Wait, a finale without sequins? It really will be the most dramatic rose ceremony ever.
While we're not sure how Tayshia Adams' journey to find love will end as her unprecedented season of The Bachelorette comes to a close tonight—especially after the emotional roller-coaster ride that was her fantasy suite episode—there is one thing we are ready to proclaim about our current lead: Best. Dressed. Bachelorette. Ever.
And the man behind the seams is the franchise's longtime stylist Cary Fetman, who dressed, not one, but two Bachelorettes in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.
And just like the rest of Bachelor Nation, Fetman was shocked when he learned Tayshia would be coming in to replace Clare Crawley less than two weeks into production. Usually, the veteran costumer would have weeks to prep and plan the lead's wardrobe, including several days of fittings. However, with a casting shakeup and COVID-19 protocol in place, season 16 proved to be one of Fetman's biggest professional challenges ever.
"The process was that I had met Tayshia before, from other seasons, and I literally just needed clothes and if it was actually going to down," Fetman explained to E! News. "Fortunately, I had gotten kind of a warning probably around the same time as Tayshia. But that warning of, like, 'Hey, don't do anything yet, but just a heads up if Clare stays on this course we might need to bring somebody in to share the season with her.'"
Unable to go out shopping and lacking the luxury of taking his time, Fetman said, "I literally locked myself in my room with a computer. That was my whole process. It was trying to find clothes that were in the middle of the summer in 120 degrees that could possibly work."
And yet the rushed nature and unexpected assortment of gowns Tayshia has worn throughout the season—olive for her debut, a white romper with a bridal skirt for a casual rose ceremony, muted baby blue for her finale and, oh, did we mention all of those sky-high slits?—has delivered our most fashionable lead ever.
"Probably this is why people liked this season more," Fetman theorized, "besides the fact that she has seven-foot legs that come up to my chin! Tayshia just has a style, she knows how to carry the clothes."
Whether it was a sequined gown from the franchise's go-to designer Randi Rahm or a pair of shorts and a crop top, Tayshia, 30, owned whatever she was wearing, beginning with the beaded backless stunner she wore for her jaw-dropping limo arrival. To quote one of her suitors, "Couldn't be better."
But Fetman revealed to E! News that another dress was this close to being selected for her grand entrance. Plus, he broke down some of Tayshia's other major style moments, weighed in on Brendan Morais' headline-making love for turtlenecks and gave a tease for what to expect from Matt James' fashion game as the Bachelor...
The Bachelorette finale airs Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. on ABC.