{"id":870585,"date":"2026-08-27T19:26:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/870585\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:26:12","slug":"like-a-rhinestone-cowgirl-dolly-partons-most-glorious-joyful-and-meta-looks-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/870585\/","title":{"rendered":"Like a rhinestone cowgirl \u2013 Dolly Parton\u2019s most glorious, joyful and meta looks | Fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a>, but the Tennessee-born star also had an incredible number of fashion moments. \u201cIt costs a lot of money to look this cheap\u201d, she famously quipped when asked about her style. As we bid her farewell, six Guardian writers reflect on their favourite Dolly looks.<\/p>\n

\u2018About as far from the Glastonbury aesthetic as it is possible to get\u2019<\/p>\n

Bejewelled \u2026 Glastonbury, 2014. Photograph: Alamy\/PA<\/p>\n

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: \u201cDon\u2019t judge me by the cover, \u2019cause I\u2019m a real good book.\u201d Amen. Jess Cartner-Morley, associate editor (fashion)<\/p>\n

\u2018She proved the best way to live is in a look you love\u2019<\/p>\n

Rock\u2019n\u2019roll \u2026 with Miley Cyrus, 2022. Photograph: NBC\/Vijat Mohindra\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 a silhouette that emphasised her tiny waist, along with high heels, higher hair and a heavy sprinkling of sparkle. In today\u2019s world of image architects and constant reinvention, her continuity felt even more refreshing.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Vogue<\/a> in 2023, Steve Summers, Parton\u2019s longtime stylist and creative director said: \u201cDesigning for Dolly is great, because there are so many [Dollys].\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve got the philanthropist, the singer, the actress, the theme-park owner. The canvas is always very broad.\u201d 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 \u2018n\u2019 Roll, Parton didn\u2019t 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<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s almost meta\u2019<\/p>\n

Not dumb \u2026 the grand opening of Dolly Parton\u2019s Trinkets and Treasures in 2010. Photograph: Taylor Hill\/FilmMagic<\/p>\n

Among Dolly Parton\u2019s greatest quotes, the most iconic must surely be \u201cI\u2019m not offended by dumb-blonde jokes because I know I\u2019m not dumb \u2026 and I also know I\u2019m not blonde.\u201d So much has been said about Parton as an artist who took her craft seriously but not herself, and this rhinestone-embellished, yellow \u201cdumb blonde\u201d top is emblematic of that. It\u2019s almost meta. Every bit of her aesthetic, modelled after a bold, flamboyant and glamorous woman in her local Tennessee who was derided as the \u201ctown tramp\u201d, was intentional. Art not artifice. A paean to women who wouldn\u2019t make themselves smaller, who would not only wear society\u2019s prejudices but throw them back with a lip-glossed kiss. Jason Okundaye, assistant opinion editor<\/p>\n

\u2018Formed the blueprint for everything I thought was glamorous\u2019<\/p>\n

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Red carpet done right \u2026 New York in 1989. Photograph: Ron Galella, Ltd.\/WireImage<\/p>\n

I first watched Steel Magnolias aged 7 and Dolly\u2019s glamorous style was instantly seared into my brain. It is still my favourite film (I\u2019ve always loved a tearjerker) and Truvy\u2019s rose pink nails and blonde puffball permed hair made their way from the big screen to the red carpet for the film\u2019s New York premiere in 1989, alongside a healthy dose of crystals and d\u00e9colletage. It formed the blueprint for everything I thought was glamorous. Melanie Wilkinson, styling editor<\/p>\n

\u2018Her authenticity was almost medicinal\u2019<\/p>\n

A little bit country \u2026 posing with her tour bus, 1977. Photograph: Donaldson Collection\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Not to miss the point about Dolly \u2013 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\u2019s worth of sparkles or a pair of jeans and a knotted shirt, it seemed she couldn\u2019t 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\u2019s something almost medicinal in that. Ellie Violet Bramley<\/p>\n

\u2018Each rhinestone became a diamond under her touch\u2019<\/p>\n

Radiating joy \u2026 Los Angeles, 1978. Photograph: Harry Langdon\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

My favourite Dolly Parton look is every Dolly Parton look \u2013 each rhinestone became a diamond under her touch. The day I met her<\/a>, we were both wearing matching shades of purple (further evidence that she\u2019s my higher power). But I especially loved this 1978 canary yellow dress and bubble wig. This is how I\u2019ll imagine Dolly now that she\u2019s left us; orbiting the cosmos radiating joy. Joe Stone, lifestyle editor, Saturday Magazine<\/p>\n

To read the complete version of this newsletter \u2013 complete with this week\u2019s trending topics in The Measure \u2013 subscribe to receive Fashion Statement<\/a> in your inbox every Thursday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton may have had a record 25 US country No 1 singles, released 66 studio albums and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":870586,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[64,63,134,136],"class_list":["post-870585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-entertainment","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/870585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=870585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/870585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/870586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=870585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=870585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=870585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}