15 Pictures Of Real Housewife Erika Jane Before Fame

You may have heard of Erika Jayne recently thanks to all the claims buzzing around on just how much it costs to be a blonde bombshell. She spilled all about her lifestyle to InTouch and revealed that she's dropping around $40,000 a month on just clothes, shoes, accessories. The reality television star also released a single called “XXpen$ive,” just in case you weren't sure about whether or not she's dropping tons of cash on a regular basis.

She raised a few eyebrows when she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills because of just how over the top she was - even for a housewife. She's married to Thomas Girardi, a partner at a law firm who is over 30 years her senior. While she's released a few cringe-worthy dance club songs in the past, and snagged small roles on movies or television shows, let's be honest - the reason she's living the lifestyle she is is because she caught her husband's eyes when she was an aspiring singer/actress waiting tables. Now, she just dabbles in whatever facets of the entertainment industry without really needing to worry about making it big, since the bills (and her shopping sprees) are covered.

So, if you've been wondering about where on earth this woman came from, and what her evolution has been like, check out these 15 pictures of Erika Jayne before fame.

15 Have Your Cake

Let's face it - most of The Real Housewives are probably on strict diets. They may not be too forthright about them, but in order to keep up with their co-stars, they can't exactly be scarfing down cake and pizza every night of the week. In fact, based on all the alcohol-fuelled drama on various seasons of the show, we'd venture that a lot of their daily calories are reserved for wine and champs. However, in this picture of Erika Jayne celebrating a birthday, we see a more innocent time when she was all about that homemade chocolate cake. Nowadays, she would probably have an over-the-top, seven-tiered work of art commissioned for a massive party. Back then, she just wanted a few candles and cute figurines. This shot proves that, unlike some of the housewives who came from money, Erika Jayne had humble beginnings.

14 Golf Bunny

When it comes to athletic pursuits, most of the Real Housewives have a fairly limited range of what they like to do. They'll sweat it out and tone their physique at pilates classes or trendy fitness classes at local boutique gyms, but you probably wouldn't catch them dead out playing sports. That is, except for golf. Golf has a certain association with luxurious lifestyles and high-powered business (those rounds on the course don't come cheap!), so it makes sense that some of the Real Housewives would dabble in that sphere. However, we're not sure if Erika Jayne has actually gone a few rounds on a golf course, or if she's just using the club here as a photo prop for her sexy shot. I mean, heels would definitely not be allowed on a maintained golf course.

13 Working Girl

Okay, we have to admit - with the v-neck sweater, white collared shirt, and tweed blazer, Erika Jayne kind of looks like she's playing the part of a businesswoman in a television production. You know, a businesswoman who knows how to have fun, though - that's why she's rocking the sunglasses and big gold hoops. You can see a photographer reflected in her sunglasses, so clearly this was some type of modelling shot from her earlier days. While she's definitely gorgeous, and her green eyes are totally piercing, the whole set-up seems pretty cheesy and posed. We're not sure if these were shots she just had taken for herself, or whether she was actually working for some kind of client here, but either way - she's definitely learnt better poses since this was taken.

12 Rocker Barbie

Okay, we're not even sure what to say about this photo. There are modelling shots that totally transcend time - you can see certain photo spreads with supermodels like Twiggy and Cindy Crawford that still look gorgeous decades later. And then, you see shots like this. We're not sure who thought to bring in the weird red chair that looks like it belongs in a waiting room. We're not sure where they found the giant 'Barbie' name necklace. We're not sure whose heinous pants those are, with the snakeskin/leopard skin cut-outs on the calves. It's just all a mess. It's clear they were going for a bit of a 'bad girl' vibe in this set-up, but it just looks plain bad. Hopefully that Barbie necklace never saw the light of day again.

11 Pretty in Pink (Rhinestones)

Erika Jayne is clearly not the type of woman to do things halfway, or to shy away from making a style statement. She has absolutely no qualms with walking into a room and causing everyone's heads to turn - as this outfit demonstrates. We're not sure where she managed to snag a gun with pink rhinestones on it. We're not sure where she found the bizarre bright pink bodysuit with rhinestones studded along it. We're not sure why you'd ever want fishnets with rhinestones on them - it just seems massively uncomfortable. This is one of those outfits where you just have to ask where she was going, and what on earth everyone's reactions were when she got there. I mean, at least she committed to the concept - that's a lot more rhinestones than most people would ever want to wear.

10 All About Accessories

Many have joked before that Erika Jayne looks a bit like a Barbie doll, with her blonde locks, slightly exaggerated features, and glamorous style. However, this picture takes that association to a whole new level. We're not sure whether she was planning to ever wear full-length formal gloves with her name painted on them to an actual event (we wouldn't be too surprised, in all honesty) or whether she was just having fun playing dress-up, but either way, this is a bizarre set-up. Why the gloves and a simple blank tank? Why the gloves at all? It literally looks like some kind of special edition Barbie who went to the ball but then hung around at home in her closet afterwards with her ruined gloves, staring at herself in the mirror, contemplating what went wrong with the evening. And that's just not a good look.

9 Always A Diva

Many Housewives have spilled that they actually grew up as tomboys, and just found a love of fashion and make-up and glamour later in life. However, we don't think Erika Jayne falls into that camp. The Beverly Hills cast member obviously has always loved an over-the-top costume, as this picture of her from her dancing days proves. Her nervous smile is absolutely adorable, and we have to admit, the sassy little hand pose is too cute for words. The picture proves she's always had a passion for dance, and enjoyed performing. And, while the costume may look a little bit ridiculous now, let's be honest - if you remove the hat from the equation, we could actually see Erika Jayne wearing some version of this (scandalously short, obviously) now. I mean, frills, gold, and over-the-top vibe? Totally her.

