Dolly Parton’s Signature Style

Dolly Parton’s signature visual style emerged when she was a young girl. Instinctively drawn to colorful, shape-hugging clothing, Parton's sartorial image was born from her desire to stand apart and experience life beyond the Smoky Mountains. In this video, the Museum's Allison Moorer discusses how the exhibition "Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker" explores this theme.

After establishing herself in Nashville, Parton resisted advice from record executives who warned that her flamboyant fashions would overshadow her talent. “When I started doing the pop stuff, they always tried to get me to wear more stylish, more fashionable, more tasteful clothes,” she recalled. “But I said, ‘Look, I’m gonna be me because I know who I am and you don’t.’ . . . I have to be comfortable in how I dress, how I see myself, and how I feel in what I’m wearing.” Parton insisted on working with clothing designers and hair and makeup artists who would create performance looks tailored to her sense of style. They balanced utilitarian function with her personal ideals of glamour, the visions that first inspired her dreams of stardom.

"Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker" is open now through September 2026. Explore turning points in Parton’s life and career through the decades.

Reserve tickets today: https://www.countrymusichalloffame.or…