Farmer Wants A Wife might be known for romance rather than runway moments, but it turns out there’s more thought put into contestants’ wardrobes than viewers might realise.
Sophie Trethowan, who found love with Farmer Dustin Manwaring on the 2024 season, has revealed what really goes on behind the scenes, including surprising rules around what the women can and can’t wear and the double standard that sees the farmers treated differently.
The finale dress rule viewers didn’t see
Speaking with WHO, Sophie shared, “There were certain colours, I think black, and patterns of clothing that were off limits,” adding that the women also couldn’t wear “anything branded for obvious reasons”.
In a surprising twist, she and the other women had absolutely no budget to put together their looks—not even for the finale
“I had to supply absolutely everything I wore except for the dress at the black tie ball we had in Sydney,” Sophie told us. “We got to hire a dress that night however they pre-picked three dresses for us all and I hated all three they had picked for me!”
Sophie ended up wearing a gorgeous gown for the event that she “frantically searched” for beforehand.
“Packing for the show was actually one of the hardest things because you don’t know how long you will be away for!” she revealed. “They did give you a list of outfits and things to pack, but I still found this very difficult.
“Many of us girls did online shopping orders while we were on the show, as we ran out of things to wear or didn’t pack enough fancier clothes for events.
“The dress I wore for my finale, I bought online while we were filming.”
he strict dress code… and the rule Sophie broke
Sophie also shared that she had some looks rejected by production.
“We had to pre-send a photo of all our outfits to be approved before our filming day,” she told us. “I had my initial outfit rejected for the first speed dates and an outfit rejected for my first 24-hour date. Once your outfit is approved, you are not meant to change what you are wearing for the event either.”
However, she did “break the rule” once, though.
“We were around Sydney the day before filming our country ball event,” she says. “I found the most beautiful green dress to wear. I managed to get away with wearing it, however, it was a very last-minute approval.”
Why the male farmers get treated differently
While Sophie dispelled the misconception that the girls get their hair and makeup done and that they are supplied with outfits for filming, she also blew our minds by telling us that the opposite is true for the farmers.
“On Farmer Wants A Wife, you do all this yourself,” she quips. “The farmers get clothing supplied, styled, and their hair done; however us girls have to do it all ourselves!”
She added that there was a makeup artist on set who would advise them on which foundation to wear, but otherwise they had to do it all.
“Dustin thought it was great he got regular haircuts and still has a wardrobe full of green shirts,” she laughed.
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