
One of the most iconic faces — and style stars — in country music, the legendary Dolly Parton has been winning awards and shattering music industry records for over 50 years. Born to humble beginnings in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, Parton first got her start performing at her local church, surrounded by her 11 brothers and sisters.
After graduating from high school, the up-and-coming starlet headed for Nashville, making her on-camera debut in 1967 on Porter Wagoner’s weekly TV program. But it wasn’t until 1974 that Dolly really made a splash on the country scene. “I Will Always Love You,” which she wrote about Wagoner, sky-rocketed to the top of the charts — and with it, Dolly began to develop her signature over-the-top, covered-in-sequins style. (How fitting for a superstar of her caliber!)
Over the years, Dolly has written over 3,000 songs and released 145 singles. Inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the now 73-year-old firecracker can still hold her own on stage. And if you haven’t had enough Dolly, on November 22, a new Netflix series, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, will chronicle her incredible rise to fame — and the glitzy, glamorous outfits that she wore along the way.
“I was not a raving natural beauty,” Dolly told ELLE of her penchant for heavy makeup, sky-high wigs, and embellished costumes. “I look totally artificial, but I am totally real, as a write, as a professional, as a human being. A rhinestone shines just as good as a real diamond.” And to that we say: Dolly, never stop being (rhinestone-clad) you!
Take a look at some of our favorite Dolly Parton looks from over the years.
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Getty Images Porter Wagoner first introduced a then-unknown Dolly Parton to the world on his TV show in 1967 – little did we know how iconic her voice and standout style would become.
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Getty Images Back in 1968, Dolly opted for a more classic ‘60s look — a teased bouffant hairstyle and demure plaid.
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Getty Images The country star opted for a more pared-back look, with a wavy hairstyle and minimal makeup for a portrait session in 1972.
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Getty Images For an on-stage appearance in Los Angeles in 1975, Dolly paired her teased blonde locks with an embroidered yellow dress and plenty of blue eyeshadow.
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Getty Images Even back in 1978, the country superstar was a bonafide ray of sunshine!
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Getty Images At the 9 to 5 film premiere in New York, Dolly was pretty in pink — a pink off-the-shoulder dress, pink eyeshadow, and a bright pink lip color.
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Getty Images No one commands the stage like Dolly! Here, the blonde bombshell performs in an intricately beaded white gown alongside Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn in 1980.
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Getty Images To present an Academy Award at the 52nd annual ceremony, Dolly opted for a baby blue dress with sequined black bow.
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Getty Images All eyes were on Dolly in another beaded, tight-fitting dress — this time, with matching earrings — on stage at the Dominion Theatre in London in 1983.
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Getty Images For her first Hollywood Walk of Fame induction — yes, Dolly is so fabulous that she’s actually received the honor twice — the then 38-year-old posed (next to Sylvester Stallone) in a relatively understated look, at least by her standards.
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Getty Images On stage with Kenny Rogers in 1985, Dolly wore her take on a classic tuxedo style — with plenty of sequins.
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Getty Images The superstar’s hair reached new volumes — not that we’re complaining — during her variety series, Dolly, which aired in the late ‘80s on ABC.
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Getty Images For one of her many performances on the show, Dolly played the guitar in all-over denim while sporting long (and we do mean, long) red nails.
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Getty Images Who wore their pile of blonde curls better? Dolly Parton or her TV show guest, Ms. Piggy.
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Getty Images At the 14th Annual People’s Choice Awards in March 1988, Dolly wore an over-the-top off-the-shoulder gown to accept her win for Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer.
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Getty Images At a charity dinner in New York in 1988, Dolly posed alongside friend Kenny Rogers in a sequined, velvet gown and plenty of purple eyeshadow. (It was popular at the time!)
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Getty Images Dolly’s namesake theme park — Dollywood — opened in 1986. In 1988, the star posed for a photo in the park’s gardens wearing a dotted dress and hoop earrings.
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Getty Images For the New York City premiere of Steel Magnolias, Dolly turned heads in an incredible beaded, sequin number.
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Getty Images The country music superstar looked the part in a Western-inspired red and gold fringed dress and plenty of hairspray.
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Getty Images Red, white and blue… for an appearance just after July 4th in 1991, Dolly was the picture of patriotism.
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Getty Images In 1995, Dolly serenaded the Tonight Show audience in a semi-sheer gown and half-up, half-down hairstyle.
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Getty Images We’re loving Dolly’s suede navy mini-dress and elegant, blown out hairstyle for her performance on The Tonight Show in 1999.
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Getty Images Another year, another Tonight Show appearance! Laughing alongside Jay Leno in 2001, Dolly showed off her incredible figure in a low-cut, metallic frock.
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Getty Images Dolly was all business in a relatively conservative beige dress for a music industry event in 2002.
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Getty Images On stage in 2003, the usually over-the-top country superstar toned it down a bit in a richly-colored red dress with gold detailing.
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Getty Images For a performance in New Jersey, Dolly wore a form-fitting bodysuit — complete with, what else, plenty of glitter.
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Getty Images At the 39th Annual CMA Awards, two music industry legends, Elton John and Dolly Parton, took to the stage to perform “Turn the Lights Out When You Leave” and “Imagine.”
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Getty Images Looking white-hot in an all-white ensemble, Dolly performed “Travelin’ Thru” at the Academy Awards in 2006.
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Getty Images At the same event, Dolly walked the Oscars red carpet in a bubblegum pink gown complete with eyelet detailing and sparkly bows.
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Getty Images Alongside friend and 9 to 5 co-star Jane Fonda, the stars celebrated the 25th anniversary DVD launch in matching white styles.
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Getty Images There’s no better venue for Dolly’s signature glitz and glamour than the iconic Radio City Music Hall.
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Getty Images The one-and-only Dolly opted for bit of understated sparkle — yes, that’s most definitely a thing — on the red carpet premiere of Joyful Noise in 2012.
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Getty Images Who says you can’t mix and match polka dots and stripes?
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Getty Images Dolly performing at Glastonbury in 2014 brought out an intricately beaded blouse and swipe of bright blue eyeliner.
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Getty Images A kaleidoscopic rainbow dress proved just the ticket for Dolly’s on-stage ensemble in Nashville in 2015.
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Getty Images For an appearance at the 51st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Dolly was dripping in diamonds and plenty of show-stopping lace.
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Getty Images Dolly opted for an eye-catching primary color palette for a radio appearance in Pigeon Forge, Tennesee (where Dollywood is located) in 2016.
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Getty Images There’s no more fitting honoree than Dolly to receive the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award — and for her big night at the 2016 CMA Awards, the singer opted for her signature sunny hue.
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Getty Images Dolly was all smiles during the 23rd Annual SAG Awards in Los Angeles — and if we were wearing that many rhinestones, we would be grinning too!
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Getty Images Dolly, clad in silver fringe, was reunited with her former co-stars, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda, at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017.
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Getty Images The singer smiled and waved to fans in Midtown Manhattan in 2017 wearing a silver studded black dress and sky-high heels.
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Getty Images Black and white and fabulous all over! Dolly wore a monochromatic body-con dress for the premiere of Netflix’s Dumplin’ in Hollywood in 2018.
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Getty Images Alongside her god daughter, Miley Cyrus, Dolly performed her mega-hit “Jolene” onstage at the Grammy Awards this year — yep, she’s still got it!
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Getty Images Earlier this year, in London, Dolly joined the cast of the 9 to 5 musical, a play based on the star’s music and lyrics.