach.
Spent 2003-2006 in a rotating lineup up of low-rise jeans, low-rise jean skirts, low-rise “going out pants,” low-rise pajama pants.
LC and I are also both moms, and we know that you can’t perform the acrobatics that parenting requires (“My water bottle is in the bottom of the ball pit!”) in low-rise anything. The high-rise waistband on the Compression Crops is high enough that it hits well above my belly button (right at my natural waist, so muffin-top is never an issue) and keeps all my bits under wraps, no matter how aggressive the Pilates instructor or toddler-in-the-supermarket meltdown.
2) The thickness.
The only thing worse than the toddler-in-the-supermarket meltdown is realizing, as you abandon your cart and scurry toward the nearest exit with a screaming kid in tow, that the workout pants that were opaque at home are now sheer and showcasing your “I’M COCO-NUTS!” boy-cut briefs to all of aisle four. Thank you, neon lighting. But the Compression Crops will not let that happen—well, the suddenly-see-through-pants part, anyway. You can bend and stretch in all the ways (see: water bottle in the bottom of the ball pit) or stumble into some bad lighting, and these will keep your underwear secrets safe.
3) The wicking.
Yes, they’re thick enough to keep you from putting on an unintentional peep show, but you won’t overheat in these pants, either. That’s Go-Dry wicking for you.
I run in Compression Crops straight through summer, and heat has never been an issue. And my sensitive-skinned best friend, who gets a rash along her sports-bra band if she doesn’t change out of it immediately post-workout, wears the same Old Navy workout pants in varying lengths—she’s partial to the 7/8 cut—all day, most days (she works from home) without skin flare-ups.
4) The number of wears they can go between washes.
I run every day, but most days it’s a slow mile followed by some light calisthenics—that means I normally don’t break enough of a sweat that I feel compelled to wash my workout pants after every wear. The Compression Crops don’t show spots, attract lint or pet hair (I have one to two dogs parked on my lap for several hours a day), and ever really look “worn.” There’s never, ever any bagging or sagging in the knees. They also never get funky (see: Go-Dry wicking) and, um, I hate doing laundry. I really don’t know how long I wear a pair before washing them—suffice to say, it’s probably gross—but I never wash them because they look, feel, or smell dirty.
If you’re compelled to wash them more frequently, the color and elasticity hold up through regular washing and drying. No high-maintenance hand-washing or air-drying required.
5) The spandex ratio.
I recommend first-time buyers get the most simple fabrication: solid black fabric that’s 15 percent spandex. The generous amount of stretch is pleasantly smoothing without being suffocating. These workout pants are the exact right amount tight. (My recc: If you’re debating between two sizes, go with the smaller. I actually wear the Compression Shorts) instead of shapewear. TMI?) It’s possible to find pairs in other colors or patterns or with jazzy design elements—mesh panels, laser cutouts, moto stitching—that are just as good as the basics, but in my experience the plain black set the bar. And the bar is high.
Michelle Obama and her BFF Beyoncé have a lot in common: They’re strong women. They’re constantly referred to as “queen.” Oh, and people are willing to shell out hundreds—maybe even thousands—for a ticket to see them.
Tickets for Michelle Obama’s upcoming book tour for her new memoir Becoming recently went on sale. And while it wasn’t a big surprise how quickly fans snapped them up, the price tag did come as a shock to some. Obama will appear in 12 cities across the United States—two extra stops were added to the originally planned 10-city tour to meet the demand—and prices for the event range from a reasonably affordable $29.50 to as much as $3,000. Naturally, the cheaper ones sold out first, according to The Washington Post, leaving only the more expensive options available.
For those who do have $3,000 to spend, it’ll get you more than just a seat in the front row. For that price, guests get to attend a meet-and-greet reception with Obama that includes a pre-show photo opportunity, a signed book, and an “exclusive VIP gift item,” among other perks. Still, some aren’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of paying an arm and a leg to see Michelle Obama’s toned arms IRL.
The price isn’t the only headline-making news about Obama’s upcoming tour. She’s selling out full arenas, which isn’t exactly a regular occurrence for book tours. This has fans likening her to Madonna in the ’80s or, yes, Beyoncé.
And Michelle Obama herself apparently wasn’t prepared for the immense reaction to her tour. “Truly humbled by the response to my upcoming book tour,” she wrote on Twitter. “I can’t wait to share BECOMING with all of you & hope to see you somewhere along the way!”
It’s nearly a week later, and new details are still emerging about how over-the-top Kylie Jenner‘s twenty-first birthday was. The beauty mogul and reality star spared no expense on her enormous hot-pink-hued bash at Los Angeles hotspot Delilah, which featured a giant pink ball pit, a staff clad in T-shirts printed with her Forbes cover on the back, and not one but two birthday outfits. The latest nugget to come out: Jenner apparently dropped a casual $8,000 on extensions to get her XXL, butt-length, birthday hair.
