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(#7) Rachel Zane
- Suits
The Wardrobe: On Suits, Rachel Zane takes her office wardrobe seriously. Between the pencil skirts, the crisp button-downs, and the heels, Rachel dresses like Mad Men meets The Good Wife. But even though Rachel dresses like a high-powered New York attorney, she isn't - she's a paralegal due to her inability to score high enough on the LSAT.
The Income: The average salary of a paralegal working in New York City is $54,990. That lets you live in New York, but without much wiggle room. There's no way Rachel can afford all those cute Nina Ricci tops she wears. And even though Rachel's father, Robert Zane, is a wealthy high-powered attorney, Rachel chooses to live independently, keeping her familial relations a secret and refusing any help or handouts.
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(#1) Carrie Bradshaw
- Sex and the City, The Carrie Diaries
The Wardrobe: Carrie Bradshaw’s insanely fabulous wardrobe in Sex and the City is part of what makes her a pop culture icon. Nearly everything Carrie owns is designer, especially her shoes. She isn't shy about that fact, either - Carrie may talk about Manolo Blahnik more than she talks about Mr. Big.
The Income: With apologies for bursting the bubble, Carrie flat-out can't afford her lifestyle, even considering inflation and the economy. Carrie writes just one popular column per week. Sure, she starts looking for other avenues of income, but that isn't until late in Season 4. With a rent of $750 and her one-article-per-week job, it's unclear how much that leaves Carrie for shopping money. But however much she makes, she certainly can't afford to drop $40,000 on shoes.
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(#10) Jessica "Jess" Day
- New Girl
The Wardrobe: New Girl’s Jess doesn’t necessarily wear anything too outlandishly expensive. She's not known to rock Manolo Blahniks or Gucci gowns. However, Jess's funky, girly wardrobe still manages to stand out. Apparently, Jess owns a closet with so many bright dresses that she’s basically a living Disney princess. Those enviable frocks come from well-known brands like J. Crew, and when you consider the fact that she never repeats an outfit, you're looking at one pricey lifestyle.
The Income: If Jess were a lawyer or executive of some kind, her ability to buy a zillion beautiful dresses would be totally believable. However, Jess works in education. Considering the fact that a teacher in Los Angeles makes an average of $53,613, Jess's ability to wear a new dress every day is far-fetched.
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(#4) Rachel Green
- Friends
The Wardrobe: Rachel Green’s wardrobe is arguably the best on Friends. Rachel is chic, fashion-forward, and always put together. Since most of the show takes place in her apartment, fans see Rachel both dressed up and in her comfortable clothing, but either way she's always on point.
The Income: During the first few seasons, Rachel works as a waitress at Central Perk. It's insane to imagine that job pays enough for Rachel to cover even half the rent, let alone her clothes. Rachel eventually finds success in the fashion industry, but that's not until after she spends time working as a personal shopper and assistant. A more realistic show would have her wardrobe improve with her income, but then again, when is Friends ever incredibly realistic?
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(#3) Marnie Michaels
- Girls
The Wardrobe: The characters on Girls are all very different, right down to their wardrobes. Hannah’s clothing looks mostly like ill-fitting Forever 21 finds - so, affordable. Jessa’s bohemian look and Louis Vuitton luggage is less believable, though she seems like the type of girl who goes through life just being given things by people. Shoshana’s parents likely pay for her outfits. The one person who stands out is Marnie, who always looks put together. Even her sweatpants are Michael Kors.
The Income: When Marnie is introduced, she works as an art gallery assistant. Then she works as a restaurant hostess, which definitely would not pay enough for rent in Brooklyn, let alone new clothes. Then she's a barista, then a musician - though how much money she makes off that record deal is unclear. In the end, Marnie is jobless and viewers are left wondering how Marnie was ever able to afford that see-through dress she wore to Booth Jonathan’s party.
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(#11) Lorelai Gilmore
- Gilmore Girls
The Wardrobe: Lorelai Gilmore’s wardrobe is massive. There are her notorious cowgirl shorts, her punchy T-shirts, and all the winter clothing. And then there are the party clothes. Whenever there's a themed event - like the dance marathon or the Asian party - Lorelai wears a theme-perfect outfit. Shelling out money for an outfit you can only wear once can get pretty expensive. Also, Lorelai loves to rock a good Marc Jacobs bag, which can go for $1,000-plus. To their credit though, the Gilmore girls sometimes repeat pieces.
The Income: As an inn manager, Lorelai likely makes decent money. But Lorelai doesn't necessarily take advantage of Stars Hollow's low cost of living. She pretty much follows her impulses when it comes to spending. Having grown up in the decadent Gilmore household, maybe Lorelai simply doesn't understand what budgeting is.
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About This Tool
Have you noticed the wardrobes of some best-dressed TV characters? Are they a bit unrealistic? Have you ever wondered how they can afford these beautiful clothes and designer bags as waiters or homeless high school students? Let us see that even non-rich characters have wardrobes that only high-income people can afford. Logically speaking, they must not be able to afford such luxurious wardrobes in real life.
TV shows continue to present some unrealistic and unrealistic storylines to the audience, most of which are due to sponsors. The random tool lists 13 stylish TV characters who can't afford their wardrobes in real life.
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