Why Does Dolly Parton Wear Gloves? (The Truth Revealed)

Iconic country music legend Dolly Parton is popular for her perpetual beauty, magical voice, and sensational fashion style. And part of Parton’s one-of-a-kind fashion sense is her stylish and glamorous gloves, which she is hardly ever seen without in public. But why exactly does Dolly Parton wear gloves?

IN A GIST

  • Dolly Parton has keloid scar tissue, and she got several tattoos to cover her purple scars. Now, she wears gloves and long sleeves to keep the scars as well as the tattoos hidden. 
  • According to Parton’s creative director, Steve Summers, Dolly chooses to include nude gloves in her style as she doesn’t like her aging hands and elbows.
  • Dolly Parton prefers to wear fingerless gloves or long sleeves during her stage performances so she can still play the guitar herself. 

Recently in December 2022, a TikTok post featuring Dolly Parton performing at the 37th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony emerged on the Internet. The TikTok video immediately built up a storm about Parton wearing nude gloves during her performance.

People from all around the world began assuming the reasons behind Dolly wearing nude fingerless gloves, and some were bamboozled at how they didn’t realize she’s been wearing gloves for a long time.

In fact, it’s not just during her onstage performances; the 9 to 5 singer has also worn gloves during interviews, red carpets, premiers, in short, all public appearances.

Why Does Dolly Parton Wear Gloves?

Jolene singer Dolly Parton has often been interviewed about her iconic fashion sense and why she adds gloves or long sleeves to her attire. But the singer has never offered a satisfactory answer yet.

However, she revealed during a Vanity Fair interview that she has keloid scar tissue, which gives any scar on her body a stubborn and dark purple tinge. She even got several tiny skin and pastel-colored tattoos during her early years to cover those purple scars.

Although the singer never confirmed this as a specific reason for wearing gloves and long sleeves covering the top of her hand, it seems to be a valid one.

When Did Dolly Start Wearing Gloves?

Tracing back the trend of Parton’s fashion statement over the years, it was in 2010 that she started donning different styles of gloves at her public appearances.

Be it her stage shows, interviews, autograph signing events, or premiers, the I Will Always Love You singer is never seen without gloves. And if not gloves, you would see her donning dresses with extra long sleeves to cover most of her hands, leaving just her fingers out.

Dolly Parton’s Hands Without Gloves

The singing icon is running up the ladder of life and is currently in her flourishing 70s. But aging comes with a lot of changes, which people find unique ways to deal with!

Parton’s creative director, Steve Summers, has some resembling words to say about Parton wearing gloves. In an interview with InStyle, Summers says that Dolly’s choice of wearing nude, fingerless gloves or long sleeves is her style statement.

He also adds that “she is 73 years old and doesn’t like her hands and elbows. It’s a normal woman thing!”

So, stressing Steve’s words, another possible reason for Parton’s exclusive glove-focused attire is that the singing legend doesn’t want much attention to her aging hands. But Parton’s fans don’t seem to stress her age. To them, Parton is an era that just goes on and on!

Did Dolly Parton always wear gloves?

Dolly Parton wasn’t always wearing gloves. It was mainly since 2010 that she started appearing publicly wearing either nude gloves, fingerless gloves, or long sleeves.

Why are Dolly Parton’s arms covered?

The country singer Dolly Parton prefers to keep her arms covered to hide her scars because of keloid scar tissue and the tattoos she got to mask those scars.

Does Dolly Parton have sleeve tattoos?

Dolly Parton has got some tattoos to cover up her keloid scars. But, her tattoos are “small, minimal, and pastel or skin-colored, and she isn’t really a tattoo girl.”

Country singer Dolly Parton is a whole new fashion trend in herself. As the lady is aging like a fine wine, her fans just can’t get enough of her talents, beauty, and eccentric style statements. Gloves or no gloves, Parton’s heavenly aura is timeless!