Dolly Parton’s most iconic fashion moments from rhinestones to denim

Global tributes have poured in following the death of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton at age 80. Throughout her career, the Tennessee-born performer favored a bold country-glam aesthetic featuring sequinned jumpsuits and rhinestone-studded attire. The artist, who died on Tuesday following a "brief battle with cancer", was celebrated for her lofty blonde hair, flamboyant style, and self-effacing sense of glamour.

Here is a look back at several of Parton’s defining fashion choices. By the late Sixties, the foundations of Dolly Parton’s signature look were already firmly in place, featuring her platinum bouffant, cinched waist, plunging neckline and a liberal dose of sparkle and sequins. Pictured alongside American country singer Porter Wagoner in 1969, the pair had been working together since Parton joined The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967, when she was still in her early 20s.

Wagoner himself was known for his rhinestone-studded western suits and blond pompadour. Ukrainian-American designer Nudie Cohn, whose rhinestone-studded “Nudie suits” helped define the look of country music, began making clothes for Wagoner in the early Sixties. One circa-1969 Nudie jacket was even worn on the cover of Wagoner and Parton’s album Always, Always.

Parton provided a traditionally hyper-feminine counterpoint to his rhinestone cowboy look, favouring figure-hugging dresses, high heels and enormous blonde hair. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Performing at the Cordell Hull Dam dedication in Tennessee in October 1973, Parton looked every inch the Seventies star in a pale pink trouser suit with flared legs and bell sleeves. The decade’s platform shoes were a firm favourite of Parton’s, who opted for the more glamorous disco style of the period as opposed to its relaxed, bohemian approach to dressing. It was during the Seventies where Parton found her love for hourglass, fit-and-flare silhouettes, that soon became integral to her image.

The Seventies were pivotal for Parton. The following year, in 1974, brought her hits Jolene and I Will Always Love You, as Parton prepared to leave her professional partnership with Wagoner and pursue her solo career. Perhaps no image better demonstrates Parton’s understanding of fashion as a publicity tool than her 1978 Playboy cover.