Violet Teriti, the extension artist who put in Jenner’s 30-inch custom ponytail, explained to Refinery29 this week exactly why those 400 grams of hair imported from Russia were so expensive. “There’s nothing better than [Slavic] hair because it’s the only hair that doesn’t need to be bleached and processed so many times, or even toned and glossed—it’s naturally already highlighted,” Teriti said.
The stylist said she only had one day to prepare the look for Jenner’s birthday bash, but luckily, she had enough extensions lying around to make it work. According to Teriti, the hair she attached to Jenner’s head was actually a weft: a hair extension that has been sewn or “wefted” to create the bundle of extensions, as opposed to a simple ponytail. Teriti also noted that she typically sells these extensions for between $6,000 and $8,000, but if you’re projected to be the youngest “self-made” billionaire in history, that’s basically pocket change, especially when you consider that Jenner brings in roughly $22,000 an hour.
It seems like Meghan Markle‘s every look is scrutinized by the media—just like how it is for Kate Middleton, whose outfits are also dissected on a regular basis. Although Kate’s known for repeating a few outfits, we haven’t seen as much of that from the new Duchess of Sussex—though with as much as she’s reportedly invested in her wardrobe, there might be a chance we might soon be starting to see some repeats (not, to be clear, that we mind).
The Daily Mail reports that since the Royal Wedding, the Duchess of Sussex has spent £155,575 (about $205,825) on 15 outfits by designers like Dior, Givenchy, Prada, and Chanel. She’s worn them to high-profile events such as her first foreign trip to Dublin this week, outings with the Queen, and a day out at the Royal Ascot. In fact, in Dublin, the Duchess reportedly wore £28,000 (about $37,043) worth of clothes in less than 24 hours.
In comparison, Kate Middleton reportedly spent £119,000 (about $157,436) on her outfits throughout the entirety of 2017. According to the Daily Mail, if Markle “continues at her current rate, she could spend almost £1 million by the end of the year.” That’s $1,322,996 in U.S. dollars.
But, I mean, remember that custom Givenchy cream sheath dress she wore on an outing with the Queen in Chester (don’t forget the attached cape)?
PHOTO: Getty Images
Or that yellow Brandon Maxwell midi-dress she looked stunning in at a recent reception she attended in London?
PHOTO: Getty Images
Gorgeous. All of it.
Royals cannot accept gifts or loans, so you might be wondering about who’s paying for all of this. Now that Markle’s in the royal family, the wardrobe bill is taken care of by Prince Charles’ estate. Before the wedding, however, Markle was responsible for fronting the cost (even if items are called in by assistants from designers and are chosen, they’re still paid for in full). Lest we forget, there was Markle’s stunning Ralph & Russo ball gown that she wore in her engagement photos (it reportedly cost around $75,000).
The job titles of contestants onThe Bachelorand The Bachelorette is one of the franchise’s longest-running jokes. There are the usual suspects—real estate agent was especially popular during Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season—but it’s the more questionable careers that get people talking, like “twin” and “sport fishing enthusiast.” It’s a funny concept, to be sure, but the silliness distracts from something that’s rarely discussed on the show: A lot of men and women give up their jobs and financial security to be a part of this franchise. We wanted to know more, so we asked Bekah Martinez—a fan favorite and former nanny from Luyendyk Jr.’s season—to fill us in for Glamour‘s Money Issue.
The cost just kind of depends for each girl, on how and when they were cast. I think some people knew they were going to be on The Bachelor about a month in advance, but I didn’t know for sure until about 10 days before filming. So, that was kind of crazy because basically the only packing list you get is like, “OK, prepare for eight weeks and all kinds of weather.” They don’t want to give you any kind of hints about where you’ll be going, so they tell you to pack everything—bikinis, snow gear, just whatever you might possibly need.
And then, of course, there are the formal gowns. But even with that you’re not sure how many cocktail parties or rose ceremonies there will be, so I was watching back old seasons to try and calculate how many dresses I would need for however many possible weeks I might be on the show. I was also trying to figure out in my head the amount of casual outfits I’d need and what kind of possible weather we might be going through. It was frantic having less than two weeks to pack all of that, and I didn’t have a very extensive wardrobe at that point.
My biggest fear was, Where am I going to get all these dresses? When you think about it, between cocktail parties and rose ceremonies, if you’re going to be there for any amount of time, you’re going to need at least 10 dresses. I didn’t have really any at all. I was like, “This is going to cost me thousands of dollars if I buy all of these.” Knowing that there’s a potential to go on the show for two months and not make any money during that time—I’m not working, but I still have to pay rent and all my living expenses—there was no way I could spend a few grand on clothes.
My biggest fear was, Where am I going to get all these dresses?
So, I just kind of started making a plan of who I could borrow dresses from—that was my main concern. I had a friend who was a pageant girl, so I texted her to ask if she had any in my size. Everything else, I was able to borrow, like some snow gear from my mom. I have a couple of friends with swimwear companies here in Los Angeles, so they gave me some free suits. I asked a friend if I could borrow a variety of shorts and long-sleeve tops and sweaters. I got really lucky because the mom of the family I was nannying for at the time is in the fashion industry, so she sent me to a couple showrooms where I was able to get samples of different dresses to borrow for the show. I was able to borrow about 12 different dresses and a bunch of casual wear from some brands. After the show, I had to collect everything and bring it back to the showroom—they were their samples for models and photoshoots and stuff like that.
