The women of 'The Golden Bachelor' are proof that antiquated fashion norms for older women have changed, according to designer Randi Rahm
- The designer Randi Rahm has worked with "The Bachelor" franchise for 20 years.
- The two final contestants will wear her designs during the finale of "The Golden Bachelor."
Randi Rahm gowns are a staple of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette," especially during premieres and finales when many women wear them to either meet their contestants or to accept a proposal from their final suitor — and "The Golden Bachelor" is no different.
When speaking with Insider ahead of Thursday night's premiere, Rahm, who has been involved with the franchise for 20 years, said the bachelor Gerry Turner's final two women, who are set to be revealed later in the season, wear her designs during the final-rose ceremony.
Turner is 71, and the ages of his contestants range from 60 to 75 years old. Rahm said she believed the contestants were pushing back against "ageist" and antiquated rules about what women of a certain age should be wearing.
"When you look at women today, they're so in shape, and they so ... look great," she said of older women. "There's a confidence now."
She added that fashion rules like not showing your arms after turning 35, having long hair, or not wearing clothes with décolletage were all over.
As recently as 2007, outlets such as The Wall Street Journal were still debating if older women could go sleeveless. But in the last few years, women have been pushing back against these unwritten rules; for example, the TikTok user lifeinmy70s called out commenters for trying to tell her what she could and couldn't wear.
"That's so not true anymore," Rahm said.
While Rahm didn't design any of the women's gowns on the first night, you can see what she meant. For the premiere, some of the women opted for dresses with spaghetti straps, classic tank-top straps, or strapless gowns. Other dresses had slits or were mid-thigh-length.
"You're just watching people who have aged, who are probably even more seasoned and able to pick a mate. Because they've gone through so much, they know so much," Rahm said, adding that it was the same for building confidence in their fashion.
Rahm has one big tip for "women of a certain age" who are looking to up their game, but she said it's the same for anyone, no matter their age.
"Know who you are, know what makes you feel good when you look in the mirror, and know what makes you feel bad when you look in the mirror and avoid those things," she said. "It doesn't matter whether you're 26 or you're 72."
Of the finale dresses, Rahm says that while they're different, neither are "old."
One dress is "very Grace Kelly and very understated elegance, and the color is so spectacular," while the other is "extremely sleek, but extremely sexy and sparkly."
"The Golden Bachelor" airs Thursdays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.