‘Counting On’: Thrifty Jim Bob Duggar Can’t Believe Jinger Duggar Just Spent $300 on a Jacket
Has Jinger Duggar forgotten her family’s famously thrifty ways? It sure seems so. In the July 14 episode of Counting On, the 26-year-old mom and her big sister Jana Duggar enjoy a shopping trip in Beverly Hills. The boutique they visit is a far cry from the Arkansas thrift stores where the Duggar girls shopped when they were growing up.
Jinger Duggar falls in love with an expensive jacket
In the episode, Jana travels to California to spend some quality time with her little sister. The fashion-forward Jinger decides the two should go shopping on ritzy Rodeo Drive, where they stop in at Boulmiche. The trendy boutique might seem familiar to some viewers — it’s where Vivian (Julia Roberts) is famously snubbed by snobby shop girls in Pretty Woman, though the store has since moved to a different location.
Jinger and Jana oohed and aahed over the racks of clothes, though practical Jana was taken aback by the high prices. But Jinger quickly found a number of items she loved, including a plaid blazer. Though the jacket came with a $300 price tag, she felt it was worth it.
“This one just fit like it was tailored for me,” Jinger gushed to the saleswoman, who was a lot friendlier than the ones seen in Pretty Woman. “This is gonna make Jeremy so happy,” she added.
“The jacket may have been a little pricey, but I had been looking for a jacket like this for a long time. I knew it would be quality and last me for forever,” she added.
The rest of the Duggars react to Jinger’s big purchase
While Jinger felt the stylish blazer was a wardrobe must-have, some of her family members were shocked by her purchase.
Mom Michelle Duggar — who coined the family’s motto “buy used and save the difference” — reacted with one word: “Whoa.”
“I’ve never spent $300 on one clothing item,” her dad Jim Bob said. “It must be one nice jacket.”
Jana didn’t end up buying anything at the store, but she said she understood why Jinger decided to splurge. “I think if you’re going to wear it every day and you’re going to have it for years to come, then it’s probably worth it,” she said.
The Duggars’ style has evolved over the years
In the episode, Jinger and Jana also reflected on how their style has changed over the years. When the older girls were younger, the family shopped at thrift stores to save money or wore homemade clothes. Their outfits always adhered to the family’s modesty standards. But as Jana, Jinger, and the others have gotten older, they’ve embraced their own style.
“Looking back on our old photos and how we dressed, oh my word,” Jana says.
“We started out with the homemade prairie dresses,” Jinger adds. “We’ve been through it.”
The Duggar girls might have updated their look, but at least one hasn’t given up the cost-conscious habits she learned when she was young.
“I have branched out to buying a few new items here and there,” Jana says. “But it’s hard to because it’s a lot more expensive. I don’t really like playing much for clothes.”
Counting On airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on TLC.
