Behind the Seams

August 7, 2023
Country music star Parton (Dolly Parton, Songteller) throws open her closet doors to reveal the show-stopping outfits that have defined her five-plus decades in the limelight. Starting in childhood, Parton used style to “reflect my innermost self” and build confidence—“I can’t do what I’m supposed to do as a performer if I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin,” she informed music industry executives who tried to streamline her larger-than-life fashion into a sleek “1960s pop look.” She always favored big hair, tight and low-cut clothes, and rhinestones (“once I could afford them”), even when they went against the day’s trends. Featured here are several of Parton’s scrap-made “coats of many colors” inspired by her 1971 single of the same name, a short off-the-rack wedding dress from her 1966 wedding to Carl Dean, and an exquisite white beaded gown worn to the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors. Enriched with insights from the star’s designers, hairdressers, and makeup artists (as well her niece, Rebecca Seaver, who curated the collection), this is both a lush visual feast and a testament to the originality and self-possession that made Parton a force to be reckoned with: an entertainer who refused to accede to trends, was firmly in control of her own sexuality, and expanded the stylistic possibilities available to female performers. Fashion lovers and country fans alike will be enchanted. Photos.

Starred review from March 1, 2024

This excellent audiobook celebrating Parton's (Dolly Parton, Songteller) iconic and timeless style could be summed up by Shakespeare's immortal words "To thine own self, be true." The glittering audio allows listeners a glimpse of Parton's life by way of her remarkable closet as she describes her early style, makeup, fashion, wigs, and more. The book is presented as a Q&A, with Parton's niece and archivist Rebecca Seaver as interviewer. Pop culture writer Holly George-Warren (Janis: Her Life and Music) introduces each chapter and the many contributors. Interspersed throughout the interviews with Parton are song clips and conversations with designers and stylists who helped create her unique and unforgettable vision. From the Country Music Awards and The Porter Wagoner Show to album art, Studio 54, and even the cover of Playboy in October 1978, each outfit has a story to tell. Parton's style has evolved over the years but has always been flashy, busty, distinctive, and glitzy, just like the legend herself. VERDICT Part memoir, part fashion manifesto, part archive, this engaging audio bursts with humor, confidence, and candor. The production deserves all the rhinestone stars it will earn.--Erin Cataldi

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