The hair, the curves, the rhinestones … Dolly Parton. Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Across six decades, the late country singer and pop culture icon turned self‑presentation into a flamboyant art form
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Dolly Parton may have had a record 25 US country No 1 singles, released 66 studio albums and earned six Golden Globe nominations, among many other achievements, but the Tennessee-born star also had an incredible number of fashion moments. “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap”, she famously quipped when asked about her style. As we bid her farewell, six Guardian writers reflect on their favourite Dolly looks.
‘About as far from the Glastonbury aesthetic as it is possible to get’
Bejewelled … Glastonbury, 2014. Photograph: Alamy/PA
Head-to-toe white rhinestones, long red fingernails strumming a matching white bejewelled guitar. Teased platinum wig, blue eyeshadow. About as far from the Glastonbury aesthetic as it is possible to get, but on that Sunday afternoon in 2014, a 180,000 strong crowd fell in love with Dolly. Her charm, her wit, her voice, and just the pure ballsy goodness of her. In her own words: “Don’t judge me by the cover, ’cause I’m a real good book.” Amen. Jess Cartner-Morley, associate editor (fashion)
‘She proved the best way to live is in a look you love’
Rock’n’roll … with Miley Cyrus, 2022. Photograph: NBC/Vijat Mohindra/Getty Images
While Parton wore a plethora of looks, sometimes up to 10 a day, you always knew what you were going to get. For over 60 years she held firm to her signature style – a silhouette that emphasised her tiny waist, along with high heels, higher hair and a heavy sprinkling of sparkle. In today’s world of image architects and constant reinvention, her continuity felt even more refreshing.
Speaking to Vogue in 2023, Steve Summers, Parton’s longtime stylist and creative director said: “Designing for Dolly is great, because there are so many [Dollys].” “I’ve got the philanthropist, the singer, the actress, the theme-park owner. The canvas is always very broad.” Here we have godmother Dolly, at the age of 76, performing with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus in 2022. And her look perfectly captures her attitude to style, as well as her outlook on life. Belting out I love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Parton didn’t have time to entertain any boring discourse about age-appropriate style. She was too busy living. And as Parton proved, the best way to live is in a look you love. Chloe Mac Donnell, deputy fashion and lifestyle editor
‘It’s almost meta’
Not dumb … the grand opening of Dolly Parton’s Trinkets and Treasures in 2010. Photograph: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Among Dolly Parton’s greatest quotes, the most iconic must surely be “I’m not offended by dumb-blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb … and I also know I’m not blonde.” So much has been said about Parton as an artist who took her craft seriously but not herself, and this rhinestone-embellished, yellow “dumb blonde” top is emblematic of that. It’s almost meta. Every bit of her aesthetic, modelled after a bold, flamboyant and glamorous woman in her local Tennessee who was derided as the “town tramp”, was intentional. Art not artifice. A paean to women who wouldn’t make themselves smaller, who would not only wear society’s prejudices but throw them back with a lip-glossed kiss. Jason Okundaye, assistant opinion editor
‘Formed the blueprint for everything I thought was glamorous’
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Red carpet done right … New York in 1989. Photograph: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
I first watched Steel Magnolias aged 7 and Dolly’s glamorous style was instantly seared into my brain. It is still my favourite film (I’ve always loved a tearjerker) and Truvy’s rose pink nails and blonde puffball permed hair made their way from the big screen to the red carpet for the film’s New York premiere in 1989, alongside a healthy dose of crystals and décolletage. It formed the blueprint for everything I thought was glamorous. Melanie Wilkinson, styling editor
‘Her authenticity was almost medicinal’
A little bit country … posing with her tour bus, 1977. Photograph: Donaldson Collection/Getty Images
Not to miss the point about Dolly – it was all about the rhinestones, the teetering heels and the long red fingernails. But the point was also that, whether in a milky way’s worth of sparkles or a pair of jeans and a knotted shirt, it seemed she couldn’t help being authentically herself. Her looks, though often flammable, never felt artificial, and she wore them like a second skin. In a world of algorithmic, Pinterest-board taste, where it can be hard to tell whether your style is even your own, there’s something almost medicinal in that. Ellie Violet Bramley
‘Each rhinestone became a diamond under her touch’
Radiating joy … Los Angeles, 1978. Photograph: Harry Langdon/Getty Images
My favourite Dolly Parton look is every Dolly Parton look – each rhinestone became a diamond under her touch. The day I met her, we were both wearing matching shades of purple (further evidence that she’s my higher power). But I especially loved this 1978 canary yellow dress and bubble wig. This is how I’ll imagine Dolly now that she’s left us; orbiting the cosmos radiating joy. Joe Stone, lifestyle editor, Saturday Magazine
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