More than a half century after first reaching the top of the country music charts, Dolly Parton remains a cultural phenomenon. Beyond her beloved musical catalog, she’s a businesswoman, a literacy advocate, and a fashion icon. Rising to fame sporting platinum wigs, sequins, and rhinestones, Dolly is still influencing style trends today. And she’s never strayed from herself in the process.
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In case some of y'all are still working on your Halloween costume, here's a few classic outfits I really love you might use for some inspiration. Trick or treat! 😃🎃 pic.twitter.com/OjOaT7qMz6
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) October 26, 2018
Dolly Parton Talks Her Style Motto
Unsurprisingly, Dolly Parton has many beautiful clothes in her wardrobe. “But you would never know how much they cost,” she said, “because the expensive ones look the same on me as the cheap ones for the most part.”
Sitting down with Women’s Wear Daily to promote her new limited-edition clothing line, Dolly’s Joleans, the “Queen of Country” said she drew inspiration from the “town tramp” in her childhood home of Pittman Center, Tennessee.
“They called this lady ‘trash’ because she wore too much makeup, big hair, red nails, high heels, short skirts and all of that,” Dolly said. “But when I was little, that impressed me.”
That woman has had a lasting impact on the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s self-expression. “I want to look cheap,” Dolly said. “That’s my look. I want to look a little bit, you know, trashy.”
She adds, “I don’t mean it in a bad way; I just like that kind of almost artificial look. I like the overdone. I like the bleached hair.”
Facing the Inevitable Criticism
Although gaining a devoted fanbase due to her over-the-top expressions of femininity, Dolly Parton has faced inevitable backlash regarding her image. And she’s handled it in much the same manner she dresses—by refusing to apologize.
“It doesn’t matter what anybody else says,” Dolly told Women’s Wear Daily. “If your mama doesn’t like the way you dress, especially if you’re a 30-year-old girl, a woman, if somebody doesn’t like the way you look.…Well, say, ‘To hell with you. This is me. I’m the one who has to wear this. You’re not wearing it.’”
Featured image by Andrew Putler/Redferns/Getty Images
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