I also went to Nordstrom Rack, where I bought a couple of dresses, jewelry, and some formal shoes. Shoes were a thing: I needed a bunch of heels that I didn’t have. I probably spent about $700 or $800 on that stuff, but when I got back to Los Angeles I was so broke I returned everything that still had tags on.
PHOTO: Paul Hebert
I can image some of the girls who didn’t have the resources to borrow things from showrooms or friends probably spent a significant amount of money—at least a couple thousand, easily. You need a pretty extensive wardrobe. One of the girls brought literally five suitcases, even though you’re supposed to only bring two. One thing I didn’t think about going in is that when you have 15 women living together, you’re able to share stuff. Everyone’s super friendly about that—I’d be like, “Oh, I forgot a denim jacket. Does anyone have one?” Someone always did. That was really helpful.
Seinne and Lauren S. had the best wardrobes. Lauren S. had it all; she had a really good set of basics—every color in every style of short- and long-sleeve shirts. Sienne just had so many cute pieces and a really nice curated style. She had a bunch of adorable dresses and two-piece sets; everything she had was from, like, Free People and Anthropologie. I imagine she spent the most out of everyone because she had so much cute, brand new stuff.
Thankfully I’m a pretty good packer, so I was able to keep everything to two bags. In the six weeks that I was there, I was starting to get nervous that I was running out of stuff but I had enough by the time I left, in Italy. I had some faux furs that I wasn’t sure whether or not I’d use, but I ended up wearing them at least a couple of times a week. That’s something I don’t regret bringing.
For beauty products, I bought extras of everything I use. My hair doesn’t require much—I actually don’t wash my hair, like, at all. I haven’t washed my hair for eight or nine months; I just rinse it. So I didn’t really need any hair products. For makeup, I bought extra samples of foundation, sponges, mascara, and eyelashes—I like Ardell, which are about five bucks—just in case. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever have the chance to stop at a Sephora or not.
I haven’t washed my hair for eight or nine months; I just rinse it. So I didn’t really need any hair products.
I spent less than a thousand for everything, but I think that’s a pretty a typical experience. Well, I don’t actually really know—everyone kept their stuff in their bags for the most part because we were traveling every few days. There were some women who packed a lot. In fact, when we were leaving the mansion some girls optioned to ship an extra bag or two home because they’d have to pay for the extra bag fees on the planes. I think they could maybe get reimbursed if they kept their receipt, but it’s not like we had people to carry our luggage. So if you have five bags, that means you’re going to have to wheel them all onto the shuttle or the bus. It was a lot.
The show supplied little things, like face wash, face wipes, body lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. They had a lot of basics on hand whenever we needed them. If we ever needed to buy extras of things—I ran out of eyelashes, for instance—producers would let us use their phones to order stuff on Amazon and have it shipped to our next location. A lot of girls did that. I also bought a $50 jacket, and when I found out we were going to Florida I ordered a couple of swimsuits online that were about $20 each.
Food is also always provided by the show. And when we were at airports, production would buy us little things. It was kind of funny, like asking a mom or dad. You’d be like, “Can I get this magazine? Can I get these pistachios for the plane?” They’d pretty much always buy us things like that. Everything was taken care of, unless we wanted to order clothes.
PHOTO: Craig Sjodin
But spending money was a little scary because I basically quit my nanny job to go on the show. The baby that I was watching was transitioning into daycare at the time anyway, so it lined up. I was like, Well, I’m sure I’ll find one right when I get back. I’ve been nannying for the past five years, and whenever I moved to a new place I was always able to find a new job easily. But I didn’t realize how difficult it would be coming back. I had six weeks of not working, and then on top of that I didn’t get paid at all for being on the show. Plus, I took out expenses in preparation and then had to pay rent and bills while I was gone. I was definitely pretty broke when I got home.
Figuring out my rent and bills before I left was pretty difficult. I paid one of my monthly rents in advance, and then I gave my roommate the check to deposit if the second month came around and I wasn’t back. I gave my email passwords and my landlord’s number to my mom and had everything directed back to her. But it’s pretty crazy to have your phone off for that amount of time and not have access to your email. You have to be like, Welp, I hope everything’s taken care of! I was thankful I didn’t have, you know, a big girl job like some of the others. I can’t imagine being an accountant or a real estate agent and leaving for two months. It’s crazy.
Still, being on The Bachelor was one-hundred percent worth it. It gets you a lot of exposure, and it’s no secret that a lot of the women are able to support themselves after the show through social media advertising. I’m very lucky that I’ve had a lot of different opportunities come my way, through appearances and sponsored social media posts. And The Bachelor was really just a wonderful experience overall, so I’d certainly do it all over again.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