8 Glamorous Grad

Erika Jayne may not have ever walked the halls of an Ivy league institution learning about neuroscience and particle physics, but she was once a blonde high school senior getting ready to graduate. And even then, she knew how to coordinate - if her graduation cap was white, you know she was going to find a white summer dress to wear when those hideous robes were removed. In this shot, with the sunglasses and oversized earrings and overall attitude, she kind of looks like what we imagine Elle Woods would have looked like on her high school graduation day. Fans of the series have always begged for more additions to the Legally Blonde franchise, and if Reese ever grows tired of playing the character, maybe they can use this as inspiration and cast some blonde starlet as a young Elle Woods.

7 Gone Fishing

Okay, this looks like an entirely different person than the Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame that we've all grown used to seeing. If you imagined what Erika Jayne looked like on a fishing trip, chances are you'd assume she was rocking a rhinestone-bedazzled fishing rod and wearing all pink camo or something like that. While that's how she might look if she went now, back in the day, it seems that she was content to look like every other person out on the water trying to hook the catch of the day. The oversized gear shows she was dressing for function rather than fashion, and it seems to have paid off - that's a pretty big fish she caught! We have to admit, outdoorsy wouldn't be the first word we used to describe Erika Jayne, so it's kind of cool to see a different side of her.

6 Killing It in a Kimono

Given how young her face looks, we'd bet Erika Jayne is in her teens or early 20s here, and despite the fact that she's rocking oh-so-retro hair and virtually no make-up, she looks totally gorgeous (and totally adorable). Of course, we're not sure what occasion required that she rock a kimono, but we have to admit, the delicate pattern and pink palette are very her. She looks like a radiant, fresh-faced young woman just having a good time playing dress-up for some type of occasion, and we kind of love it - it's a refreshing change of pace from many of her overly made up, cheesily posed modelling shots. Perhaps she'll take inspiration from this old photo and decide to throw a costumed party for all her cast mates - with lots and lots of sake, obviously. I mean, why not get inspired by your own archived shots?

5 Short Hair, Don't Care

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Erika Jayne, she surprises you. We have to admit - we kind of assumed that the blonde bombshell always, always rocked long hair. After all, there really aren't many Real Housewives who opt for a shorter 'do, and her whole vibe makes it seem like she's been rocking extensions far before she became famous. However, that's not the case - this shot shows a younger Erika Jayne rocking a super cute pixie cut, very, very minimal make-up, and a chic, simple black top. Honestly, it's a great change of pace from her usual style and we kind of hope she returns to this vibe - it's way more fashion-forward and chic than her current style. She looks totally gorgeous in this shot, and should maybe take it in to her stylist as reference for her next haircut - if she has the guts to chop it all off again!

4 Young and In Love

Many assume that since Erika Jayne married her second husband when she was a struggling waitress and he was a successful lawyer, and since he's over 30 years her senior she must just be with him for his money. However, the two got married in 1999 and are still going strong - and nearly 20 years of marriage is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Whether you're a skeptic or a hopeless romantic, you have to admit that this photo of a younger Erika Jayne and her hubby is kind of adorable. It also proves that she hasn't always been such a big spender - we're betting she wasn't spending $40K on clothes and accessories at this time of her life, as she looks so fresh-faced and casual. Then again, who knows - perhaps she just hadn't found out how to live the luxe Los Angeles life yet.

3 Oh So Retro

The problem with keeping up with the latest fashion trends is that older photos of you probably look super dated. In certain older shots, like when she was rocking the black top with simple, clean lines, you may not have known when the photo was taken. In this shot, however, you can definitely tell it's Erika Jayne in the '80s or '90s by that hair alone. Although, frankly, we'd still rock those sunglasses today. This photo just proves how gorgeous the Housewife can be when she's rocking a more natural look - while make-up can definitely work to enhance your features, sometimes, when you're blessed with good genes, less is more. We'd rather this hairstyle never return, but honestly, the rest of the outfit has a casual vibe that we're totally loving - it's definitely a bit more appealing than a rhinestone-embellished outfit.

2 Razzle Dazzle

It seems that Erika Jayne's involvement with the world of dance came at an early age. The Housewife was obviously enrolled in dance classes of all kinds throughout her childhood, and that privilege comes along with all kinds of costumes that are kind of hilarious to look back on. We're not sure who designed these leotards with fringe all around them, but they're ridiculous in the best possible way. However, no costume could ever slow Erika Jayne down - the reality television star is front and center, arms wide, huge smile, putting on a total show for the audience. I mean, no wonder she ended up in the reality television world - she obviously loves being at center stage! Thankfully, though, the outfits have gotten a lot better, with a lot less fringe to worry about.

1 Baby's First Bikini

When you look back at some of Erika Jayne's childhood photos, you an kind of see hints at her eventual style evolution and transformation into the over-the-top bombshell that she is today. I mean, just look at this adorable red bikini. The girl is posing up a storm, with her hair delicately flipped, and though she's on some type of armchair in a home, she may as well be posing for a photo shoot somewhere. She's totally working the camera and looking insanely adorable. We could imagine Erika Jayne rocking a very similar bikini today (although in a slightly bigger size, obviously), which proves that fashion really does always come full circle. While there are certain pictures from pre-fame that she might want hidden, this one is an adorable one that she'd probably love to share with fans.