10 Dolly Parton Quotes That Prove She Was a True It Girl
By Alexus Mosley
Being an It Girl has never been just about looking fabulous. The truly great ones have something considerably harder to manufacture: personality. And Dolly Parton had enough of it to fill Dollywood. She was glamorous without taking glamour too seriously, ambitious without pretending success came easily and confident enough to make herself the punchline before anyone else could. If anyone understood the art of being completely, unapologetically yourself, it was Dolly. These 10 quotes prove it.
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1. “Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.”
Possibly the ultimate It Girl philosophy. Figure out what makes you you, then turn the volume up. This quote is consistently attributed directly to Parton in established quote references.
2. “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap.”
Only Dolly could turn a criticism of her taste into one of her most famous jokes. She even identified the phrase herself as one she frequently used in Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire.
3. “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”
The self-awareness! Dolly understood exactly how people perceived her and frequently beat them to the joke.
4. “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”
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5. “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”
Behind all the rhinestones was a woman with tremendous ambition. This is perhaps the least glamorous lesson on the list and one of the most important.
6. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”
An It Girl doesn’t wait around indefinitely for someone to hand her the life she wants. Dolly’s version? Build another road.
7. “My weaknesses have always been food and men — in that order.”
Priorities. We respect them.
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8. “I look just like the girls next door… if you happen to live next door to an amusement park.”
Perhaps the most Dolly description of Dolly ever uttered. She knew subtlety wasn’t part of the assignment.
9. “You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love and all those things that you can’t put a dollar sign on.”
This one belongs here because Dolly’s appeal was never merely about fabulousness. Generosity was fundamental to the woman behind all that sparkle.
10. “Dream more, learn more, care more, and be more.”
When Vanity Fair asked Dolly for her motto in 2012, this was her answer. Honestly, we could do worse.