Dolly Parton's Iconic Style Evolution Over The Years In Pictures

A distinct image probably comes to mind when you think of Dolly Parton: big rhinestones, big shoulder pads, and even bigger disco-era Southern glamour. That's Parton, no doubt, but it's hardly the full picture. She released her first album, "Hello, I'm Dolly," in 1967 — her first of 49, as of this writing — and the decades since have been stacked with hit songs, film and TV appearances, and even a theme park in her honor. Parton is the true epitome of a superstar; go looking and you'll find gorgeous throwback pics of Dolly Parton that prove she's always been an icon.

Showcased on stage and on the red carpet, she's made plenty of tweaks to her style in ways that winked at the trends of the day without ever losing the essence of Dolly. Along with Dolly Parton's hair transformation through the years, we're also drooling over her hard-to-forget fashion choices, like the cropped leather jacket she rocked in '87 or the bedazzled denim capris she wore to a pre-Oscars party back in '06.

It's a law of physics: divas never peak. But if we had to choose an era that feels the most Dolly Parton-coded it has to be the 1970s, and she captured the vibe perfectly with her voluminous hair and 'fits adorned in funky prints. Both of these looks are from 1977 and showcase how Parton could be country cool one moment and a glamour goddess the next. Now is the perfect time to check out what Parton was up to back then, because some of your favorite '70s fashion trends are having a resurgence.

Dolly Parton wore the lacy look on the left to the 1980 premiere of "9 to 5," the movie that she starred in alongside Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. It was totally her brand of sultry femininity and the perfect way to usher in a new decade, with hints of the '70s but nodding to what was to come with the bare shoulders and bright pink makeup. She busted out the lace again in 1987, accompanying it that time with a darling little cropped leather jacket, statement belt, and tight ringlet curls. 

When Dolly Parton performed at the Target Center in Minneapolis back in 1990, she rocked a look that couldn't have better captured the mood of the era. From the jeweled choker to the copious amount of scalloped ruffles, it's overdone opulence in the best, most Dolly way. As the decade moved along, that vibe gave way to a more punk rock aesthetic, and she hit it again with the black dress she wore to the 1997 Vanity Fair Oscars Party. Any pop star today could rock those iridescent triangles without anyone batting an eyelash extension.

If you thought Dolly Parton's style stalled in the last century, think again, because, in the early 2000s, she was serving up Y2K vibes alongside the best of them. For a performance at the Hollywood House of Blues in 2002, Parton reached for a pillowy-sleeved peasant dress infused with her trademark energy by way of colorful, carefully placed sequins. At a pre-Oscars party in 2006, she wore rhinestone-covered denim capris and a matching shrug, and we can't forget about the heart belt and the clear mules.

The 2010s saw Dolly Parton trade the extra embellishments for simpler silhouettes that refused to skimp on the drama or the show-worthiness. Parton fully embraced the bodycon dresses and pencil skirts that defined the era. She starred in the movie "Joyful Noise" — alongside Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer — and for the 2012 premiere in Hollywood, she wore a va-va-voom shimmery white dress that screamed chill but expensive bride. In 2016, Parton opted for a look for a ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum that, aptly, felt like an ornate art piece.

If anyone needed a reminder that Dolly Parton has been a star of country music for six decades, the skin-tight jumpsuit that she wore to co-host the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022 did the trick. It oozed that quintessential Dolly "Showtime" Parton energy with its fringe and silver shards. And leave it to our Southern gal to show us how to style a leather skirt like a pro. Exhibit A: the modern 'fit on the right with its peak-a-boo lace that she wore during a fireside chat for "Dolly: An Original Musical" in Nashville in 2025.