“Dolly Parton Reveals Her Iconic Look Inspiration and the Consequences She Faced for It”

Parton reminisced, “She was flamboyant. She had bright red lipstick, long red fingernails,” and went on to describe the woman’s bold sense of style, including high-heeled shoes with little floating plastic goldfish in the heels, short skirts, low-cut tops, and overall, a captivating look.

The “Jolene” singer added, “When people would say, ‘She ain’t nothing but trash,’ I would always say, ‘Well, that’s what I’m gonna be when I grow up.'”

Parton recalled that her grandfather, who was a preacher, resorted to physical discipline when she attempted to emulate her fashion muse, but her determination remained unshaken.

Parton expressed her determination, stating, “I was willing to pay for it. I’m very sensitive; I didn’t like being disciplined – it hurt my feelings so bad to be scolded or whipped or whatever. But sometimes there’s just that part of you that’s willing, if you want something bad enough, to go for it.”

When record label executives suggested she should tone down her appearance, Parton chose to disregard their advice. “I’ve always been true to myself,” she explained. “That was what my mama always used to say: ‘to thine own self be true.’ I put a lot of stock in that.”

Parton further elaborated, stating, “Everything I do, whether it’s my personality, how I conduct myself in business, or any aspect of my life, if I do it my way, based on my understanding and beliefs, there’s a strength in that. You can think, ‘I can stand by this, I can live by this.'”

She continued, “My look originated from a very sincere place. That’s how I believed I looked my best. Sometimes it worked in my favor, and sometimes it worked against me. It may have taken me a few extra years to be taken seriously, but I wasn’t willing to change it. I figured if I had the talent, it would eventually shine through.”