Dolly Parton's 2023 ACM Awards Wardrobe Brought The Spice (& Not The Style)
As was established by Garth Brooks in the opening of the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, Dolly Parton is truly a GOAT of country music. Not only has her prolific music career spanned over decades, with the singer getting her start in the 1940s, but she's also made a big impact on the genre in the way of fashion.
Known for her eclectic style and head-turning looks, the "Jolene" singer is not afraid to experiment with fashion fabrics, colors, or silhouettes. Parton's first look of the night, which she debuted at the ACM pre-show, was a testament to this. She wore a shimmering silver top with shoulder pad details and a pair of metallic pants trimmed with fringe and beads.
While we were big fans of this first look, the award-winning celebrity's subsequent ensembles weren't quite as big of a hit. We can't deny that there were some eye-catching moments throughout the night, but the outfits definitely weren't as fashionable as expected from the OG country star.
A floral and fishnet combo missed the mark
Undoubtedly, Dolly Parton made a fun entrance after fellow ACM Award host Garth Brooks introduced her as one of the GOATs of country music. The "9 to 5" singer entered the stage pulling a literal goat in a pink and white wagon. While we appreciate the bit and even the corny goat jokes that followed, her outfit ranked the singer among some of the worst-dressed stars at the 2023 ACM Awards.
Parton wore a bright green, knee-length dress patterned with large sequined flowers. While this design would be eye-catching on its own, the outfit also featured confusing cutouts. In addition to exposed shoulders, fishnet-lined cutouts ran up the sides of the dress to meet at the V-shaped neckline.
While we love that Parton still opts for revealing and spicy outfits at an age when many women are pressured to dress more modestly, the floral and fishnet combo was a confusing fashion choice. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only outfit from the "Coat of Many Colors" performer that was lacking at the 2023 ACM Awards show.
A purple look failed to bring the new rockstar's edge
Dolly Parton's cutout dress wasn't the only outfit fail worn by the country star for the 2023 ACM Awards. Later in the evening, the performer appeared in a dress that was just as confusing as the floral and fishnet combo. This time, the soft purple color of the gown disagreed with the edgier, BDSM-inspired detailing.
While we've definitely seen celebs pull off some latex-infused or kink-influenced ensembles in the past, Parton's purple fit looks incohesive at best and a bit cheap at worst. On top of the pastel color, the dress featured darker-colored straps connected with rings to create a harness effect. The black studs and choker-neck detail suggested the outfit was striving for a more rock-n-roll look, but the uneven lengths of straps hanging from the hem of the dress made it look more like a discount costume.
Parton definitely achieved a cooler rockstar look with the stage outfit she wore to perform her new song "World on Fire," but this one, unfortunately, missed style in trying to bring the spice.