Who Is The Bachelor's Chelsea Vaughn?
On Monday, January 4, season 25 of The Bachelor kicked off on ABC (per IMDb). It's a big season for the beloved dating competition series as it features Matt James, the first Black Bachelor.
The 28-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur, and community organization founder was first introduced to the world on this season of the show. Previous Bachelors had been plucked from the lineups of previous seasons of The Bachelorette, and technically, James is no exception. He was slated to be a contestant in Claire Crawley's season, Marie Claire explains, but his star potential shot him ahead of the rest and landed him his own chance at love.
Along with James, we're getting to know the 32 women vying for his heart. Among them was Chelsea Vaughn, a 28-year-old with a fascinating life story. Vaughn's ABC bio reveals she was slaying in corporate America before leaving it all behind to pursue modeling. She works the runway just as hard, and has enjoyed success as a model ever since.
Vaughn has only been in one relationship her entire life
Chelsea Vaughn also revealed that she's been in one relationship in her life. About 1 ½ years ago, she walked away from a five-year relationship that no longer served her, per ABC. Vaughn's taken her time to be single and have fun. She's hoping Matt James has everything she's looking for in a man.
And what is it that she's looking for? Vaughn wants viewers to know she's looking for a vulnerable man. She wants the kind of man who doesn't think twice about going the extra mile for the people he loves. Communication skills are a must, and there's sure to be a story there that's unveiled later in the season. James certainly seemed impressed by Chelsea Vaughn's first impression, as were thousands of viewers who noticed one thing in particular. In fact, it's one of the biggest talking points of the episode.
Fans couldn't get enough of Vaughn's dress
Matt James couldn't take his eyes off of Chelsea Vaughn when she popped out of the limo. Her dress caught his attention, and he said as much as she walked away. "Wow," he remarked. "She is wearing that dress." Twitter was immediately abuzz with people dying to know everything about the dress. "Best dressed in bachelor history. Can't convince me otherwise. #TheBachelor," one Twitter user remarked, earning over 4,000 likes from fashionistas who agreed.
The dress is called The Emilia Gown. It's from designer A'kai Littlejohn, an 18-year-old CFFA Emerging Designer of the Year recipient who was also a contestant on Project Runway Junior's second season, per IMDb. Refinery29 revealed the gown is from Littlejohn's spring '21 collection, titled The Breakwater Collection. The exact dress won't be available to shop for another year, but there are similar designs that may pique your interest, and for under $1,000.