Who Really Pays For The Selling Sunset Cast's Excessive Glam?

Summary

Netflix only covers glam for confessionals, but the day-to-day looks come out of the realtors' own pockets.
The Selling Sunset cast spends thousands on outfits and often borrows to keep up appearances.
Wearing certain brands on the show can attract attention, and cast members prioritize looking their best for multiple looks per week.

The glamorous realtors of Selling Sunset are as known for their stunning looks as the million-dollar properties they sell to the rich and famous.

But the extravagant looks and fashion worn by the cast come out of their own pockets. While Netflix covers some of the costs connected to the interviews and talking heads, the day-to-day looks worn by the realtors, which have included Christine Quinn, Chrishell Stause and Heather Rae El Moussa, come out of their budget.

Chelsea Lazkani revealed on TikTok that the cast foot the bill of looking so good on the streaming reality show. "On Selling Sunset, we definitely turn it up for y'all ... so we get glam to film, for the most part, every single time, and it is out of our own pockets."

“Selling Sunset wouldn’t be Selling Sunset if we were coming in our workout clothes and sweatpants,” Emma Hernan told Variety. “Although I love some workout clothes and sweatpants—it is fun to get glammed up.”

Why Netflix Doesn't Pay For Cast Of Selling Sunset's Hair, Makeup And Wardrobe

Selling Sunset creator Adam DiVello explained that Netflix only pays for the glam and clothing worn in the confessionals. "The only days that we provide glam are on interview days, where they sit on the sofa and talk to the camera," he told Variety, "but the rest of the time, that's all them." He claims this is less a money-saving decision and more connected to putting the reality back into reality TV.

"I made that decision really early on, in their day-to-day, that we're not providing anything. Because how you dress, and what you wear, and the bag you carry and the shoes you wear, that's all a representation of you."

"That's your personal style, and I didn't want to mess with that."

While the production doesn't pay for all the fashion on the show, it does give direction for the occasion. It avoids being too strict, “so everyone develops their own style of how they want to dress for the show."

Why The Cast Of Selling Sunset Have Been Criticized Over Their Work Appearances

Selling Sunset fans went wild watching recent seasons of the Netflix show over the "insane" outfits worn by the real estate agents for work. From their sky-high heels to tiny miniskirts and plunging necklines, the cast was criticized for their inappropriate professional attire.

In the first season, the realtors were fashionable but a little more modestly dressed in their pencil dresses and blazers. As the seasons evolved, the cast appeared to compete for who could wear the skimpiest, most revealing look whilst showing the rich and famous huge Californian mansions.

A stylist, Sammie M, who works with the cast, admits they use their over-the-top personal styling on the show to boost their personal brand: “Basically, all the girls are out for themselves, and they’re just trying to step it up..."

"Because now, the way social media is, you have to step it up.”

“It’s becoming a show where everybody watches the clothes, pretty much. Some people now, instead of watching for the houses, they’re watching for the fashion.”

Christine Quinn, who calls her personal style "stripper chic dominatrix Barbie," admitted she used to dress more formally for work in the hopes of being taken seriously as a real estate agent but realized it actually hindered her career.

"But I learned that it didn't matter what I wore. People didn't care... They wanted to work with me for who I was. Then I realized I didn't really have to dress like that anymore, and I started being myself a little bit more. That's when I was actually more successful, is when I was just dressing myself and being myself."

Serving looks on Selling Sunset helped boost Christine Quinn's profile in the fashion industry. She appeared in the Diesel FW24 Campaign and walked at Paris Fashion Week for Balenciaga.

Where Does The Selling Sunset Cast Get Their Clothes, And How Much Does It Cost?

The cast of Selling Sunset works with professional stylists and glam to ensure they look flawless on the Netflix reality show.

Sammie M explained just how much thought and money goes into looking good for the cast of Selling Sunset. "I’m not going to name names, but some girls will pay between $5,000 to $10,000 for a custom-made outfit. Sometimes more. But we’re in Hollywood, and there’s a lot of access to rentals.”

Bre Tiesi revealed that the more outlandish outfits worn by her and her co-stars are borrowed from showrooms and returned rather than purchased. “The outlandish type of stuff is usually not [purchased],” Tiesi says. “I can't speak for all of us, but I know for me, they're usually a pull.”

“Some girls do buy stuff," she added. "Some of the stuff works out amazingly, and you love it and keep it, or they're staple pieces."

“Normally I go on Instagram and look for up-and-coming brands. My wardrobe will be up-and-coming people or pulled from a showroom or borrowed from the showrooms. ... We usually use a variety of avenues because we are doing multiple looks a week, sometimes multiple a day. So if that's the case, you're going through hundreds of outfits [for the season]. And most of that doesn't even make it.”

The stylist also revealed that wearing a certain brand on the show can help the reality star get noticed. "I put Amanza in Ivy Park and Adidas reached out asking to send me more stuff for the show," Sammie revealed.

Former cast member Christine Quinn admitted that in the early seasons of the reality show, she did her own makeup unless it was for an interview. When she did hire a glam squad, she spent up to a thousand dollars a day on it. "When it comes to the show, I don’t do my own hair. I do my own makeup because I love doing it. The full start to finish, including wardrobe, is around two and a half to three hours. My glam isn’t cheap, either—$1,000 a day, if I go all out. It’s expensive to look this cheap.”