The Bachelorette Jillian Harris’ Style Sparks Sales

Article from the Vancouver Sun, June 16, 2009

Fashion-conscious fans love Jillian Harris’s picks! 

Vancouver star of The Bachelorette sports a look that seems effortlessly put together in a practical but feminine way

 By Chantal Eustace, VANCOUVER SUN

Jillian Harris is as open about her closet as she is about her love life, broadcast Mondays on The Bachelorette.

“I love to mix and match,” she told The Vancouver Sun, when asked about her fashion sense.

The single Vancouverite says that in addition to Aritzia — where she sourced most of her wardrobe for Monday’s Whistler episode — she likes brands like Billabong, Superstore’s Joe Fresh line, RW&Co., Alice + Olivia and tailored vintage pieces.

“I really love a style that has a fashion-forward approach . . .,” says Harris.

The result of her tastes, and no doubt a helpful stylist, is a look that seems effortlessly put together in a practical but feminine way.

For instance, filming in chilly Whistler, she favoured snuggly clothing with a rugged flair, but managed to keep things trendy.

“I [wore] a lot of leggings. A lot of plaid button-ups, a lot of hoodies,” she says, adding she also wore Ugg boots and warm jackets.

Harris says that in her daily life, she likes to mix up proportions — if something is tight on the bottom, she’ll pair it with something loose on top, and vice versa. The petite brunette can also work a more glamourous look with bold accessories, including bangles by Stella & Dot.

“She was introduced to the vintage, modern line through a friend, and she’s been a fan ever since,” says local Stella & Dot stylist Tanis Tsisserev.

Harris has worn something from the brand in almost every episode so far, Tsisserev says, including a pair of $59 earrings on her Vancouver date with California cutie Kiptyn.

“The reaction has been phenomenal,” says Tsisserev, of the Harris effect. She calls it ‘Bachelorette fever.’”

Aritzia spokeswoman Zora Huculak echoes this fact, pointing out that fashion-conscious fans in both Canada and the U.S. love Harris’s picks.

After the bachelorette flirted in Aritzia’s Vancouver 2010 Olympic hoodie during a curling segment, demand for the sporty item spiked.

“It was a top-selling item over the weekend with sales coming in from all over North America, including New York, Chicago and San Diego,” Huculak says of the limited-edition item.

So it seems we’re not the only ones more concerned about what the plucky singleton will be wearing than who will be eliminated next.

Now if only Harris could pick men the way she can pick an outfit.