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Rachel Bloom: There's a cost to being a star bigger than a size 2 on red carpet

That priceless moment of being an actress on a red carpet? It costs a lot more than you think, says "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" star Rachel Bloom.
/ Source: TODAY

That priceless moment of walking down the red carpet as an actress? It turns out it costs a lot more than you may think — especially if you're larger than a size 2.

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" co-creator and star Rachel Bloom has had to buy her own dresses, shoes and accessories to look the part, and she broke down the economics for Wealthsimple.

Rachel Bloom
Rachel Bloom at the Golden Globes in JanuaryFrazer Harrison / Getty Images

"A lot of fashion houses are reluctant to lend clothes that aren't in the sample sizes of 0 and 2, so it's getting harder and harder for me to find clothes without buying them," Bloom told the financial magazine. "That's the whole problem with the fashion industry: My body size is literally normal and healthy, but when you put me next to a model, I look obese.

"Your typical nice designer dresses, at least the kind of stuff that I wear for events, can range from $500 to $3,000, and you want to wear a different outfit for every event because it's a whole red carpet thing," she explained, crediting writing partner Aline Brosh McKenna for turning her on to tasteful designer dresses and shoes.

Rachel Bloom
Bloom at the Tony Awards in June. "My body size is literally normal and healthy, but when you put me next to a model, I look obese," she said of her red carpet dressing woes. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Even though Bloom earns an $50,000 or more an episode of her popular CW comedy before taxes, the expenses add up quickly.

There is 10 percent for her agent, 10 percent for her manager, 5 percent for her entertainment lawyer, plus thousands more for a publicist — all part of the cost of doing business in show business.

The studios cover the costs of makeup and hair for the big events, but there are other "gigs" that come out of her pocket, averaging about $800 a pop, she says.

But fortunately for the 30-year-old actress, she's at a cresting stage of her career where there are regular nominations that require trips to the Emmys and Golden Globes.

That adds up to a stocked closet: "I guess it’s all part of the job," said Bloom, "I guess if everything changes, I can always resell them."