Dolly Parton Without Wig

Dolly Parton’s Iconic Look – The Woman Behind the Wig

Dolly Parton is one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world thanks to her over-the-top style. With her platinum blonde hair, red lips, sparkly outfits and larger-than-life persona, Dolly has crafted a look all her own. But one of the most iconic elements of her appearance that Dolly is best known for is her big, blonde wig.

Dolly’s wigs have become part of her persona, just as identifiable as her songs and southern charm. Her sky-high blonde hair is synonymous with the country queen. But have you ever wondered what Dolly Parton looks like without her famous wig?

The Woman Behind the Wig

Dolly Parton without her wig is a rare sight that most fans don’t get to witness. She has crafted such an identifiable persona around her voluminous blonde locks that she rarely takes them off in public. But photos do exist of Dolly minus her trademark wig.

Underneath all that hair, Dolly actually has a head of natural brown hair with a touch of auburn. Her real hair is quite slender and petite, a stark contrast from her bombshell blonde wigs. Dolly started wearing wigs as a child when she began performing. Her mother would tease and backcomb Dolly’s hair to create a big bouffant style for stage. This was the 1960s when beehives and other large hairdos were in fashion.

As Dolly’s career took off, her hair continued to get bigger. She adopted more elaborate wigs that added volume and height. Her wigs also helped save time on extensive styling and gave her natural hair a break from harsh backcombing and heavy sprays. Dolly has commented that she can “work longer and harder” by wearing wigs since they are quicker to put on.

Why Dolly Loves Her Wigs

For Dolly, her oversized blonde wigs are part of her look and appeal. She enjoys the artificiality of them as part of her stage persona. Dolly has stated: “Wigs are a stage thing, a fun thing. I’m not trying to fool anybody. My silly costumes allow me to be silly and childlike onstage.”

Her wigs also represent Dolly leaning into femininity and female embellishment. She dresses to accentuate her curves with form-fitting sparkly gowns and towering high heels. The big hair completes the overall look.

Dolly enjoys exaggerating her natural features to create an unforgettable image reminiscent of blonde bombshells like Marilyn Monroe. As she says, “If I hadn’t made something of myself I would always look like the girl next door. But now that I’ve made something of myself, I can look however I want.”

She also uses wigs as a way to conceal her natural hair loss. Years of harsh styling, backcombing, bleaching and heavy sprays have damaged Dolly’s tresses. The wigs protect her natural hair that she keeps short. They allow her to maintain her iconic look without further damaging her real hair underneath.

Dolly’s Various Wig Styles Over the Years

While Dolly is best known for her towering blonde beehives, she has rocked a variety of wig styles through the decades:

•  1960s: As a young country singer Dolly wore her hair in big bouffant styles, heavily teased and sprayed for volume. Her hair was brown with blonde highlights back then.
•  1970s: Dolly started going platinum! She adopted her oversized blonde wigs that she became iconic for. Her hair reached amazing heights during this era.
•  1980s: Dolly’s wigs maintained their volume but she began experimenting with slight variations – crimped hair, bangs, pixie cuts.
•  1990s: Dolly’s wigs got even bigger and more styled. She added curls, waves, and teasing throughout for texture.
•  2000s: Dolly’s wigs became a bit sleeker and more layered at this point, though still prominently blonde and bouffant.
•  2010s: In recent years, Dolly has played around with longer layered cuts, bangs, and asymmetrical styles while keeping her signature blonde.

No matter what wig style she adopts, Dolly manages to make it fabulous. Her confidence and charm pull off even the most over-the-top looks.

Rare Public Sightings Without Her Wig

Dolly is so committed to her wigs as part of her look that photos of her real hair are hard to come by. But a few brief public glimpses give us insight into the natural brunette underneath:

•  On a morning talk show interview, Dolly removed her wig on camera to reveal a short brown pixie cut underneath.
•  Paparazzi shots from a trip to London show Dolly arriving at her hotel with barely shoulder-length auburn hair swept back.
•  During a charity event, an aerial acrobat accidentally removed Dolly’s wig mid-performance. Audience members caught a quick view of Dolly’s real short locks before she recovered her wig.
•  A candid shot of Dolly backstage before a concert reveals her petite natural hair swept up under her massive wig.

While amusing, these moments reinforce why Dolly favors wigs – her natural thin hair simply can’t compare to the exaggerated volume and length of her blonde bombshell styles.

Dolly Occasionally Ditches the Wig in Movies

Dolly has revealed her real hair in a couple of acting roles where a wig didn’t suit the character. These include:

•  Steel Magnolias (1989) – Dolly wore an auburn wig as Truvy, the beauty shop owner. For sick scenes at the hospital, Dolly went wigless with her natural hair down.
•  Straight Talk (1992) – As a no-nonsense radio talk show host, Dolly appears mostly without a wig, showing off short brown hair.
•  Nine to Five (1980) – Although Dolly’s hair is big as Doralee, it’s not as exaggerated as her stage wigs. Her blonde style appears more natural.

Seeing Dolly Parton without her wig is rare, which makes it extra special. Her natural hair only enhances her beauty and down-to-earth appeal. But Dolly just wouldn’t be Dolly without those fabulous blonde wigs she’s so well known for! They complete the dazzling, glamorous image she has crafted over her career. Dolly’s wigs may be fake, but the artistry and joy behind them are real. Underneath it all, she’s still the same lively, funny mountain girl with or without all that blonde hair.