Dolly Parton's Unique Style: A Stylist's Perspective

When one thinks of Dolly Parton's style, her dazzling and spectacular stage costumes immediately come to mind. Her stylist, Summers, fondly recalls the "mirrorball outfit" she wore to open the ACM Awards in 2022. It's worth noting that every garment Parton wore was custom-made. Summers explains that even if she starts with an off-the-rack piece, it undergoes significant customization to achieve her signature look.

Summers and Dolly Parton's costume team created approximately 300 bespoke outfits annually for the star. "There's an outfit in production every single day," Summers stated. "If she's attending personal appearances, it's not uncommon to have 10 outfits ready in a day."

Parton's fashion team had perfected their craft over time. Summers notes that over three decades, he and Parton developed a keen understanding of what works and what doesn't. "She has been very particular throughout her entire career. She wears what she likes and what she feels comfortable in," Summers shared. "The wonderful aspect of working with Dolly is that she completely disregards fashion trends; her style has remained remarkably consistent over the years."

Her iconic style formula was quite straightforward. "She always emphasizes her waist, and the outfits are frequently monochromatic," Summers observed. "She's a very petite woman, so it's easy for clothes to overwhelm her—for the clothes to wear her, and I dislike that." To prevent this, he and Parton often opted for dresses or jumpsuits with an hourglass silhouette, incorporating a striking color or texture. "She's recognized as a fashion icon, but her clothes are relatively simple," Summers said. "However, they are incredibly intricate in their details."

Another defining element of Dolly's timeless look? Undoubtedly, her towering stilettos. Parton almost exclusively wore 140-mm heels, and, as one might expect, these sky-high shoes were also custom-made. "The pitch of the shoe is very high, so we had the lasts custom-made for comfort," Summers explained. "We design all the shoes in-house: She has a close friend who is a shoe manufacturer, and we also work with a craftsman here in Nashville." It's clear these shoes were comfortable, as even at 80, Parton maintained her penchant for stunning heels.