Dolly Parton's Enduring Style: A Look with Her Longtime Stylist

When thinking of Dolly Parton's iconic style, her dazzling stage attire immediately comes to mind. Her longtime stylist, Steve Summers, fondly recalls her memorable "mirrorball outfit" worn to open the ACM Awards in 2022, noting that every piece Parton wore was custom-made. Summers explains that even if a garment appears to be off-the-rack, it undergoes significant customization before Dolly wears it.

Summers and Parton's costuming team were incredibly prolific, crafting approximately 300 custom outfits for the star annually. "There is an outfit in production every single day," Summers stated, adding that for personal appearances, it wasn't unusual to prepare up to ten outfits in a single day.

Over their three decades of collaboration, Summers and Parton developed a keen understanding of what works best for her. "She's been very specific throughout her entire career. She wears what she likes, and what she feels comfortable in," Summers shared. "The great thing about working with Dolly is she doesn’t follow fashion trends at all; Her style hasn’t changed that much over the years."

Parton's signature fashion formula was simple yet effective. Summers described it as "always cinched at the waist, and they’re often monochromatic." He elaborated that as a petite woman, Dolly could easily be overwhelmed by clothing, leading to the garments "wearing her." To avoid this, they often opted for dresses or jumpsuits with an hourglass silhouette, enhanced by vibrant colors or interesting textures. Despite her status as a fashion icon, Summers noted that her clothes are relatively simple, though "very intricate in detail."

Another defining element of Dolly's signature look is her love for sky-high stilettos. Parton consistently wore 140-mm heels, which, like her clothing, were always custom-made for comfort. Summers detailed their in-house shoe design process, involving a close friend who is a shoe manufacturer and a local craftsman in Nashville. The comfort of these custom shoes was evident, as Parton, even at 80, maintained her passion for impressive heels.