SERPONG, ULTIMAGZ.com – Dolly Parton has never believed in the “less is more” rule. Big blonde hair, sparkly rhinestones, bold make up, and towering heels are her signature look. It stayed instantly recognizable for over 60 years. While other stars change their style with every new trend, Dolly Parton built a look with consistency that turned her into a pop culture icon.
Dolly Parton’s iconic look grew right alongside her journey from a poor upbringing in rural Sevier County, Tennessee, to worldwide fame. As one of the 12 kids in a sharecropper family, she grew up wearing clothes made from scraps, a memory she turned into her famous song “Coat of Many Colors”. When she started making music, record companies wanted her to fit in the quiet 1960s pop look, but she said no, and made her clothes the way to reinvent herself. Creating the bold, larger-than-life persona that carried her country music career, based on theguardian.com.
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Bright colors, fitted silhouettes, platform heels, layers of sequins, and rhinestones all define Dolly Parton’s signature look, built in the core idea of “more is more”. Her outfits work almost like stage costumes, bold enough to light up every corner of the room. Dolly wears it with total confidence, turning what could be over-the-top into something that genuinely feels like her.
Few beauty looks are as legendary as Dolly Parton’s towering platinum-blonde hair, as noted in her fashion retrospective Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones. She started wearing big wigs to protect her real hair from years of bleaching, then fully embraced the freedom by always going bigger. By openly admitting her hair and make up aren’t “natural,” Dolly flips the idea of glamour, it’s not something you are born with, but something you develop on purpose, based on vogue.com.
Every piece of Dolly Parton’s wardrobe is built to make a statement, her signature shape comes from custom tailoring that cinches the waist and plays up a classic hourglass figure. Detailed rhinestone and sequin work turns plain fabric into eye-catching stagewear, catching the light and making her pop in front of huge crowds. Sky-high heels and platforms add extra height to her small figure.
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Dolly Parton’s style sits right at the crossroads of classic Western wear and old Hollywood glamour, she never left her country roots behind when she hit the world stage. Instead, she took staple Western yokes, and fringe, then dressed them up with bright pastel colors or crystals. That mix set her apart from both traditional country singers and pop stars of her time, letting her stay true to her Appalachian roots while still looking right at home on a Hollywood red carpet, based on instyle.com.
Six decades later, the rhinestones haven’t dimmed, Dolly Parton didn’t just wear a look because she built one, piece by piece, until “more is more.” Turning a handful of bold choices into one of the most recognizable personal brands in pop culture. From scraps of fabric in rural Tennessee to sequins under arena lights, “more is more” became her way of telling her own story in her own terms.
Author: Jemima Anasya R.
Editor: Kezia Laurencia
Photo: nytimes.com, harpersbazaar.com
Source: theguardian.com, vogue.com, instyle.com
