Aside from her genuine kindness, Dolly Parton, one of the most outstanding country icons of all time, is known for wearing long sleeves. It’s one of the potpourri of traits that has endeared her to millions of Americans and observers around the world. Her unique fashion sense complements a voice that has brought evergreen hits like Jolene, I Will Always Love You, and the worker’s anthem, 9 to 5.
But after 67 years in the spotlight, it’s her choice of armwear that draws eyebrows. For years she’s worn nothing but long sleeves, which has led to more than a little speculation about them. The big-haired country singer with a heart of gold may have a few things she keeps private, but there’s no big secret under her sleeves. When asked, she readily explained. This is the reason why Dolly Parton wears long sleeves.
Dolly Parton Wears Long Sleeves to Cover Up Keloid Scars
Because she covers her arms all the time, people have indeed speculated unkindly about her reasons. While some folks maintain it’s because she must be tattooed, others have made unkind assertions like speculations about scars or even drug use. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dolly does have tattoos, but they don’t sleeve her arms. She told Vanity fair that she mostly hides them because “I don’t really like to make a big to-do of [the tattoos] because people make such a big damn deal over every little thing.”
But the real answer appears to be keloid scar tissues. Dolly Parton confessed that she tends to have keloid scar tissue, and her early tattoos were always to cover over the excessive scarring. Her fair skin leaves scars highly visible with a violet hue that can’t be removed. So she covers them with a little ink to make them pretty again. Dolly doesn’t exactly hide her tattoos, but she doesn’t show them off either.
However, the sleeves are a fashion choice. Preferring to cover her arms is just part of Dolly Parton’s signature style. She may rock her incredible cleavage, but she shows off her modest roots with long sleeves. It may seem a little oxymoronic to you, but Dolly doesn’t care. She loves who she is and how she looks. We dig her empowered stance on the issue and have always admired the star for her glamour, talent, and philanthropy.
Plus, always on full sleeves is a bit of a stretch. True, Dolly Parton prefers a long sleeve, but there are plenty of images of her wearing half sleeves, tops without shoulders, and even a few incredible photos of a time when she chose a short-sleeved, drop-shoulder gown for the evening. Dolly has even worn see-through sleeves more than a few times. If you’re looking, you can find pictures with her arms in them.
Some of Dolly Parton’s Tattoos are Butterflies
Now that we know that the long sleeves are covering up some tattoos, the obvious question is: what kind of ink does she have? Well, in another interview, this time with Good Morning America, she admitted to having little butterfly tattoos, along with a couple of flowers. These are not unintentional tramp stamps from a wayward youth either.
The butterfly, a fluttering, beautiful insect and an integral part of the food chain means a lot to Dolly Parton. It’s the logo of her famous Dollywood theme park that receives over three million visitors annually. She also wrote a song about them. Love is Like a Butterfly is one of her early career hits and the title of her fourteenth solo studio album. The song reached number one on the US Hot Country Songs chart.
Dolly’s love for the insect goes all the way back to her childhood years when she got into trouble chasing after them. In a W magazine interview, she loves butterflies because she envied their freedom. She also sees herself in them because they are gentle. So, there you have it. The reason Dolly Parton almost always wears long sleeves and what she’s covering up. Hopefully, that will lay to rest the rumors once and for all. Dolly has nothing up her sleeves except her arms and some scars she’s not a fan of. Stars, they really are like us.
Read Next: The Guinness Records Dolly Parton Has Recently Broken
Follow Us
